BETHLEHEM, PA (February 18, 2023) – The Susquehanna women's basketball team traveled to Moravian University for their season finale on Saturday afternoon, matching up with the playoff-bound Greyhounds and putting up an incredible effort despite being eliminated from playoff contention themselves. A back-and-forth affair ended 71-65 in favor of Moravian, bringing SU's season to a close with an overall record of 10-15 and a mark of 5-9 in the Landmark Conference.
Close throughout, no team led by more than six points during the game. The first quarter saw the Greyhounds jump out in front but unable to shake SU, as the teams traded buckets, Susquehanna eventually claiming their first lead of the game at the 6:29 mark on a made bucket by Kaitlyn Lynch, who had an outstanding eight points in the first quarter and only got better from there.
The second quarter saw both offenses scoring often, but it was the River Hawks who held the advantage as they outscored Moravian 23-17 in the frame. Lynch continued to dominate, scoring 11 more points, while Julia Roth was a menace in the paint, racking up 10 points in the quarter, including going four for four from the foul line. The team shot a remarkable 69.2 percent from the floor during the 2nd period, surmounting the three-point lead that Moravian held at the start and taking their own three-point lead by halftime, with the score 35-32 as Roth hit a layup as time expired in the first half.
Moravian surged back out of the halftime break, taking advantage of some good shooting from range as they hit three shots from beyond the arc in the quarter, while Susquehanna hit none in the period and only one all game. They quickly took the lead back at the 7:28 mark in the third and would again be the team leading by three at the end of the quarter, this time thanks to one of those made three-pointers making the score 53-50.
The fourth quarter was a true tug-of-war, as each team put together small scoring runs but could never fully seize momentum and pull too far out of reach. SU reclaimed the lead at the 7:44 mark, going up one point on a Lynch layup. But Moravian came right back with a converted and-one play. A jumper in the paint by Vanessa Sabol knotted the game at 56 apiece, and then Lauren Klein would produce an and-one play of her own, giving SU the 59-56 lead with 4:45 remaining. But again, the Greyhounds struck back. They would score eight unanswered points over the next minute-and-a-half, taking a five-point lead. The River Hawks responded, with Lynch willing the team back into the fight, making tough layups on two straight possessions to bring SU back within one. Moravian hit a layup to go up three and SU would see two chances to respond go by the wayside as an offensive board did not produce points. Moravian went one of two at the foul line at the other end, now leading by four. This time it would be Roth with the SU bucket, making the score 67-65 in Moravian's favor with just 36 seconds left. But the Greyhounds showed up at the charity stripe when they needed it most, going four for four and stopping SU's offense to put the game on ice.
Lynch finished the final game of her senior season with a bang, tallying a career-high 29 points to go with two rebounds, two assists, a block, and a steal. First-year Roth wrapped up an impressive debut season with her fifth double-double in just 15 games played. She scored 23 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, also contributing an assist, a block, and a steal. Isabella Schwabe and Kenzie Selvaggi shared the team-high in assists with four each.
Despite the result, the River Hawks will undoubtedly be looking positively toward the future, as a team filled with young talent took positive steps this season, bettering their conference win total from last season and getting huge contributions from first-year players who will continue to grow. With only four players set to graduate, much of the roster will return next season, hoping to push for a spot in the Landmark postseason.
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--RIVER HAWKS--
