ELIZABETHTOWN, PA (January 28, 2023) – The Susquehanna men's basketball team took to the road on Saturday afternoon, visiting Elizabethtown College for a Landmark Conference matchup. Having won their last two games at home against Moravian and Goucher, the River Hawks added their third straight conference win as they beat the Elizabethtown in dramatic fashion, topping the Blue Jays 66-62.

A true back-and-forth affair, the game was constantly in flux, with the score tied eight times throughout the contest and the lead changing hands 16 times. Susquehanna claimed the lead initially, scoring the first two buckets through Quincy Haughton and Audric Washington. But four points would be the biggest lead of the half, as E-Town proved to be highly efficient from long range, making six of 11 three-point attempts in the half and regularly hitting those shots to stall any potential scoring runs for SU. While the River Hawks managed an efficient 14 of 29 performance from the floor in the half, they made none of their eight attempts from beyond the arc, which proved to be detrimental to any effort to pull further in front. This would make the difference at the end of the half, as SU led 27-25 with 2:19 remaining, three made three-pointers by the Blue Jays gave them a 9-4 advantage in the final minutes and a 34-31 lead at the halftime whistle.

Things remained close throughout the second half, with the largest lead again proving to be just four points, which both teams reached on multiple occasions. While SU were the team that spent more time in the lead in the first half, it was the Blue Jays in the second, as their team shooting percentage jumped from 36.6 in the first half to 47.6 in the second. In contrast, Susquehanna's dropped from their 48.2 mark in the first to 38.7 in the second. However, they would also find their touch from long range, making three shots from beyond the arc while E-Town had just two makes from three in the half. The River Hawks also won the battle at the foul line in the second half, with eight makes compared to six for the Blue Jays. One of their key advantages was found on the glass, as they won the rebounding battle 41-29, translating to a 12-6 advantage in second chance points and 32 points in the paint compared to 26 for Elizabethtown.

After trailing for nearly four minutes down the stretch, a clutch three-point make by Jackson Van Wagener tied the game at 57 apiece with 4:31 remaining in the game. Washington would then score the next point more than a minute later on a made free throw, but the Blue Jays responded with two makes from the foul line of their own to claim a one-point lead. Howie Rankine, Jr. would then convert on a driving layup on the ensuing possession to give SU their own one-point lead. The teams then traded empty possessions for almost two minutes before Rankine Jr. stepped up again, embracing the big moment as he drained a step-back three pointer with 29 seconds remaining, his first make from long range in the game after missing four prior attempts. However, as was the case throughout the game, the Blue Jays did not go quietly, answering with their own three to cut the gap back to one. They would then be forced to foul to stop the clock, sending Haughton to the line with 11 seconds left. He would miss the first but make his second shot, making the score 64-62. Elizabethtown would then call a time out to plan a potential tying or game-winning bucket, but SU held firm on defense, forcing a miss and seeing Van Wagener grab the critical rebound. He would be fouled with just over a second remaining, but made both foul shots to restore a four-point lead and leaving the Blue Jays with no time to respond.

Despite not shooting with his typical efficiency, Rankine Jr. would again be the leading scorer for SU, tallying 23 points while going 8 of 19 from the floor and 6 of 8 from the foul line. He added six rebounds, an assist, and team-highs in steals and blocks with four and two, respectively. Washington led the team in rebounds with 11, while Marcus Mitchell would be the only other River Hawk to score in double-digits as he tallied 13 points.

The River Hawks are now 11-8 overall and 6-2 in the Landmark, currently sitting in third place in the conference. Their next four contests will all come against the other teams making up the top five, beginning with a trip to fourth-placed Scranton on Wednesday, February 1 for a 7:00 PM tipoff. They'll then play fifth-placed Drew, second-placed Juniata, and first-placed Catholic in their next three games, all coming at home.

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--RIVER HAWKS--