SELINSGROVE, PA (November 18, 2022) – Susquehanna men's basketball took a big win over Lebanon Valley College on Friday night in their first of two games in the National Beef SU Tip-Off Tournament. Putting on an offensive clinic, the River Hawks topped the Dutchmen 94-86 and claimed a spot in the championship game tomorrow afternoon.
Lebanon Valley took their only lead of the game in the opening minutes, but with the score sitting at 14-9 in the Dutchmen's favor at the 15:42 mark, SU unleashed a run of 18 straight unanswered points in just over four minutes of game time, laying firm claim to a lead that they would not relinquish for the remainder of the game. Stellar three-point shooting and playmaking from Howie Rankine, Jr. propelled the River Hawks during the run and throughout the game, as he sunk five shots from long range in just the first half. The senior would tally 26 points in the first half alone, spearheading an efficient offensive attack that tallied 48 points while shooting 50 percent as a team in the frame. No slouches on offense, LVC would match that 50 percent shooting mark in an effort to hang close, playing from behind but still putting up 41 points in the half to keep the SU lead at single digits.
Rankine, Jr.'s fellow senior guard Quincy Haughton took the reigns in the second half, taking advantage of the Dutchmen's increased attention on Howie to put up some efficient long-range shooting of his own. Susquehanna would stretch their lead to as many as 19 points in the second half, with Ethan Stoute and Luke Edwards also hitting shots from long range and first-years Emezie Egeonu and Billy Anderson putting up offense in the paint. SU would manage to top their efficient shooting in the first half with a heady 56.67 shooting percentage as a team in the second half, shooting 58.33 percent from three. LVC, particularly due to some stellar shooting from guard Payton Lewis, who tallied 30 points in the game, hung close and managed to score 45 points in the second half and close the gap a bit down the stretch, bringing the gap back down to eight points by the time the final whistle blew. But the River Hawks would look comfortable and in control throughout, matching and bettering the output from the Dutchmen.
Rankine, Jr. finished his remarkable night with a career-high 33 points, going 11 for 18 from the floor, 6 for 11 from three, and five for five from the free throw line. He also tallied a career-high seven assists and added six rebounds for a well-rounded performance. Haughton would also reach a career-high points total, scoring 22 points while shooting 7 for 14 from the floor, 5 for 8 from long range, and 3 for 4 from the foul line. First-years Egeonu and Brandon Lavitt would both tally 10 points, a career-high watermark for both players. Lavitt also led the team with seven rebounds while Egeonu added five.
The win sets Susquehanna up with a date with #4-ranked Christopher Newport University, who topped Washington & Lee University 85-84 in an overtime thriller in the first game of the tournament. The matchup will loom large for the River Hawks in particular, as they'll face the team that knocked them out in the second round of last season's NCAA Tournament. With the Tip-Off Tournament Championship on the line and a loss to avenge, the game will undoubtedly carry plenty of excitement.
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--RIVER HAWKS--
