SELINSGROVE, Pa. — Brandon Lavitt drained a game-winning shot at the buzzer on Wednesday night, lifting the River Hawks to a thrilling victory in their Landmark Conference opener against visiting Juniata, 68-66. The senior's big-time shot capped off a team-high 15-point performance for the River Hawks.
HOW IT WENT DOWN
- Juniata jumped out to a 12-2 lead behind nine quick points from guard Joe Bruce. Susquehanna answered with an 11-point run of its own, thanks to threes from AJ Lomax (2), KJ Carson, and Luke Fryer.
- Junior Mario Castro Sanchez scored seven of his 13 total points in the final ten minutes of the first half, giving Susquehanna the spark that they needed after they took the lead at the 10:23 mark. Castro Sanchez converted on a crucial steal-and-score play with under a minute remaining in the half to give the River Hawks the 37-27 lead that they would take into the break.
- One of the keys to the 10-point lead that Susquehanna held at halftime– a 26-11 advantage in rebounding that the River Hawks held. Susquehanna would finish the game at a nine-rebound advantage.
- The Eagles opened the second half on a momentum-shifting 13-4 run that saw seven more points scored by Bruce, who finished the game with 19 total. Juniata would then take the lead at the 8:11 mark in the game.
- Junior guard AJ Lomax responded just a few minutes later, scoring four straight points for the River Hawks to create a three-point cushion with just over two minutes remaining. Juniata would fight back in the final 90 seconds, even tying it at 66 with 11 seconds remaining.
- Lavitt's game-winning shot, though, silenced and put an end to Juniata's final push. The North Carolina native caught the ball in the corner with 2.9 seconds remaining, took one dribble to his left, and fired the shot with no hesitation, hitting nothing but net.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Four River Hawks reached double figures: Lavitt (15), Castro Sanchez (13), Lomax (13), and Audric Washington (11). Billy Anderson added eight points, seven rebounds, and a team-high two blocks for the River Hawks
- Despite a cold night from the field and three-point line, Susquehanna shot 22-of-25 (88%) from the free-throw line, besting Juniata's 70.6% mark.
- Senior guard Jackson Van Wagener stuffed the stat sheet, grabbing eight rebounds, dishing out four assists, and a team-high two steals.
UP NEXT FOR THE RIVER HAWKS
- The River Hawks travel to Elizabethtown on Saturday afternoon with a Landmark Conference matchup against Elizabethtown in their sights. Susquehanna has won 19 of their last 20 and all of their last five matchups against the Blue Jays.
