Box Score SAN JUAN, PR (December 19, 2022) -- First-year Brandon Lavitt scored a career-high 24 points on 11-of-16 shooting Monday morning, but the Susquehanna University men's basketball team couldn't hold onto a second-half lead in falling in overtime 89-85 to Washington & Lee University in the first of two games at the Puerto Rico Clasico at Roberto Clemente Colisium. 

The contest was close throughout, featuring 13 times with the score tied while the score change hands five times. The River Hawks shot 54.8 percent in the opening half, taking a 47-42 lead into the intermission. Lavitt and senior Howie Rankine totaled 10 points in the first half for the River Hawks, while first-year Allen Cieslak came off the bench to add eight points.

Susquehanna would lead by as many as 12 points in the second half with 12:02 to play in regulation but the Generals (6-4), but W&L rallied to trim its deficit to one with 7:14 left. Susquehanna grew its lead back up to eight with 4:19 remaining after a Lavitt lay-up to make the score 75-67. Washington & Lee would tie the game at 77 with 54 seconds to go, and attempts by both teams to win the game were no good as the contest went to overtime. 

The Generals would outscore the River Hawks 12-8 in the extra session, as Sam Wise made two free throws with 20 seconds to go to seal the win for W&L. 

Lavitt added four rebounds to his career-high point total Monday morning, while Rankine added 14 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals. Senior Quincy Haughton added 12 points, four rebounds and four assists, while Cieslak set career-highs in points and minutes with 11 points in 31:35 of action Monday. Sophomore Marcus Mitchell tallied eight points and eight rebounds, and first-year Audric Washington tallied career-highs of eight points and nine rebounds, blocking a pair of shots as well. 

Susquehanna shot 30-for-66 for the contest, making 45.5 percent from the field, while going 19-of-29 (65.5 percent) from the free throw line. The River Hawks out-rebounded the Generals 41-32, but 19 turnovers by the River Hawks ended up in 31 points on the other end for Washington & Lee. 

The Generals got a double-double from Jack D'Entremont, who tallied 20 points and 10 rebounds, and Robert Disibio came off the bench to pour in a game-high 27 points on 9-of-15 shooting. Wise also finished with 10 points, eight boards and five assists for W&L, which shot 43.5 percent (30-69) from the floor but just 13.8 percent from downtown. 

Susquehanna (3-7) will be back in action tomorrow, Tuesday December 20 in Ruben Rodriguez Coliseum, battling local rival Lycoming College in San Juan at 4 p.m.