SELINSGROVE, PA (November 9, 2022) – The Susquehanna men's basketball team began its season on a positive note on Wednesday evening, welcoming Arcadia University to O.W. Houts Gymnasium for their season opener and beating the Knights by a resounding 68-48 scoreline.
While a number of new faces made their debuts as River Hawks, it would be the experienced backcourt duo of Quincy Haughton and Howie Rankine, Jr. who led the way in the victory. The two seniors were the top two scorers for SU, as Haughton led all players with 18 points, adding three steals, two assists, and a rebound. Rankine, Jr. had 11 points, three steals, two rebounds, and an assist. First-year Brandon Lavitt earned the start in his first collegiate game and had a strong showing, tallying 10 points on a 4-8 shooting night while pulling down seven rebounds.
Another first year who announced his presence with authority was Audric Washington, who came off the bench and managed a dominant four blocks, leading all players in the game. Fellow first year Emezie Egeonu came close to a double-double in his collegiate debut, tallying eight points and leading the team with 10 rebounds.
New transfers Luke Edwards and Marcus Mitchell suited up for SU for the first time and the two combined to score 13 points off the bench. All told, the bench would supply 23 points, compared to only 16 from Arcadia's. Senior Pat Corbett led the team with five assists, helping to facilitate the River Hawks' efficient offense. The team shot 37.7 percent from the field and managed a 40 percent performance from beyond the arc, buoyed by a 5 for 9 tally from 3-point range in the second half.
Stifling defense from Susquehanna helped them to establish and press their advantage, particularly down the stretch in the second half. The team totaled ten steals on the night to go with five blocks, all of which would translate to 18 turnovers for the Knights. The River Hawks managed 22 points off those turnovers, also producing 13 fast break points.
Having now taken season opener victories over Arcadia in back-to-back seasons, Susquehanna will look to begin to string wins together in the early days of the season. They'll hit the road for their first away contest this weekend, visiting Muhlenberg College on Saturday, November 12 for a 2:00 pm tipoff.
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--RIVER HAWKS--
