SELINSGROVE, PA – Susquehanna men's basketball jumped out to an early lead at home against Juniata on Wednesday, maintaining firm control for the entire game and cruising to a 66-41 win. The victory gives the River Hawks a key fourth straight win, all against Landmark competition, going into the turn of the conference season as they prepare for a much-anticipated rematch at home with Moravian on Saturday. 

Mike Pirone, who scored 13 points in the game, made two three pointers to assist the River Hawks early scoring, helping them grab a 15-2 lead in the game's first five minutes. Billy Anderson had six of his own points in the game's first five minutes, making three shots in the paint. Anderson finished the game with 12 total points along with four rebounds. Susquehanna would only score 17 more points in the first half's remaining 15 minutes as Juniata picked up its offensive effort led by Ty Kocak, who contributed five points in the half. It wasn't enough for the Eagles, though, as the River Hawks held firm control at halftime, leading 32-17.

Cooper Haberern led the Susquehanna scoring effort in the second half, a half that would see the River Hawks extend their lead to as much as 31 with around five minutes remaining. Haberern scored eight points in the second half, boosting his game-high point total of 14 – 12 of his 14 points coming from downtown as he made four three-pointers in the game. Audric Washington added seven points to Susquehanna's well-balanced offensive attack, while also grabbing six rebounds. First-years Luke Fryer and Logan Rhoades both played around 20 minutes a piece as both players have seen their playing time continue to trend upwards over the past few games. Emezie Egeonu also had an efficient game, scoring four points on 50% shooting and posting three rebounds in just eight minutes of action.

Juniata languished on the scoring front all evening long, reaching the 30-point threshold with just over four minutes left in the game when Kocak made a layup to make the score 60-31. The River Hawks finished the night shooting 41.4 percent off 24 made shots on 58 attempts, along with 8-of-24 threes and 10-of-15 from the line. The Eagles managed 27.1 percent on 16-of-59 shooting to go with 5-of-27 from behind the arc and 4-of-6 from the charity stripe. 

The win improves the River Hawks' overall record to 9-7 and their Landmark Conference record to 6-3. Next, they shift their focus to a Saturday afternoon matchup against visiting Moravian. Susquehanna looks to erase the bitter defeat they sustained against the Greyhounds back in the November by an 89-84 score after leading for much of the game. The Greyhounds come into Saturday with also a 6-3 Landmark record, currently holding the edge over Susquehanna league standings due to that early-season win, along with carrying an 11-5 record.