GLENSIDE, PA – Susquehanna men's basketball opened the season in a tight matchup at Arcadia Thursday night. The River Hawks led most of the game, going up as much as 11 points at 56-45 with just over eight minutes remaining. The Knights, however, strung together a 15-0 run over the next three minutes to take control on their way to a 64-59 advantage with a minute and a half remaining. Susquehanna staged a last-minute comeback, but a game-tying 3-point attempt failed in the closing seconds as Arcadia escaped with a 64-63 win.

With both teams opening their seasons Thursday, it was clear both teams came out to play in an evenly-matched first half. The River Hawks made 43.8 percent (14-32) in the opening session and led for 11-and-a-half minutes, leading by as much as seven points, while Arcadia fared 46.7 percent shooting (14-30) with a trio of 3-pointers. With the first half coming to a close tied at 31-31, Brandon Lavitt's late layup pushed the orange and maroon out in front at intermission up 33-31.

The River Hawks maintained their momentum and led throughout the first three-quarters of the second half. While they maintained a lead, their shooting efficiency dropped in the latter session at 34.3 percent (12-35) and making just one 3-pointer. Arcadia gained ground in the second half that saw them shooting 44.0 percent (11-25) with three 3-pointers and 8-of-11 from the free throw line. Knight Nas Johnson, who finished with a game-high 20 points, served as the catalyst during Arcadia's late-game run. With Susquehanna holding the 56-45 lead, Johnson buried a three to close the gap to eight. On their next trip down the court, Johnson again connected from long range to make it 56-51.

Susquehanna came up empty handed nine times down on their shooting end during this run, and by Lavitt's and-one end the drought, Arcadia led 60-59 with 2:45 to go. Jalen Watkins for the Knights answered with a layup to put the home team up by three, then following an exchange of possessions Arcadia's Justin Mahoney hit a layup to extend the lead to five with 1:33 left. Susquehanna's Emezie Egeonu answered with a layup to make it 64-61, putting the River Hawks back within reach of tying the game. After a missed layup by Watkins set up a Lavitt rebound, Susquehanna called a timeout with 15 seconds to play. In the closing seconds, Cooper Haberern had the ball and put up a 3-pointer that didn't meet the mark. Lavitt rebounded and put up a buzzer-beating layup to make this contest a one-point game.

Overall the River Hawks fared 38.8 percent from the floor (26-67), making 2-of-11 from 3-point range and 9-of-15 from the line, compared to Arcadia shooting 45.5 percent (25-55), connecting on 6-of-18 from long range and 8-of-13 on free throws. Susquehanna led on the boards 43-34, including 15-6 in offensive rebounds to produce a 19-1 lead in second chance points. The River Hawks also generated a 20-4 lead in bench points and 42-34 in points in the paint.

Lavitt finished the night with a team-best 17 points and ten rebounds to secure a double-double, making 7-of-13 from the floor and 3-of-3 on free throws. Haberern also garnered a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, making a pair of threes to go with it. Emezie Egeonu tallied 14 points and seven rebounds on a 7-of-12 night shooting, while Audric Washington netted ten points on a night where he clocked in just nine minutes of play. He had 4-of-7 down for his shooting totals and 2-of-3 on free throws.

Head coach Frank Marcinek's team has five days to rebound when they resume action on Tuesday at Delaware Valley for a 7 p.m. tipoff.