WILKES-BARRE, PA - The Susquehanna University men's basketball team found a great opponent to set their season high to three straight wins on Saturday with a road win at Landmark-foe Wilkes by a 67-64 score. The contest was close at halftime with the Colonels holding a 37-36 lead, but the River Hawks got a boost in an otherwise moderately-paced second half, building as much as a 12-point lead in the second half that was enough to give Susquehanna the win. The River Hawks improved to 8-7 and 5-3 in the Landmark, while the Colonels went down to an 11-4 overall mark and 5-2 in the league.

Wilkes jumped out to a 43-39 lead early in the second half before the River Hawks mounted a 13-0 run to get a grip on the game up 52-43. The apex of this run was a Luke Fryer 3-pointer, who finished with 12 points on the afternoon and making 2-of-4 threes. Eventually Susquehanna built its lead up to as many as 12 with over five minutes to play in the game when Cooper Haberern made his fifth 3-pointer of the game to give the River Hawks a 63-51 lead. In order to stay ahead, Susquehanna needed to hold off one final charge by the Colonels as the home team ran up a 11-2 run to cut the lead down to three at 65-62 with under one minute to play. Audric Washington fended off this threat with a layup to go back up by five, only for Wilkes' Cayden Merrifield to make a quick layup with roughly 20 seconds to go at 67-64. An ensuing intentional foul sent Brandon Lavitt to the line. Both shots were missed, giving the Colonels one final gasp on their last possession, but Daniel Santaniello's attempt from long range missed the mark as the clock hit zeroes.

Haberern's 5-of-7 day from 3-point range tied his career best for threes in a game, while accounting for all his points in a 15-point day and just missing a double-double with nine rebounds. Michael Pirone's adept shooting, especially from the charity stripe, aided in a team-high 16-point day to go with three rebounds and three assists. Washington finished with seven points and nine rebounds, while Lavitt totaled eight points with five boards. The River Hawks made 9-of-19 threes on the day to help carry them to victory, more than the Colonels' 5-of-25 afternoon from long range. To counter the Colonels' Santaniello's 19 points off the bench and 14 more from Eli Becker, Susquehanna made 24-of-55 shots (43.6 percent) to Wilkes' 23-of-62 (37.1 percent). The River Hawks made 10-of-16 free throws to the Colonels' 13-of-17. 

Not since Nov. 20 in their Landmark opener against Goucher to go 3-1 has Susquehanna been two games above .500. They look to do so again Wednesday night when they host Juniata for a 7 p.m. tipoff. This opens a three-game home stand where the River Hawks play host to Moravian Saturday, Jan. 25 at 4 p.m. and Catholic on Wednesday, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m.