SELINSGROVE, PA – Susquehanna men's basketball, already with a home Landmark Tournament game clinched, faced a significant challenge Saturday in their regular season finale against Landmark-leading Drew as the Rangers pulled out an 83-55 victory. Seniors Luke Edwards and Marcus Mitchell were recognized prior to the game as part of Senior Day and made the most of their time on the court. The River Hawks earned the fourth seed for the Landmark Conference Tournament and will face fifth-seeded Moravian Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. from Houts Gymnasium.
The game began with a fast-paced offensive start. Brandon Lavitt and Cooper Haberern sparked the River Hawks, scoring the team's first five points. Lavitt led Susquehanna with eight points in the first half and finished the game with 13 total points and three rebounds. Drew gained an early edge with a 14-0 run, building a comfortable lead, but Susquehanna countered with a run of their own, trimming the deficit to nine points with just under seven minutes remaining in the half. Steven Ressler made a three-pointer near the three-minute mark, narrowing the gap to eight. Susquehanna trailed by ten at halftime, 33-23.
The key difference in the first half came down to rebounds and turnovers: Drew held a 22-17 rebounding edge and committed only five turnovers to Susquehanna's seven. The River Hawks struggled offensively, shooting just 28% from the field, while Drew posted a nearly identical 28.2%.
Drew came out firing in the second half, extending their lead to 15 with just under 13 minutes remaining in the game. Malcolm Newman, who scored 14 total points, led the charge after the break. The Rangers continued to build their lead for the remainder of the game.
Edwards finished his senior day with six points in the second half, shooting a perfect, 3-3 from the field. Billy Anderson and Emezie Egeonu also stood out in the second half. Anderson finished the game with seven points on just five shots and Egeonu also shot a perfect 3-3 from the field, finishing the game with six points of his own. Audric Washington and Cooper Haberern each added to the point total with five a piece.
Drew completed its regular season with a perfect 18-0 record against Landmark competition and 22-3 overall as they earn a first-round bye towards the Landmark Semifinals on Thursday. The River Hawks are set to duel this Tuesday evening with fifth-seeded Moravian, as both sides split the season series with a home win under each other's belts. The winner will go on to face Drew Thursday, while on the other end of the bracket third-seeded Wilkes will host sixth-seeded Scranton will face off at 7 p.m. Tuesday for the right to travel to second-seed Catholic on Thursday at 7 p.m.
