LEXINGTON, VA (December 30, 2023) – After a shootout loss to Denison to begin the weekend at the Washington & Lee Holiday Tournament, the Susquehanna men's basketball team dropped their second-straight contest as they couldn't quite complete a comeback effort in the consolation game against Franklin & Marshall, seeing a 75-67 scoreline go the way of the Diplomats.
The day would start similarly to the previous for SU, with their opponents racing out in front on the back of a hot offensive start. After trailing by nine points less than ten minutes into the game, the River Hawks would score nine unanswered over the next four minutes to tie the game at 21, doing so on a converted and-one from Jackson Van Wagener off a steal from Billy Anderson. However, they were unable to ever take control of the lead, and the Diplomats would outscore SU 17-6 over the final six minutes of the half to take a 38-27 scoreline into the locker room.
As was the case against Denison, the River Hawks would have a better second half, winning the period 40-37. However, despite eating into the lead multiple times and getting to within just four points, they could never fully close that gap, as the Diplomats consistently found answers on offense in the paint. They would shoot an efficient 48.3 percent from the field, outscoring SU in the paint 42-28 and winning the rebound battle 43-34.
Steven Ressler led the way for Susquehanna with his best game of the season, scoring a career-high 17 points and hitting three shots from beyond the arc. Brandon Lavitt would also hit double-digits in points, scoring ten and also grabbing a team-leading ten rebounds, registering his second double-double of the season.
The River Hawks will return to more familiar territory in the new year, coming back to Pennsylvania and visiting Scranton on Saturday, January 6, 2024 for Landmark Conference action. Susquehanna has gotten off to a terrific start in conference, sitting at 4-0 heading into the new year. The Royals have yet to get a win in conference and sit at just 1-9 overall. The game will begin at 2 pm.
Facebook: susquehanna.riverhawks | Instagram: @gosusqu
Twitter: @GOsusqU | Hashtags: #AllIn, #GOSU, #RiverHawkPride
--RIVER HAWKS--
