SELINSGROVE, PA. – Brandon Lavitt scored a career-high 36-point double-double on Senior Day Saturday as Susquehanna men's basketball put on a valiant effort against Drew. While the Rangers walked away with a 92-84 victory, the River Hawks did enough to clinch the sixth seed for the Landmark Conference Tournament. Susquehanna is set to play at three-seeded Scranton on Tuesday at 7 p.m., with the winner advancing to take on two-seed Drew in Thursday's semifinals game.
Susquehanna clinched the sixth seed for the Landmark Tournament thanks to holding a tiebreaker over Moravian, who suffered an 85-78 defeat to Juniata Saturday to share a 9-9 league record with the River Hawks. Susquehanna and the Greyhounds split even in its season series, with the River Hawks holding the edge thanks to their win over first-place Catholic last Wednesday.
HOW IT WENT DOWN
- Prior to the game head coach Frank Marcinek and the men's basketball team recognized their six senior student-athletes: Brandon Lavitt, Jackson Van Wagener, Billy Anderson, Emezie Egeonu, Audric Washington, and Allen Cieslak, as well as the team's two team managers in Ethan Bistromowitz and Jack Gardinier.
- Both teams traded buckets early on before Drew took control on the scoreboard with a six-point lead after the first five minutes. David Musial led all scorers with five points at the 14:57 mark.
- Ben Manns led the Rangers on a 13-5 run over the next 3:32, seizing complete control of the lead at double digits.
- Both teams went back and forth on the scoring end of things over the next seven-and-a-half minutes. Brandon Lavitt kept the River Hawks afloat, scoring ten points in seven minutes on a day that recognized all of Susquehanna's seniors.
- Susquehanna finished the half on a 6-3 run, cutting the lead to eight heading into the break.
- Lavitt continued to keep Susquehanna's head above water in the first part of the second half, scoring eight points in the first ten minutes coming out of the half.
- Junior guard Mario Castro Sanchez led the River Hawks on a 7-5 run up to the 7:43 mark in the final half. He scored five points in less than two minutes, including a three pointer to cut down Drew's double-digit lead.
- The River Hawks sparked a 12-6 run over the next two minutes, cutting Drew's lead to just nine with 5:45 remaining.
- Senior Jackson Van Wagener scored nine points over the next five minutes leading Susquehanna on a 14-7 run to cut the lead to five. The River Hawks couldn't complete the comeback, despite the late push.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Lavitt's career day included his 36 points on incredible 14-of-19 display shooting from the field and 12 rebounds. He also added 8-of-12 free throws, to help bring him over the 1,200 career point mark, now with 1,209.
- First-year guard KJ Carson scored 12 points in just 22 minutes of play, making 5-of-7, while Jackson Van Wagener logged nine points. Billy Anderson, fresh off of reaching 1,000 career points in a career day Wednesday against Goucher, added eight more points for 1,010 lifetime.
- Susquehanna controlled the glass, outrebounding Drew 40-33, including 14 offensive rebounds that led to 13 second-chance points.
- Drew edged out the River Hawks in field goal percentage, carrying a 50.0 percent display (29-of-58) to Susquehanna's 47.0 percent (31-of-66). The Rangers held the edge on 3-pointers, making 9-of-28 on threes to the River Hawks' 4-of-14. Carson, Jackson Van Wagener, Mario Castro Sanchez and Seamsu Rogers each dropped in a three for SU.
- The game was laced with a combined 47 fouls, 24 on Susquehanna and 23 for Drew. Both sides had plenty of chances at the line, with Susquehanna making 18-of-29 and Drew 25-of-32.
- Eight River Hawks saw double-digit minutes against Drew, with six of them logging more than 20 minutes.
UP NEXT FOR THE RIVER HAWKS
- Susquehanna will turn its focus to Landmark Conference playoffs, where they will be seeded No. 6 and travel to take on No. 3 seeded Scranton on Tuesday.
- The winner will advance to take on Drew on Thursday, with the Rangers holding the second seed.
- On the other side of the bracket fourth-seeded Wilkes will host fifth-seed Elizabethtown on Tuesday night, with the winner facing off at top-seed Catholic on Thursday.
