Photo Courtesy of Susquehanna Athletics
By Marquis Frias, Sports Editor
The No.6 seed Susquehanna Men’s Basketball Team earned their third Landmark Conference Championship in seven years after defeating No.4 Wilkes 76-72 Saturday in Wilkes Barre, PA.
After an improbable season where the River Hawks weren’t even in the playoff picture entering the final game of the regular season, Susquehanna as the last seed in the playoffs won three straight road games against opponents that were expected to easily beat the River Hawks.
“It’s an amazing feeling to be crowned the landmark champs. Especially after all the ups and downs we had throughout the season,” Senior center Audric Washington said.
Washington was awarded the Landmark Tournament MVP after his 21 point, nine rebound performance in the championship game. Washington’s 21 points was also the most he had in a game this season.
“It was just the trust my teammates and coaches have in me that allowed me to go out there and have a good performance,” Washington said. “They helped put me in good positions and the ball just happened to go in the basket for me.”
To start the championship game, both teams went on a scoring stretch early, which led to Wilkes finding themselves with a 18-15 lead with 10 minutes left in the first half. Senior Guard Jack Argento scored eight points in that stretch for Wilkes, while the River Hawks saw scoring contributions from all five starters.
The tight contest would continue through the end of the first half, with both teams going back-and-forth on offense. Susquehanna would go on a 14-6 run, to which Wilkes responded by outscoring the River Hawks 17-11 to end the first half with a 35-32 lead.
Coming out of the locker rooms, the Colonels were able to stretch their lead to 11 points just six minutes into the second half, which was the biggest lead for any team the entire game.
Wilkes would hold this advantage throughout the second half barring a small comeback by the River Hawks that cut the lead to three at one point. With 5:20 left in the game, a layup from Senior forward Lucas Lesko gave Wilkes another 11-point advantage.
With the score at 64-53 however, the “road warrior” River Hawks went on a 19-2 run over the next four minutes, stripping Wilkes’s lead and taking over late in the championship game. With 1:17 left, two free throws from first-year guard Mikey Cumbo gave the River Hawks a 72-66 lead.
Wilkes would hit a couple late buckets to make the game more interesting late, at one point cutting the lead to only two points. However, clutch free throw shooting from the River Hawks would help clinch Susquehanna’s first Landmark title since 2022.
Along with Washington’s 21 points and nine rebounds, Senior forward Brandon Lavitt finished with 15 points and Senior guard Jackson Van Wagener finished with matching totals of seven points and seven rebounds.
“It means a lot to my senior class and me,” Washington said. “It was important for us to win the championship and to continue the great tradition of winning that Coach Marcinek started here at Susquehanna and has continued to do so.”
The magical season is not over yet, as the win gives Susquehanna an automatic bid in the NCAA DIII Men’s Basketball Tournament, allowing the River Hawks to compete against the best teams in Division III basketball for a national championship. Without the Landmark Conference Championship, Susquehanna would not have earned an at-large bid from the selection committee.
“I am looking forward to playing more basketball, but I am more so looking forward to spending more time with teammates as we get at least another guaranteed week of being with each other,” Washington said.
The River Hawks will compete in the first round of the NCAA DIII tournament Friday, March 6 at 3 p.m. against Redlands University in Frederick, Md.