SELINSGROVE, PA (February 2, 2022) -- Senior guard Lukas Yurasits scored a season-high 28 points Wednesday, helping lead the Susquehanna University men's basketball squad to a pivotal 78-61 Landmark Conference victory over Drew University in a match-up of the last two league winners in action from O.W. Houts Gymnasium. The River Hawks (16-4, 8-1 Landmark) have won six straight contests, and also have posted victories in 10 of their last 11 games. 

The victory was also crucial in the league standings, as SU earned a season sweep of Drew University (13-7, 7-2 Landmark) to move a game ahead of the Rangers in the conference standings with five games to play in the regular season. The River Hawks can clinch a Landmark Conference Tournament berth Saturday at home against Juniata College. 

Susquehanna and Drew had a back-and-forth affair in the opening half, as the lead changed hands 20 times while featuring 10 tie scores. The largest lead of the first half for the visitors came with 14:08 to play in the first stanza, as David Gervase connected on a three-pointer to put the Rangers up 14-8. From that point, Susquehanna went on a 10-0 run capped by a triple from Yurasits to make the score 18-14 with 9:53 left in the first. 

Drew battled back to take a four-point lead of its own with just under seven minutes to go in the first half, but Susquehanna put together a 10-3 run late in the period to take the game's largest lead of eight on a Jay Martin trifecta with 33 seconds to go in the opening period. Miles Lewis scored just before the buzzer for Drew, making it 43-37 River Hawks heading into the break. Drew shot the ball well in the first half, hitting nine three-pointers, but Susquehanna benefited in a 13-2 lead in points off turnovers. 

In the second half, Drew cooled off from the field, making only six field goals in the period while the hosts continued to force turnovers as well. The score remained close over the first four minutes of the second half, but the River Hawks chalked up a 9-2 run to make it 57-46 with 12:08 left in regulation. The Rangers trimmed their deficit back down into single digits at 57-50, but a 15-4 run for Susquehanna capped by a Martin jumper helped seal the victory. 

Yurasits got to his season-high point total with a efficient shooting display, as the senior from New York went 11-of-17 on field goals including hitting three of his five attempts from deep. Martin came off the bench to contribute 11 points, three rebounds and two steals, while senior point guard Danny Frauenheim was 4-of-10 for 10 points while adding five assists. Senior center Jack Van Syckle continued his solid outings with another tidy game, registering eight points, three assists and a game-high 11 rebounds.

Junior Howie Rankine, Jr. and Cooper Haberern each came off the bench to score six points apiece for SU, which shot 50.8 percent (31-61) from the field. Susquehanna also made 53.8 percent of its shots from behind the three-point line, the second-best shooting clip from deep this season. The River Hawks finished with a huge 28-4 edge in points off turnovers, forcing 21 miscues by Drew, while also holding a 32-14 edge in points in the paint. The defense has also come around of late for SU, as the River Hawks allowed less than 65 points for the fifth straight game. 

Drew was missing its third-leading scorer in Lybrant Robinson Wednesday, but got 12 points and nine rebounds from Howard McBurnie. James Anderson came off the bench to make five three-pointers en route to a career-high 19 points, but the team as a whole cooled off in the second 20 minutes as DU shot just 39.1 percent (18-46) overall. 

Up Next

• The River Hawks will finish its busy stretch Saturday at home in O.W. Houts Gymnasium, taking on Juniata College for the second time in six days Saturday, February 5 at 2 p.m. in more Landmark Conference action. 

Facebook: susquehanna.riverhawks | Instagram: @gosusqu
Twitter: @GOsusqU | Hashtags: #AllIn, #GOSU, #RiverHawkPride

--RIVER HAWKS--