SELINSGROVE, Pa. --- The Moravian College men's basketball team returned to Landmark Conference action with a road contest at No. 14 Susquehanna University as the Greyhounds fell to the River Hawks, 86-74, Saturday afternoon.
The Hounds fall to 8-5 overall on the season and 1-1 in Landmark Conference play as the Blue and Grey started a string of 13 conference contests to finish out the 2016-17 campaign.
Moravian had three players in double figures with sophomore forward Jake McGee eading the team with 17 points to go along with three rebounds and a pair of assists. Sophomore guard Jimmy Murray tossed in 14 points while sophomore forward Oneil Holder added 13 points, three assists and a pair of boards.
Freshman guard C.J. Barnes contributed nine points for the Greyhounds while freshman forward John Hargraves had five points and two rebounds. Senior forward Brandon McGuire pulled down four rebounds to go with four points while senior guard Isaiah Jennings had a team-high six boards. Senior guard Sean Hanna, freshman guard Elijah Davis, sophomore guard Nicholas Casazza and junior guard Matt Cardonne each scored three points with Casazza and Cardonne each contributing two assists.
Susquehanna scored first before a jumper from Murray tied the game at 2-2. Casazza tied the contest again at 8-8 with a three-pointer before Holder put Moravian in front, 10-8, with a lay-up at the 12:04 mark. The River Hawks scored the next seven points for a 15-10 lead, and Susquehanna pushed the advantage into double digits at 22-12 with 8:39 before the intermission. The Greyhounds would get back within seven points, 36-29, on a three-pointer by Cardonne with 2:21 left in the opening half but the River Hawks eventually headed to the locker room with a 43-32 edge.
Susquehanna pushed its lead to 19 points, 51-32, early in the second half before Moravian began to chip away. McGee connected on a three-pointer at the 13:51 mark to get the Greyhounds within eight points, 53-45, and the Blue and Grey had the deficit down to three points, 57-54, after a pair of Holder free throws with 10:39 still to play. The River Hawks took the lead back into double digits at 72-59 before a three-pointer by Barnes cut the lead to 72-67 with 5:25 remaining. That would be as close as the Greyhounds could get in the contest.
Moravian is scheduled to return to Johnston Hall on Wednesday, January 11 in a Landmark Conference game versus Drew University with tip-off set for 7:00 p.m. in Bethlehem.
