BAYAMON, PR – Susquehanna men's basketball pulled off a stunner Saturday evening against 22-ranked Johns Hopkins, holding the Blue Jays to below 30 percent shooting, while forcing 15 turnovers and administering six blocks for a 66-60 victory to wrap their two-game stay at the Puerto Rico Clasico. The victory marked the River Hawks' first win over a ranked opponent since 2023, when they defeated conference-foe Catholic, who were also ranked 22nd, on Jan. 13, 2023.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Mario Castro Sanchez scored six of Susquehanna's first 12 points as the River Hawks gained an early 12-11 lead through the first nine minutes. He finished the game with 17 points—11 coming from the free throw line.
- Both teams traded baskets until the 9:14 mark of the first half, when Audric Washington hit a three-pointer to give Susquehanna the game's first multi-possession lead at 15-11 and spark an 11-4 run.
- First-year KJ Carson drained a three-pointer, and AJ Lomax added a mid-range jumper during that run, pushing the River Hawks' advantage to eight points with 4:52 left in the half.
- Johns Hopkins made a late push to cut the lead to one, but Lomax answered with a steal-and-score with just 23 seconds remaining, sending Susquehanna to halftime with a 27-24 lead.
- The Blue Jays took the lead early in the second half, going up 29-27 at the 17:38 mark. Jackson Van Wagener responded immediately with five quick points, jump-starting a 12-3 run that put the River Hawks back in front over the next four-and-a-half minutes.
- A few minutes later, Carson buried back-to-back three-pointers, and Billy Anderson added a layup to give Susquehanna a double-digit lead with 8:27 remaining.
- Johns Hopkins made a late comeback, trimming the deficit to two points with 1:23 left on a 19-10 run.
- Van Wagener sealed the upset with a heavily contested layup with 49 seconds remaining. The senior finished with 11 points on 60% shooting from the field.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Carson scored a career-high 11 points for the River Hawks. The first year shot 57.1% from the field, including a perfect three-of-three from beyond the arc.
- Audric Washington led the team in rebounds (12), blocks (3), and assists (3).
- Lomax led the River Hawks with three steals to go along with eight points in his second-straight start.
- Johns Hopkins' frequent shooting did not meet sustained success, connecting on 29.9 percent of its shots at 20-of-67, inclkuding 6-of-24 on threes.
- Susquehanna, meanwhile, remained patient with its shooting, making 21-of-46 for a 45.6 field goal percentage on the evening that featured 5-of-12 from 3-point range.
- Castro Sanchez's 11-of-12 shooting from the free throw line led the River Hawks' potent day at the line where they made 19-of-28. The Blue Jays, meanwhile, made 14-of-20 free throws.
UP NEXT FOR THE RIVER HAWKS
- The River Hawks complete their 2025 slate as they return stateside for a two-week winter break.
- They resume play on Saturday, Jan. 3, traveling to Glenside, PA, for a non-conference matchup against Arcadia University at 1 p.m.
- Their first conference game back is on the road at Lycoming on Wednesday, Jan. 7.
