SELINSGROVE, Pa. – Sophomore Amalia Esposito (Coraopolis, Pa./Montour) recorded her fourth double-double of the season in leading the Susquehanna University women's basketball team's comeback Landmark Conference victory Wednesday night. Susquehanna (11-3, 3-0 LC) erased a 12-point third-quarter deficit and rallied for the 75-71 triumph over the visiting Drew University Rangers (10-4, 1-2 LC).
 
Susquehanna 75, Drew 71
 
How It Happened
First Quarter

• The first four minutes of the game belonged to Drew as the Rangers jumped out to a 10-0 lead behind four points from Julia Ramos.
• Junior forward Alanna Connolly (Whitehouse Station, N.J./Hunterdon Central) finally put the River Hawks on the board at 6:32 after SU missed its first seven shots and turned the ball over five times.
• Drew maintained its eight-point advantage, heading into the second quarter with a 19-11 lead.
• Connolly led all scorers with eight points on 4-for-4 at the free throw line and 2-of-2 from the field while Susquehanna shot 23.1-percent compared to the Rangers' 47.1 percent.

 
Second Quarter

• Joey Meyers' jumper to start the period put the Rangers back up by 10 before buckets by Esposito and sophomore guard Amanda Lemire (Auburn, N.H./Pinkerton) cut the deficit to six at 7:37.
• A Meyers triple gave the visitors a nine-point margin before Esposito fueled a 17-7 run, which Susquehanna its first lead of the game – a 32-31 advantage at 1:31, with eight points, including capping the run with the final four points.
• Ramos hit a three-ball with 17 seconds left in the half to send Drew into halftime with a 34-33 lead.
• The River Hawks more than doubled their shooting percentage in the second frame, hitting shots at a .563 clip.

 
Third Quarter

• Drew opened up the second half the same way it began the first with a 10-0 run and stretched it to 15-4 for a 49-37 advantage at 4:31.
• The River Hawks responded with an 11-0 run to pull within one with 1:05 remaining. Junior captain Erin McQuillen (Cresskill, N.J./Cresskill) tallied five points, including an old-fashioned three-point play.
• Ramos and Seyka Campbell scored the five of final seven points of the third to give the Rangers' a four-point spot (54-50) heading into the final quarter.

 
Fourth Quarter

• Esposito notched the River Hawks' first eight points to give Susquehanna its first lead (58-57) of the game since the 1:31-minute mark of the second quarter.
• McQuillen then drained a three-pointer at 5:48 and sophomore forward Olivia Brandt (Bethlehem, Pa./Notre Dame) followed suit with a layup at 4:34 to strengthen SU's 63-57 advantage.
• Eight points from Ramos, including a pair of triples, kept the Rangers within striking distance, including closing the gap to 71-69 with 24 seconds on the clock.
• A Lemire layup and a pair of McQuillen free throws sealed SU's fourth consecutive win.

 
Inside the Box Score

• Drew knocked down nine three-pointers while the River Hawks went 17-of-22 at the free throw line.
• The two sides combined for 15 blocks as Susquehanna registered eight, including three each by Brandt and junior guard Nevin Hoenninger (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg), while the Rangers, who leads the conference with 4.8 blocks per game, finished with seven.
• The River Hawks posted a 45-41 rebounding advantage thanks to Esposito's game-best 10 boards.
• Susquehanna's bench outscored the Rangers' reserves, 40-2, while dominating the paint by a 42-28 margin.
• The River Hawks now lead the series with Drew, 17-9.

 
Top Performers

• Esposito matched her career-high of 25 points for the second time this season as she went 11-of-18 from the field while hauling in 10 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season off the bench. She also added two assists, two blocks and a steal.
• McQuillen was the only other River Hawk in double figures with 18 points as she connected on three triples and went 7-of-7 from the charity stripe. She chipped in five caroms, two steals, and one assist as well.
• Ramos was 11-of-29, including 6-of-13 from downtown, to lead all scorers with 29 points while Meyers contributed 14 points and eight boards. Tonight's loss snapped a two-game win streak for the Rangers.

 
Up Next for the River Hawks

• Jan. 18 at Elizabethtown (7-6, 3-0 LC) – Elizabethtown, Pa. / Thompson Gymnasium – Landmark Conference game – 4:00 p.m.

 
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