Matt Thomas vs. Juniata 2/8/18
Dan Gittis
74
Elizabethtown ETOWN 5-19, 2-12 LMK
94
Winner Susquehanna SUS 10-14, 7-7 LMK
Elizabethtown ETOWN
5-19, 2-12 LMK
74
Final
94
Susquehanna SUS
10-14, 7-7 LMK
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Elizabethtown ETOWN 35 39 74
Susquehanna SUS 37 57 94

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Men's basketball closes season at Susquehanna

SELINSGROVE, Pa. -- Elizabethtown's bid to end the 2017-18 season on a high note was foiled in the late going Saturday afternoon at Susquehanna. The Blue Jays trailed by six with less than 10 minutes to go, but the River Hawks pulled away down the stretch for a 94-74 victory.

Matt Thomas and Connor Moffatt scored a game-high 18 points, and all five E-town starters scored in double figures.

Susquehanna got a balanced effort from its starters and bench, placing seven players in double figures and seeing its reserves outscore E-town's 40-2.

Brandon Berry collected five points early as the Blue Jays took a 13-10 lead five minutes in, but the River Hawks (10-14, 7-7 Landmark) embarked on a 19-3 run over the next eight minutes, capped by an Adam Dizbon 3-pointer, to lead 29-16 with 7:04 left before halftime.

Elizabethtown was held without a bucket during the River Hawks' spurt, but quickly regained its footing as Ethan DuBois drained a three, Thomas scored in the lane and Bryce Greene did the same to cut the SU lead to 29-25.

Greene's jumper with 1:22 left completed a 7-0 run for the Jays and tied the game at 33. Moffatt would knot it again at 35 in the final minute, but a Dizbon layup put Susquehanna up 37-35 at the half.

The River Hawks threatened to put the game out of reach midway through the second, opening a 14-point gap, 61-47. The Blue Jays showed resiliency, clipping the deficit to six with 9:13 to go. Susquehanna would methodically stretch the lead out from there, however.

Thomas ended the season on a tear, matching a career-high with 18 points. Both of the junior's 18-point outings came over the final three games of the season when he averaged 16.7 points per game.

Moffatt went 6-of-11 from the floor and converted on 5-of-6 free throws in registering his 20th double-digit scoring performance in 23 games this season. The Hempfield product finished his sophomore campaign with 11 double-doubles, just missing out on averaging one for the season by three rebounds (15.0 ppg, 9.8 rpg). Moffatt was bidding to become the first Blue Jay to complete the season with a double-double average since Tom Kuffa in 1993-94.

Greene had 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting and is more than halfway to 1,000 (566) following his sophomore season. Berry had 11 points and DuBois 10 for the Blue and Gray (5-19, 2-12).

Susquehanna effectively got its entire roster involved, fostering its winning performance. Bryce Butler, Seth Callahan and Dizbon shared the team lead with 13 points. Ryan Traub (12), Jacob Walsh (10) and Glen Nanius (10) all reached double figures off the bench, and Zach Knecht had 10. The River Hawks shot 58.3% overall (35-of-60), 50% from 3-point range (9-of-18) and were stellar at the foul line, going 15-of-18 (83.3%). The hosts also held a 34-22 rebounding advantage.

Seniors Matt Brickman and Will Jackson, who were honored prior to last Saturday's home finale against Goucher, appeared in their final games as Blue Jays.
 
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