Photo by Michael Mandigo
By Dustin Waleff, Asst. Sports Editor and Maddy Lanning, Staff Writer
The Susquehanna University River Hawks beat the Landmark Conference rival Moravian Greyhounds on Wednesday, February 19th, 90-67 in Selinsgrove, PA.
Sophomore guards Danny Frauenheim and Jay Martin put up 39 points for the River Hawks giving the team their fourth win in a row. After this game, the River Hawks were ranked first in the conference alongside Drew University.
At halftime, the score was 46-43 with the River Hawks ahead. Moravian came out strong in the second half scoring back-to-back threes giving them the lead at the 18 minute mark. This short burst from Moravian was over as quick as it started when Susquehanna went on a 22-10 run leading the Greyhounds 70-63 with 7 minutes to go.
The momentum didn’t stop there for the River Hawks as they would put up 20 more points and only allow two more baskets for the Greyhounds.
“This was an awesome game for us all together,” said Martin. “We need this going into champs.”
Following this big conference win, the River Hawks took on Juniata on their senior day. Here the team sealed the top seed spot in the conference with another impressive game scoring 84-53. This is the second time in River Hawk history that they are ranked number one going into the Landmark Conference Championship.
Susquehanna came into the game strong with a high shooting percentage and sinking all but 3 of their free-throws. The River Hawks would score 26 points over a span of 10 minutes giving them the lead at halftime, 52-28. Junior guard Mike Kempski scored multiple times to aid with the lead and sophomore center Wes Simons contributed.
“Games like this make our team stronger going into bigger games,” said Kempski.
After halftime, the River Hawks kept up the momentum and only allowed Juniata to put up 24 more points. Susquehanna was able to rotate in every player, with this, the team added 44 points.
With the large win over Juniata, the River Hawks advanced to the Landmark Conference Semifinals on February 26th.
The Susquehanna University men’s basketball team kept their NCAA tournament dreams alive with a 76-43 victory over the Moravian Greyhounds in the Landmark Conference semi-finals on Feb. 26 in Selinsgrove, PA.
Susquehanna started quickly, jumping out to a 10-0 lead two minutes in, forcing the Greyhounds to call a timeout to try and settle down.
Following the timeout, Moravian’s Addis Ralph knocked down a three-point shot to get the visitors on the board four minutes into the game.
Susquehanna’s defensive pressure continued to cause problems for Moravian, as the River Hawks used a 16-7 run to extend the lead to 26-10 with eight minutes to play in the first half.
The Greyhounds responded using a 15-3 run to cut the Susquehanna lead to four with two minutes to go. Following the Greyhounds’ run, Susquehanna responded with an 8-0 run themselves to end the half and take a 37-25 lead into the break.
As the second half got underway, the Susquehanna audience provided the energy that the River Hawks needed to shut down the Greyhounds.
“The support we received from the fans last night, especially the other student athletes on campus, mean everything to us. We were able to feed off the incredible energy from the crowd to play with great enthusiasm. Having that many people there gave us a little bit more motivation to get the win,” junior guard Bryce Butler said.
In the opening five minutes of the second half, the River Hawks used a 15-0 run to blow the game open, the score now being 52-25.
Offensively, Moravian had no response for Susquehanna, as the River Hawks continued to pour it on, opening a 74-33 lead.
Susquehanna’s defense led the way forcing 24 turnovers, with a season-high 17 steals, leading to 28 points.
Sophomore guards Lukas Yurasits and Danny Frauenheim lead the way offensively, both scoring double figures—Yurasits putting up 22, and Frauenheim with 12.
Butler fueled the team on the defensive end with a strong performance, helping to limit the Greyhounds to 43 points on 17-51 shooting.
Following the win, River Hawks will advance to the Landmark Conference championship against the third-seeded Scranton Royals at 7 p.m. on Saturday, February 29, in Selinsgrove, Pa.
Butler said, “Scranton is a team that thrives off of an inside presence that is unlike any other team we have played throughout the season. Playing on the defensive end as one big unit is key for us.”
