WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sophomore center Wes Simons (Jefferson Township, Pa./Scranton Prep) dropped a career-best 16 points Saturday afternoon as the Susquehanna University men's basketball team posted yet another convincing Landmark Conference win. Susquehanna (16-7, 9-3 LC) split the season series with The Catholic University of America (8-15, 4-8 LC) following a 74-58 victory at Catholic's DuFour Center.
 
The River Hawks' third consecutive win maintained the status quo in the Landmark standings as Susquehanna, Drew University, and the University of Scranton remained tied for first with 9-3 league records as all three were victorious today.
 
Susquehanna 74, Catholic 58
 
How It Happened
First Half

• After junior captain Bryce Butler (Abingdon, Md./Suffield) knocked down the first basket of the afternoon, Catholic controlled the next eight minutes and built a 16-9 advantage at 12:06 for its biggest lead of the game. Five different Cardinals contributed in the run while CUA's defense limited the River Hawks to 3-of-9 from the field with just one triple and forced them into five turnovers.
• Defense equaled offense for Susquehanna over the next three minutes as the River Hawks turned the tables on CUA with pressure defense. The Cardinals struggled to take care of the ball with six miscues as junior captain Matt LaCorte (Westfield, N.J./Westfield) recorded three steals.
• SU used a 13-0 run to regain a margin in its favor, leading 22-16 at 9:14 for the River Hawks first advantage since Butler's bucket at 19:47.
• A pair of free throws by Arvelle Jones closed the gap to four but Susquehanna had no intentions of letting the Cardinals back into the game, outscoring the hosts, 14-6, the rest of the way to stake a 36-24 halftime lead.

 
Halftime

• Half of Simons' 16 points came in the first half as he led all scorers on 4-of-5 shooting in nine minutes off the bench.
• The River Hawks shot over 50-percent from the field (16-of-30) as SU dominated the paint, 22-8, but were just 3-of-12 from downtown. However, Susquehanna notched 17 points off of 13 CUA mistakes.
• Catholic held the edge in rebounding, 18-15, as Riley Hayes hauled in five boards. Hayes also paced the team in scoring with seven.
• The Cardinals only made seven field goals, three of which were from distance, while going 7-for-11 at the free throw line.

 
Second Half

• The River Hawks continued to build upon their momentum from the end of the first half as SU never dipped below a double-digit margin the rest of the game.
• Susquehanna's biggest lead of the game was +23 on three separate occasions within a four-minute span.
• Sophomore guard Danny Frauenheim (Point Pleasant Beach, N.J./Point Pleasant Beach) paced the River Hawks in the final 20 minutes with nine points while Simons picked up another eight.
• Catholic's lack of offensive rhythm helped the River Hawks withstand their 0-for-8 showing from distance in the second half.

 
Inside the Box Score

• During SU's current three-game win streak, the River Hawks have won their games by an average of 22 points.
• Susquehanna's bench continues to be a bright spot for the River Hawks, contributing 34 points in today's victory.
• The visitors' command of the land was evident with a 48-18 margin for the game.
• Catholic was able to hang around as the Cardinals picked up their effort on the boards, finishing the game with a 33-28 rebounding advantage, while going 22-of-30 at the charity stripe.
• This is the third consecutive time Susquehanna and Catholic has split the season series with the Cardinals always earning the win in the first meeting. The series now stands at 21-19 in favor of CUA.

 
Top Performers

• Simons went a career-best 8-of-9 from the field on his way to a career-high 16 points while adding two rebounds off the bench.
• Frauenheim finished the afternoon with 12 points, four assists, and three boards. At the line, he was 5-for-6 at the line.
• Junior guard Mike Kempski (West Chester, Pa./Salesianum) dished out a career-best seven dimes plus four points and two steals while LaCorte chipped in a season-high four steals to go along with seven points, four rebounds, and three helpers.
• Senior captain Zachary Knecht (Parkland, Fla./Stoneman Douglas) grabbed a team-best six boards and added eight points and two blocks.
• Hayes came up a rebound short of a double-double with game-highs of 19 points and nine caroms in the Cardinals' third consecutive loss.

 
Up Next for the River Hawks

• Feb. 19 at Moravian (13-10, 8-4 LC) – Bethlehem, Pa. / Johnston Hall – Landmark Conference game – 7:00 p.m.

 
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