WILLIAMSPORT, PA - Susquehanna senior
Billy Anderson made a lead-taking layup with just 12 seconds remaining Wednesday as the River Hawks defeated Landmark Conference foe Lycoming on the road, 85-84.
HOW IT HAPPENEDÂ Â
- First-year KJ Carson was in the starting lineup for the first time in his young River Hawks career. The Folcroft, PA native scored the game's first points on a three-pointer, giving Susquehanna an early edge over Lycoming.
- Senior guard Jackson Van Wagener went to work alongside Carson, helping lead the River Hawks to a 20-13 advantage after the game's first 10 minutes. He scored nine of the team's first 20 points.
- The Warriors put together timely scoring and defense as the half wound down, taking a 30-29 lead at the 3:20 mark of the first half. They would maintain control of the scoreboard heading into the break, leading 36-34, despite Susquehanna outshooting Lycoming from the field (44.8%–39.3%) and beyond the arc (54.5%–28.6%).
- Susquehanna came out of the half firing on all cylinders. Brandon Lavitt led the charge, scoring eight points during an 18-10 run that gave the River Hawks a six-point cushion. Audric Washington and Van Wagener both added five points during the stretch, which saw Susquehanna shoot a red-hot 88.8% from the field.
- Lycoming's Isaiah Valentine, who scored seven points over the next three minutes, helped the Warriors regain the lead—one they would continue to build on in the ensuing minutes.
- The River Hawks mounted a 12-3 run as the game entered its final five minutes, taking a 79-78 lead with 3:17 remaining thanks to timely scoring from Carson and senior Billy Anderson.
- Both teams went back and forth down the stretch, trading the lead, but it was Anderson's layup with :12 remaining that gave the River Hawks the advantage—and ultimately, the victory.Â
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Van Wagener led all scorers alongside Emezie Egeonu with 17 points apiece. Van Wagener made five three pointers, which accounted for more than half of the River Hawks made threes.
- Brandon Lavitt secured 15 points with eight rebounds, putting him over the 600 career rebound barrier and only two points away from 1,000 career points.Â
- Big-man Audric Washington led the team in assists with five to go alongside five points and rebounds.
- Susquehanna led Lycoming from the field and beyond the arc, shooting 28-of-54 from the floor and 8-of-18 from three versus Lycoming's 23-of-53 from the field and 6-of-19 on threes.
- The River Hawks out-rebounded the Warriors 39-29.
UP NEXT FOR THE RIVER HAWKSÂ Â
- The River Hawks now hold an impressive 4-1 record in the Landmark Conference with each of the team's last 13 games scheduled against in-conference opponents.
- Susquehanna returns to Selinsgrove to host Scranton at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 10.
