Box Score
Box score
KINGS POINT, N.Y. – For a brief moment, it looked like The University of Scranton men's basketball team was going to pull off its third stunning comeback in just eight days. But it was just that, a brief moment, as Merchant Marine Academy made a free throw with 0.8 seconds on the clock to hand the Royals a 66-65 defeat on Wednesday night.
The Royals (11-4, 4-3 Landmark) trailed for the entire second half until sophomore guard Ethan Danzig (Clarks Green, Pa./Abington Heights) a long 3-pointer to tie the score with eight seconds left. Merchant Marine (8-6, 4-4 Landmark) called timeout to set up the final play. The Mariners then got the ball downcourt and a shot was off the mark, but the Royals were called for a foul with 0.8 seconds left. The first of the two free throws was good and a full-court heave at the buzzer by the Royals was no good.
Scranton, ranked 24th in the D3hoops.com Top 25, got out to a quick start, leading 11-7 less than five minutes into the game. But the Royals went cold and found themselves in a 36-27 hole after going 9-for-22 (40.9 percent) from the field and committing nine turnovers. They drew within one midway through the second half, but got no closer until Danzig's 3-pointer tied the score in the closing seconds.
Danzig finished with a career-high 20 points, including six 3-pointers, which was a season-high and matched his career-high. Junior forward John Vitkus (Mahopac, N.Y./Mahopac) also had a big game, finishing with career highs in points (19) and blocks (7) to go along with seven rebounds. Senior forward Brendan Boken (South Pasadena, Calif./Loyola) added 13 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Last week, Scranton rallied from a 20-3 deficit in the first half and a five-point second-half hole to win at Drew, 69-62, on Tuesday, Jan. 5. Four days later, they overcame a 13-point deficit by scoring the final eight points of the game in a 78-77 win at Goucher.
Wednesday's loss drops the Royals into fifth place in the Landmark Conference, a half-game behind Catholic and Juniata, who are tied for third, and a half-game ahead of Merchant Marine.
Scranton finished the night shooting 45.8 percent (22-for-48) from the field, including 9-for-20 (45 percent) from 3-point range. The Royals made 12 of 14 free throws (85.7 percent) and finished with 17 turnovers.
Merchant Marine went 19-for-53 (35.8 percent) from the field, including 9-for-20 (45 percent) from 3-point range. The Mariners made 19 of 28 free throws (67.9 percent) and won the rebounding battle, 34-29, while committing 11 turnovers.
The Royals will be back in action on Saturday, Feb. 16, when they host Catholic in a Landmark Conference game at 2 p.m. in the Long Center.
--ROYALS--
