Photos By Michael Lipscomb
By Abrielle Tutino
The Susquehanna University men’s basketball team delivered a forceful performance on Saturday afternoon, defeating Lycoming College 78–59 at O.W. Houts Gymnasium.
Junior standout Mario Castro Sanchez led the way with 17 points and was a pivotal factor in keeping Susquehanna’s offense clicking.
“The main thing that helped me today is the way we moved the ball,” Sanchez said. “Everyone was playing off inside-out when they were doubling the post, so that allowed me to get open shots — so credit to my teammates.”
The Riverhawks started the game jumping out early by executing the game plan through its post players and spreading the floor, forcing Lycoming to make tough defensive decisions.
That offensive balance paid off in a 34–27 first half advantage, and the River Hawks kept the pressure up in the second half, outscoring Lycoming 44–32 to put the game away.
Susquehanna’s scoring wasn’t limited to Castro Sanchez. Brandon Lavitt added 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds in a gritty two-way performance, while Billy Anderson chipped in another 14 points of his own to keep the offensive pressure on.
Jackson Van Wagener contributed a steady nine points, seven of them coming in the second half, and KJ Carson made his presence known with timely buckets throughout the second frame.
Beyond the numbers, Sanchez praised the Riverhawks’ resilience as a trait that has defined Susquehanna’s season. “This season has been tough because we had a bad stretch of losing games,” he said. “But what I love about this team is that even in the bad moments we stay together, we support each other, and we keep pushing in the same direction to reach our goals.”
That unity showed on both ends of the floor against Lycoming, as the River Hawks shared the ball effectively, rotated defensively, and finished strong on the glass.
With a win like Saturday’s, Susquehanna continues building momentum as it pushes toward the final stretch of Landmark Conference play.
The win puts Susquehanna at 7-7 in conference play, putting them at seventh in the conference rankings. With the Landmark Conference rankings very tight with four games for the River Hawks, a tight finish is expected to paint the Landmark Conference playoff picture.
The River Hawks’s playoff hopes will be tested again on Wednesday, Feb 11 at 7:00 p.m. when they host Catholic University in O.W. Houts Gymnasium.