Photos By Nick Williams, Photography Editor
By Darin Martin
There’s nothing better than free basketball.
An electric crowd within O.W. Houts Gymnasium was treated to five extra minutes of basketball in Tuesday’s Landmark Conference quarterfinal men’s basketball matchup against Drew, in which the River Hawks came out on top, 100-90.
The River Hawks made every shot from the field in the extra period as Billy Anderson scored 10 points in the frame to extend the team’s season and avoid the upset loss.
“When we started overtime, we ran a little set to go to Billy and ([said]) that until they stop it, we’re going to it,” SU coach Frank Marcinek said. “He stepped up huge for us.”
It was a fast-paced start to the game as both teams traded easy layups and 3-pointers early on. The River Hawks handled Moravian’s high-energy full-court press well, breaking it multiple times to earn easy buckets in the paint. This was largely due to the play from guard Jackson van Wagener.
It was a highly efficient first half for the River Hawks, as they shot 62.5% (20-for-32) from the field and 41% (5-for-12) from 3-point range. They used their hot shooting to race out to a double-digit lead with four minutes left in the half. A late run by Moravian cut the deficit to five at the break.
In the second half, Susquehanna kept up the hot shooting to start, extending the lead back to 14. However, offensive struggles then hit the River Hawks, as they finished the second half shooting only 39% from the field. The Greyhounds were able to roar back to force overtime.
“We didn’t win the last four minutes of the ([first]) half, and we didn’t win the last four minutes of the game, which was problematic,” Marcinek said. “But we won the overtime, which was what really mattered.”
Anderson finished with a career-high 29 points while Michael Pirone also contributed 20 points; Van Wagener added 18, tied for his career high.
The River Hawks finished with 62 points in the paint, 26 more than Moravian. They finished the game shooting 54% from the field and 30% from three, while holding Moravian to only 42% and 26% from three.
“The experienced players helped,” said Marcinek, who added that defense was crucial in overtime. “The key was holding them to 1-for-9 from the field.”
Marcinek also praised his bench players, specifically sophomore AJ Lomax, who gave the team solid minutes off the bench.
“It was a big playoff game,” Marcinek said. “They didn’t play a lot during the regular season, but they played like veterans today and handled the ball well under pressure. They gave us what we needed.”
The Susquehanna bench contributed 17 points and helped the offense weather the second-half slump.
The team will return to action at Drew on Thursday for a rematch of last year’s semifinals, which SU won. The River Hawks are very familiar with the nationally ranked Rangers, as they lost to them by nearly 30 points on Saturday.
“Saturday wasn’t the best reflection of ourselves,” Anderson said. “We know we’re better than that.”
