SCRANTON, Pa. — In a hard-fought, physical contest from start to finish, the No. 3 seed University of Scranton men's basketball team fell to No. 6-seeded Susquehanna University, 85-78, in the first round of the Landmark Conference Tournament Tuesday night.
The Basics
- Final Score: Susquehanna 85, Scranton 78
- Records: Susquehanna (14-12), Scranton (19-7)
- Susquehanna advances to the Landmark Conference semifinal at Drew University on Feb. 26.
- The Royals will now await the NCAA Tournament selection show on Monday, March 2 at 1:00 p.m. to see if they earn an at-large bid.
How it Happened
- Both sides struggled offensively in the early going before Scranton got on the board with a jumper from Sammy Tornabene, set up by Jon Spatola.
- Tornabene found an early rhythm, pouring in the Royals' first seven points of the night, including a three-pointer.
- Spatola knocked down a triple of his own at the 14:50 mark, stretching Scranton's advantage to 14-7.
- Susquehanna countered with strong perimeter shooting, aggressive drives to the rim and consistent trips to the free throw line to keep the game tight.
- Foul trouble became a factor late in the half, as the Royals were called for 12 fouls compared to six for the River Hawks.
- Luca Baratta and Josias Carbon provided a spark off the bench, each burying two three-pointers to help Scranton hold a five-point lead heading into halftime, 43-38.
- The duo of Spatola and Tornabene carried the offensive load in the first half, combining for 19 of Scranton's points before the break.
- Scranton came out of the locker room with momentum as Nick Ruisi converted an early bucket and Tornabene drilled another three-pointer to extend the lead to seven.The River Hawks answered with a steady dose of interior scoring, battling back to even the game at 52-52 with just over 14 minutes remaining.
- Susquehanna then seized control, using a 13-0 run to turn a tie game into a 61-52 advantage at the 11:53 mark. Perimeter shooting combined with consistent production in the paint fueled the surge.
- The Royals refused to go away, trimming the deficit to five with 2:50 to play behind the efforts of Spatola and timely outside shooting from Brendan Carr and Baratta.
- Foul trouble continued to hamper the Royals throughout the half, limiting defensive flexibility and sending Susquehanna to the line.
- Susquehanna continued to find success around the rim and at the free throw line down the stretch to secure the 85-78 victory.
- Billy Anderson paced the River Hawks with 27 points and nine rebounds off the bench, while Mario Castro Sanchez added 21 points in the win.
Inside the Box Score
- FG: Scranton 50.0% | Susquehanna 53.7%
- 3PT: Scranton 47.4% | Susquehanna 35.3%
- FT: Scranton 75.0% | Susquehanna 65.6%
- Rebounds: Scranton 24 | Susquehanna 41
Top Performers
