By Andrew Snyder, Staff Writer
The Susquehanna men’s basketball team opened their regular season slate with a commanding 90-47 victory over the Bethany College Bison in a trip to Bethany, W. Va. on Nov. 8.
Susquehanna spread the offensive output around in the win, as 17 River Hawks attempted at least one shot. Leading all scorers for Susquehanna was senior forward Zachary Knecht, who posted 13 points, four rebounds and two assists.
Sophomore forward Thomas Sampson was extremely efficient, going 5-6 from the field and 2-3 from beyond the arc with 12 points on the board.
Dominic Dunn, another sophomore in the front court, recorded eight points, three steals and five rebounds in an all-around solid performance.
Freshman Lukas Yurasits also tallied on five rebounds and scored seven points for the River Hawks.
Bethany struggled all night, afflicted by an excellent Susquehanna defense. Bethany’s leading scorer was junior guard Dalton Hamrick, who put up 13 points.
As a team, Susquehanna was swarming on the defensive end. In team defense, the River Hawks had 12 steals and out-rebounded the Bison 36 to 10 during the game.
From the onset, Susquehanna took command of the game, getting out to a 16-5 lead at the 12-minute mark of the first half. Sampson knocked down two jumpers in a row to extend the lead to 21-7 only two minutes later.
Bethany could not crack double figures in the scoring column until there was less than six minutes to go in the first period.
Susquehanna continued to assert themselves on offense, going on another run late in the half, pushing the winning margin to 29 points when the first half concluded.
Susquehanna did not take their foot off the gas in the second half, dealing another blow to the Bison with back-to-back three pointers by Dunn and sophomore guard Danny Frauenheim early in the period to make the score 55-22 with 16:08 to go.
Bethany attempted to bounce back by putting up 31 points in the second half, but still ultimately fell to the River Hawks as they were unable to dig themselves out of the hole they were placed in during the first half.
The Bison’s woes on both ends of the floor would not cease. Attempting to get back in the game using the three-point line, Bethany shot just 2 of 18 from three on the night and 18 of 53 from the field.
The River Hawks continued to pour it on, leading by as much as 45 with 6:44 left in the game. Sophomores Jack Van Syckle and Ryan Collins and freshmen Howie Rankine Jr. and Quincy Haughton all scored their first buckets in a Susquehanna uniform.
Junior guard Bryce Butler took control of the momentum for Susquehanna in the second half, racking up six points with three jump shots. Butler totaled 10 points for the night.
Bethany offered no challenge in the closing moments of the contest. Susquehanna closed with a 43-point dominating win on the road.
Susquehanna was picked to finish second in the Landmark Conference preseason poll as of Nov. 6. The River Hawks are behind Scranton, who were picked as the favorite with seven first-place votes by the conference.
Sixteen players returned for the 2019-2020 season under the guidance of head coach Frank Marcinek, who is entering his 31st season.
Susquehanna will look to use this as a springboard for the rest of their season. The River Hawks will next host the Susquehanna Trailways Tip-off Tournament on Nov. 15-16 at home in Selinsgrove, Pa.
