BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian University men's basketball team dropped a hard-fought 69-66 decision to visiting The University of Scranton in Landmark Conference action in Johnston Hall Wednesday evening in a contest that both teams held the lead for substantial time and came down to the final seconds of regulation.

How It Happened

• The Greyhounds scored on their opening possession as sophomore forward Mike DiPietro connected on a lay-up. The Royals scored the next five points and would push the lead out to eight points at 13-5 with just over 13 minutes remaining in the first half. The Hounds closed within three points at 15-12 on a jumper from senior guard Danny Cooper 
• After Scranton pushed the edge back to six points, the Hounds eventually evened the contest at 27-27 on a jumper from Cooper, who would also make two free throws for the final points of the half as the teams headed to the locker room tied at 29-29
• Moravian retook the lead for the first time since the opening minute of action while freshman forward Nate Santiago hit a lay-up on the Blue and Grey's first possession of the second half. The Royals briefly tied the game at 34-34 while sophomore guard Alex Dietz gave the Greyhounds a 38-34 edge with a tip-in basket at the 16:49 mark. Scranton answered again and had a 39-38 lead at the 14:24 mark
• The Hounds then went on a 6-0 run with a lay-up from junior guard Nate Dougherty putting the Blue and Grey ahead 44-39 two minutes later. Dougherty drained a three-pointer 45 seconds later that gave Moravian its largest edge of the night at 47-41; however, the Royals scored six straight to knot the contest for the sixth time. Scranton eventually moved back in front, 54=53, with 6:17 to go while the Greyhounds had their final lead of the night at 57-56 on a Cooper jumper with 4:20 remaining
• The Royals pushed the edge back to five points with 1:11 to go before two free throws from Dougherty and a lay-up by Dietz made it a one-point contest at 64-63 with 36 seconds left. Scranton would connect on a three-pointer while Dougherty answered to make it 67-66 Scranton with 2.7 seconds left; however, the Royals made two free throws to end the game 

Inside the Numbers

• Moravian had two players in double figures with Cooper netting a team-high 19 points to go with two rebounds and a pair of assists while Dougherty tossed in 17 points and grabbed five rebounds
• Freshman guard/forward Antonio Montgomery contributed nine points, two assists and a pair of steals while Dietz had eight points, a career-high eight rebounds, two assists and two steals
• Santiago added six points and four boards while DiPietro had five points and two boards and freshman guard/forward Michael Leonardo contributed two points
• The Greyhounds forced the Royals into 18 turnovers while committing just 11 miscues in the contest
• The difference in the contest came at the foul line where Scranton shot 21-for-30 while the Blue and Grey were 12-for-14. Moravian had a 25-22 edge in field goals and both teams made four three-pointers. Both squads also shot 50 percent from the floor in the final 20 minutes of action

Up Next for the Greyhounds

• Saturday, February 5 vs. Elizabethtown College, 2:00 p.m.
• Monday, February 7 vs. New York University, 7:00 p.m.