Posted: Feb 08, 2025
BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian University men's basketball squad had six players score in double figures as the Greyhounds set a program record for points in a game in Johnston Hall with a 115-82 victory over visiting Elizabethtown College in Landmark Conference action Saturday afternoon.
How It Happened
- The Hounds netted the first five points of the contest with a lay-up by junior guard Chad Kratzer and a three-pointer from senior guard/forward Michael Leonardo. After the Blue Jays connected on a basket, Leonardo drained two more three-pointers to make it 11-2 just two and a half minutes into the contest. Elizabethtown slowly closed the gap and got within two points at 13-11 five and a half minutes into action. The Blue Jays made it a one-point game at 16-15 before Moravian ran off six straight points for a 22-15 edge on a lay-up from sophomore guard Taylor Perlmutter just over midway through the opening half
- Elizabethtown got back within two points at 22-20 before the Blue & Grey countered with a 13-3 run to take a 35-23 lead on a three-pointer by junior forward Liam Cummiskey with 4:43 left in the first half. The Blue Jays closed the gap to six points; however, the Hounds' defense didn't allow Elizabethtown to score over the final two and a half minutes while the Moravian offense ran off 11 straight points to head to the intermission with a 48-31 advantage as junior forward Marquis Ratcliff beat the buzzer with a putback lay-up
- Ratcliff had the first two baskets of the second half to push the Greyhounds' edge over 20 points. The Hounds eventually led by 44 points, 94-50 with 8:33 still to play as sophomore guard George Cutler sank a lay-up after a steal
- The Hounds have eclipsed 100 points in five games this season, tying the program record of five times set during the 1959-60 season
- Saturday marked the second time this winter that Moravian had set the program scoring record in Johnston Hall after netting 110 points against Penn State-Abington back on November 15. The overall program scoring record is 117 points in a contest at Drew University during the 1968-69 campaign
- Prior to the contest, the Blue & Grey hosted their annual Alumni game in Johnston Hall
Inside the Numbers
- Ratcliff paced the scoring attack with 27 points to go along with 14 rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots as he moved into 13th in program history with 1,285 points and 11th all-time with 607 rebounds. The double-double was Ratcliff's fourth of the season and the 25th of his career
- Junior guard Porter Kelly tossed in 15 points to go with four boards and three assists while Leonardo and Kratzer both finished with 14 points with Leonardo contributing eight rebounds, four assists and two steals and Kratzer adding four rebounds and four assists
- Graduate student guard Alex Dietz posted 12 points, four boards and four assists while Cutler had a career-high ten points with two assists and two steals
- Cummiskey registered six points, five rebounds and two assists while Perlmutter and sophomore guard Elijah Blackwell both had five points, which was a career-high for Blackwell, and Perlmutter grabbed two rebounds
- Freshman guard John Pirone connected on a three-pointer while sophomore guard/forward Riley Flood had three rebounds and two points and freshman guard John Kelly scored two points
- Sophomore forward Brian Farrell pulled down four rebounds while sophomore guard Cale Maxey had three rebounds and freshman forward Brave Haugh added two boards and two blocked shots
- The Hounds were 40-for-82 from the field, 18-for-50 beyond the three-point line and 17-for-22 at the charity stripe
- The Blue & Grey held a 60-39 advantage on the boards including 19-14 on the offensive glass
Up Next for the Greyhounds
- Wednesday, February 12 at The University of Scranton, 7:00 p.m.
- Saturday, February 15 at Lycoming College, 4:00 p.m.