SELINSGROVE, Pa. --- Junior guard Matt O'Connor netted the final five points over the last 27 seconds to snap a 60-60 tie and give the Moravian College men's basketball team a 65-60 Landmark Conference victory at Susquehanna University Wednesday evening.
The Greyhounds, who are now 9-9 overall and 4-3 after the first half of the Landmark Conference round robin, had three players in double figures with O'Connor scoring a game-high 20 points to go with four assists and two rebounds. Senior guard C.J. Barnes recorded his second double-double of the season with 12 points and a career-best 11 rebounds to go with four assists while senior forward Addis Ralph tossed in 11 points to go along with six boards.
Senior forward John Hargraves contributed eight points and two rebounds while freshman guard Greg Eck netted five points with three boards and a pair of assists. Senior guard Mike Martino added six rebounds, four assists and three points while junior guard Deandre Tillett had three points and two assists and freshman guard Nate Dougherty also scored three points.
Eck opened the scoring with a three-pointer, and Hargraves gave the Hounds an 8-2 lead with a lay-up at the 16:19 mark. Ralph hit consecutive baskets as the Blue and Grey pushed the edge into double digits at 20-9 with just over 11 minutes before the intermission before the River Hawks closed within three points at 22-19 four minutes later. A three-pointer from Dougherty and a jumper by Ralph extended the Greyhounds' lead back to nine points at 30-21 before Susquehanna scored within three points, 32-29, at halftime with a late three-point play.
The River Hawks scored first in the second half to make it a one-point contest, and Susquehanna eventually took nine-point lead at 44-35 as the River Hawks finished off a 13-0 run. O'Connor snapped the run with a three-pointer, and Moravian moved back ahead on a lay-up from Hargraves at the 10:36 mark to give the Hounds a 50-48 edge. Barnes finished off an 8-0 run for Moravian as the Greyhounds took a 54-48 lead. However, the River Hawks came back and took a 60-58 lead with 2:09 remaining. Moravian would not allow Susquehanna to score again while Barnes knotted the contest at 60-60 with 1:15 left on the clock. O'Connor broke the tie on a three-pointer with 27 seconds left, and he sealed the victory with a pair of free throws with 13 seconds remaining.
The Greyhounds are scheduled to return to action on Saturday, February 1 when the squad heads to Washington, D.C. for a Landmark Conference game at The Catholic University of America beginning at 2:00 p.m. as the Hounds begin the second half of the conference slate.
