YORK, PA (January 2, 2023) -- The Susquehanna University women's basketball started the 2023 portion of its season on the right foot, knocking off host York College of Pennsylvania 57-51 in action from Charles Wolf Gymnasium. 

The story of the game for the River Hawks (5-7) was their huge edge on the backboards as Susquehanna out-rebounded York 53-33, which led to a 15-4 advantage in second chance points Monday night. As part of that rebounding edge, SU pulled in 23 offensive rebounds which was a season-high and the most in a game since posting 23 on January 4, 2022 at St. Mary's College of Maryland. 

The River Hawks flew out of the gates quickly, scoring the game's first eight points over the first 3:16, capped by a Julia Pinckert driving lay-up. Susquehanna would grow its lead up to as much as 10 on two occasions, taking an 18-10 lead into the second quarter. The Spartans (4-9) would start to climb back into the contest in the second quarter, going on an 11-3 run over 5:11 of the period to tie the game 23 with 3:12 left in the half. Susquehanna first-year Julia Roth tallied back-to-back buckets right before the half to put SU up 27-23 at the break. 

In the third quarter, York powered back to take its first lead of the game at 32-31 with six minutes left in the frame on a Taylor Burda triple but sophomore Kenzie Selvaggi answered right back to put SU back on top on a lay-up with help from Kaitlyn Lynch. That score would start a 12-4 run for Susquehanna to finish the quarter, as Selvaggi tallied eight points during the span to take a 43-36 lead into the final stanza. 

The River Hawks were up 47-41 with 5:10 to go in regulation but both teams would go cold from the field as neither team scored for 3:48 of the period. That stretch would end with the biggest shot of the night for SU, as Pinckert connected from the top of the three-point arc after two offensive rebounds to make it a nine-point game at 50-41. On the next possession, Selvaggi drilled a triple for the River Hawks' largest lead of the night of 12 and fended off a late rally by the Spartans for the win. 

SU had three players in double-figures, as Selvaggi poured in a game-high 18 points on 6-of-16 shooting as she made four of her 10 shots from three-point land. Selvaggi also set her career-high with nine rebounds. Roth picked up her second career double-double in her third collegiate game, chalking up 14 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and three steals. Roth was 7-of-13 from the floor. 

Lynch posted 10 points, seven rebounds and a team-high five assists for SU on Monday, and Pinckert contributed seven points, six caroms and two blocks. Senior post Isabella Schwabe finished with a game-high three blocks, also adding five points and six boards. 

Susquehanna shot 34.9 percent (22-63) from the floor on the night, as it led for 37:40 of the contest. 

Burda tallied 13 points for the Spartans, while Bradi Zumbrum also posted 12 points and five rebounds in the loss. The meeting was the first between the two teams since December 29, 2005 while the SU victory was the first in the series since an 80-70 win back on January 5, 2001. 

The River Hawks will jump back into Landmark Conference play on Saturday, heading to Madison, NJ for a match-up with Drew University (11-1, 1-0 Landmark) at 2 p.m.