WILLIAMSPORT, PA (November 22, 2022) – Following a runner-up finish in the National Beef Tip-Off Tournament at home over the weekend, the Susquehanna men's basketball team hit the road on Tuesday evening to take on Lycoming College. The River Hawks took a road victory in dramatic fashion, winning on a buzzer beating jump shot from Howie Rankine, Jr. to beat the Warriors 78-76.
After the teams traded buckets in the opening minutes, SU would take control of proceedings with a ten-point scoring run started by a converted and-one play for first-year Brandon Lavitt, who had a career-best performance in the game. The lead would stretch to as many as 15 points in the half as the River Hawks produced a lofty 56.25 team shooting percentage in the first half, getting the bulk of their offense from inside the paint. The River Hawks would attempt less than half of the three-point shots that Lycoming did in the game, going 3 for 11 while the Warriors were 9 of 23. SU's lead would be 11 at the half.
The teams would match each other's buckets as the second half got underway, but with the score 52-43 in favor of SU at the 13:47 mark, Lycoming would score 12 of the next 17 points to erase the deficit and take a one-point lead with 8:38 on the clock. The lead would then change hands repeatedly, with four changes and two ties in the final minutes as the offenses grappled for position. The efficient shooting for the River Hawks would aid them down the stretch. They took a 74-72 lead with 1:43 on the clock through a layup from Billy Anderson, but then both teams struggled to put the ball in the basket for more than a minute, with four missed field goals and a missed free throw between the two teams before Lycoming broke the duck with a made free throw and just 15 seconds on the clock. Quincy Haughton would make two free throws in response to give Susquehanna a three-point lead, but Lycoming would storm back down the court and with six seconds on the clock draw a shooting foul on a three-point shot attempt from guard Mo Terry. Terry would drain all three clutch free throws and the game looked bound for overtime. But Rankine, Jr. had other ideas and brought the ball down the court, worked just enough space to put up an acrobatic mid-range jumper, and sent the bench into raptures as it went down while the final buzzer sounded.
While Rankine, Jr. again took the top scoring spot for SU and had the winning bucket, he would not be the only standout River Hawk on the night. He scored 18 points and added three rebounds, while Haughton followed shortly behind him with 16 points, adding a team-leading three assists and grabbing four rebounds. Lavitt's big night saw him put up new career-best totals in both points and rebounds, with 15 and 8, respectively. He would also lead the team in shooting percentage after going 7 of 9 on field goal attempts. Fellow first-year Anderson and sophomore Marcus Mitchell would also reach double-digit scoring totals with ten points apiece. The team would play a very clean and efficient game overall, finishing with a team shooting percentage of 52.4, winning the rebound battle 35-29, committing just 10 personal fouls and turning the ball over only five times.
Now 3-2, the team will get a week to rest before their next game, which will see them hit the road again for a lengthier trip. They'll head to New York to take on Ithaca College on Tuesday, November 29, tipping off at 7 pm.
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--RIVER HAWKS--
