HUNTINGDON, PA – The Susquehanna University women's basketball team continued their hot stretch with an 80-48 win over the Juniata Eagles Wednesday evening from Huntingdon. Head coach Gabby Holko's team secured their fifth win in their last six games for a 16-8 record (11-6 Landmark), but more importantly clinched the fourth seed for the Landmark Conference Tournament and their first home Landmark playoff game in program history. Only one more game stands between now and then as Susquehanna travels to face Drew Saturday in the regular season finale. 

Five players amassed double digit points in Wednesday's contest. As a team they dominated on both ends of the court shooting 52.4% (33-63) from the field, 35% (7-20) from behind the arc, and 100% (7-7) from the free throw line. Kaitlyn Lynch finished the game with 25 points, shooting (10-14) from the field, 80% (4-5) from behind the arc, and was perfect on her only free throw of the night. She also had six rebounds, two assists, three blocks, and two steals. Her breakout night now puts her within striking distance of the 1,000 career point mark with 978 points.

Julia Roth, Carly George, and birthday girl Kenzie Selvaggi each netted 12 points as the team's next three leading scorers. Roth charted eight rebounds and shot 4-for-8 from the floor with a perfect 4-for-4 touch from the free throw line. George hit all her points from the floor in a 6-for-8 shooting affair, along with grabbing six rebounds. Selvaggi made a pair of 3-pointers while adding three rebounds. Annie Greek accounted for the last double-digit scorer for the River Hawks with 11 points, making 4-of-5 from the floor with one three. 

Right out of the gate the River Hawks started hot, getting out to a 10-2 lead just 2:52 into the first quarter; all 10 points were scored by Lynch, making four of her five shots taken with two coming from deep. The rest of the first quarter would have the River Hawks up 23-7, ending the quarter on an 11-point run without allowing the Eagles to score for the back half of the quarter. Lynch played all 10 minutes in the quarter, shooting 5-6 from the field and 3-3 from deep for 13 first-quarter points, while also tallying a block. 

The Eagles would get the ball out of the break and scored on their first possession, ending a scoreless run of over five minutes. Kenzie Selvaggi quickly answered back as a three point shot fell for her on the River Hawks' second possession of the quarter. Selvaggi and Carly George scored another six points off of layups in the next two and half minutes, extending their lead to 23 with a score of 32-9 with 5:53 left in the quarter. No scoring would take place on either side until the Eagles got two free throws to fall after a six-minute scoring drought. The two teams traded layups and mid-range shots for the rest of the quarter with the score coming out to 38-15 Susquehanna at the half.

Just five seconds after the third quarter started Lynch hit from deep again giving them a 26-point lead. Head Coach Gabby Holko then turned to her bench that kept pace, maintaining their lead by 20 points by the end of the quarter. Greek and Lynch led the quarter in scoring with both having seven points. Greek would make the most of her time on the court making a jump shot on the first possession after she subbed in. She would then go on to make two free throws and a shot from behind the arc in the four and a half minutes she had in the quarter. By the end of the quarter the score was 58-38 with the River Hawks still firmly in the lead.

After the two teams traded steals, the fourth quarter scoring started with a Selvaggi layup after a steal from Julia Pinckert and an assist from Lynch on the fast break. After another run by the River Hawks where four of the five on the court scored, an and-1 layup by Lynch would propel them to a 32-point lead. She would also grab her last bucket of the game with just over six minutes left in the contest and would also block two more shots in the quarter. The back half of the quarter would see a host of player score from the floor, but a tough layup by Annie Greek would give them a 34-point lead, their biggest lead of the night. The two teams would trade buckets once again to end the game, with a score of 80-48.

The midweek win ensured another Landmark season sweep for the River Hawks, while giving them their highest season wins total since 2015-16. Saturday's matchup at Drew is an important one. Despite a handy victory over the Rangers in the Grove back on Jan. 3, 83-58, the team is not taking anything lightly against their New Jersey foes, seeing that the two could square off again in Tuesday's Landmark Quarterfinals as Drew currently stands in fifth place. Saturday's tip-off is set for 4 p.m.