Box Score
Box score
SELINSGROVE, Pa. – The University of Scranton men's basketball team went into the home gym of a nationally ranked opponent on Wednesday night where no visiting team had won this season. By the end of the night, the Royals had brought an end to that dominance.
Scranton used stifling defense and an impressive second-half stand to knock off 17th-ranked Susquehanna, 67-58, in Houts Gymnasium. The win tightened the Landmark Conference race, bringing the top three teams within a half-game of each other.
The Royals (17-5, 10-4 Landmark) have now won six straight and are in third place, just percentage points behind Susquehanna (18-3, 9-3). Catholic (17-5, 10-3) moved into first place with a 67-63 win over Goucher on Wednesday night. Juniata (14-8, 7-6) is currently in fourth place.
Senior forward Brendan Boken (South Pasadena, Calif./Loyola) led all scorers with 25 points for the Royals. He was 9-for-14 from the field, including 2-for-3 from 3-point range, and made nine of 11 free throws while adding eight rebounds. Sophomore guard Ethan Danzig (Clarks Green, Pa./Abington Heights) had 16 points, including a trio of 3-pointers, in the victory.
Four days after an impressive offensive effort in a win over Juniata, Scranton turned to its defense to knock off Susquehanna on Wednesday. The Royals held the Crusaders to just 33.3 percent (19-for-57) from the field, including 8-for-29 (27.6 percent) from 3-point range. Susquehanna was just 7-for-28 (25 percent) from the floor in the first half as Scranton took a 37-24 halftime lead.
Susquehanna fought back early in the second half, slicing the Royals' lead to seven less than four minutes into the half and eventually pulling within one, at 45-44 with 12:41 left. After the teams traded 3-pointers, Scranton responded with a 6-0 run to regain control, including four points by junior forward John Vitkus (Mahopac, N.Y./Mahopac).
The lead was still seven when Susquehanna made four straight free throws on back-to-back possessions to get within 57-54 with 6:00 left. But Boken responded with a three-point play to push the lead back to six at 60-54. That play was the start of a game-ending 10-4 run that sealed the victory for Scranton.
The Royals also got eight points, including a pair of 3-pointers, four assists and two rebounds from senior guard Marcus Thomas (Clarksburg, Md./Clarksburg) and seven points, three assists and three rebounds from sophomore guard Kevin Doolan (Basking Ridge, N.J./Ridge). Vitkus finished with six points, 10 rebounds, two blocks, two steals and an assist.
Scranton finished the night shooting 45.7 percent (21-for-46) form the field, including a sizzling 9-for-17 (52.9 percent) from 3-point range. They made 16 of 20 (80 percent) from the free throw line. The Royals committed 17 turnovers and lost a narrow battle on the boards, 34-32.
Scranton will play its final regular season home game on Saturday, Feb. 13, when the Royals host Goucher at 4 p.m. Prior to tip-off, the team will hold a Senior Day ceremony. At halftime, the University will honor the 1976 men's basketball team that won the national title, the first in the University's history.
--ROYALS--
