PHILADELPHIA, PA (January 15, 2023) – The Susquehanna women's basketball team faced off against 6th-ranked Scranton on Sunday afternoon, taking on the Royals at the historic Palestra as part of the Landmark Conference's day of games at the legendary arena. The River Hawks tested the Royals throughout the game, slowing down their potent offense, but ultimately ending up taking the loss, with Scranton winning 64-48.
The River Hawks started positively, scoring 16 points in the first quarter, and going four for six from three-point range to put the pressure on early. They would lead by as many as six in those early minutes, but Scranton clawed back to tie the score again by the time the quarter ended. That strong start would stall in the second quarter as Susquehanna struggled with turnovers as the game wore on and Scranton found their range from deep, hitting four three-pointers of their own in the second quarter. The Royals scored 25 points in the second quarter, a hefty frame that would ultimately prove to be a key difference maker for the rest of the game, giving Scranton a cushion that SU struggled to counteract.
Susquehanna went to halftime trailing 41-28, but the River Hawks would return from the break with a clear plan of clamping down on defense. They succeeded well in that objective, holding Scranton to 8 of 38 from the floor in the second half, an atypical display from the high-octane pace the Royals had put up in the first half. However, SU struggled to hit their own shots, sitting under 30 percent shooting in both quarters and going 0 for 8 from beyond the arc along with 6 for 12 from the foul line, all of their attempts from the line coming in the second half. In contrast, the Royals were a perfect 15 for 15 from the charity stripe, accounting for nine points' difference of their ultimate 16-point victory. Points off turnovers also made a big difference, as Scranton took advantage of the River Hawks' 19 turnovers with 24 points, compared to just seven points off turnovers for SU.
Multiple River Hawks made good contributions on the day, with Olivia Brandt tallying season-highs in points and rebounds with 13 and seven, respectively. First-year Julia Pinckert tallied a double-double, scoring 10 points and adding 11 rebounds. Fellow first-year Julia Roth led the team with 12 rebounds and five assists. Kaitlyn Lynch was the third River Hawk to reach double-digits in scoring, also scoring 10 points.
After a lengthy period of games on the road, SU will get to return home this week for their first home contest since December 7, hosting Landmark opponent Juniata College on Wednesday, January 18 for a 7 pm tipoff.
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--RIVER HAWKS--
