SCRANTON, Pa. – Sophomore Jon Spatola (Marlboro, N.J./Marlboro) scored a career-high 35 points on 15-of-17 shooting, but the The University of Scranton men's basketball team (4-21, 2-16 Landmark) dropped a 77-76 heartbreaker to the Elizabethtown Blue Jays (10-15, 7-11 Landmark) on Senior Day on Saturday afternoon at the John Long Center in Scranton.

Senior Tahaj Parland (Neptune, N.J./Mater Dei) buried a three that tied the game at 76 apiece with 0:24 left on a feed from Spatola, but the Blue Jays' Austin Finarelli split a pair of free throws with just over three seconds left that proved to be the difference in the game.

The Blue Jays got off to a strong start in this one and held a 20-8 lead with 13:06 to play before freshman Brendan Carr (Northport, N.Y./Northport) buried a three and Spatola followed with a layup that brought the Royals within seven at 20-13. Scranton continued to battle and trimmed the deficit to two at 29-27 on Spatola's jumper with 4:47 left. After a Parland three brought the hosts within one at 31-30, ETown was able to close the half on a 12-2 run that made it a 43-32 game headed into the locker room.

ETown stretched the lead to 15 on a few different occasions in the second half including at 55-40 with 14:51 to play before the Royals put together a rally with a 14-4 run capped off by a Carr three that cut the deficit to 59-54. A jumper from Finarelli later in the half gave the Blue Jays a 68-62 lead, but Spatola responded with a jumper to spark a 7-0 spurt that resulted in a 69-68 Scranton lead after Parland sank a three at the 3:25 mark. The visitors were able to regain a three-point lead at 74-71 and 76-73, but the Royals fought back both times and tied the game at 76 on Parland's afore-mentioned trifecta in the final minute.

Spatola's 35 points is the most by a Royal since Logan Bailey tallied 35 on Jan. 9, 2019 at Moravian and the Marlboro, N.J., native also added five rebounds, five assists and three steals. His previous career-high had been set with 18 in a Landmark semifinal victory at Catholic on Feb. 22, 2023.

Parland added 11 points and six rebounds, while freshman Nick Ruisi (Greenlawn, N.Y./Harborfields/Cheshire Academy) tallied nine points, four boards and three blocks.

Rance Russo led four Blue Jays in double figures with 15 points.

The Royals shot 50.8% (30-of-59) from the floor and 47.8% (11-of-23) from deep and ETown was 29-of-59 (49.2%) from the field and 6-of-17 (35.3%) from long range.

Prior to the game, Scranton honored the senior class of Parland, Scott Graffam (Falls Church, Va./Bridgton Academy) and graduate student Kyden Cash (Nassau, Bahamas/St. John's College).

--ROYALS--