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Hounds Top Elizabethtown for First Landmark Conference Win of the Season

Junior guard Alex Dietz shoots a three-pointer during the first half of the championship game at the 42nd Steel Club Classic versus York College of Pennsylvania in Johnston Hall. Photo by Mairi West '23
Junior guard Alex Dietz shoots a three-pointer during the first half of the championship game at the 42nd Steel Club Classic versus York College of Pennsylvania in Johnston Hall. Photo by Mairi West '23

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- The Moravian University men's basketball squad earned its first Landmark Conference win of the season, heading on the road for a 64-51 victory at Elizabethtown College Saturday.

How It Happened

  • The Hounds opened the scoring on a lay-up from sophomore forward Nate Santiago on the first shot of the contest. The Blue & Grey kept moving ahead by two points, but the Blue Jays knotted the score each time until junior forward Mike DiPietro drained a three-pointer at the 13:16 mark for a 13-8 edge. Junior guard Alex Dietz added a three-pointer for a 16-8 edge, and the Blue and Grey had an 18-12 lead with 9:53 to go in the opening half
  • Another three-pointer from Dietz started an 11-0 run that saw Moravian stretch the advantage to 29-12 after a free throw by junior guard C.J. Weber with 6:23 until the intermission. Graduate student guard Danny Cooper drained a three-pointer to finish the first half and send the Greyhounds to the locker room with a 35-18 lead
  • Freshman forward Marquis Ratcliff hit the first basket of the second half as the Hounds' edge hit 19 points at 37-18 while Santiago sank a free throw at the 15:19 mark for a 22-point advantage at 42-20. Ratcliff made it 50-31 at the midpoint of the second half with a three-pointer
  • The Blue and Grey had a 59-42 lead with 4:27 remaining after Ratcliff drained another three-pointer. After Elizabethtown netted five points to get within 12, Ratcliff sank a free throw with 1:30 to go so seal the victory 

Inside the Numbers

  • Moravian had three players in double figures with Ratcliff netting a career high 27 points to go with 13 rebounds as he recorded his third double-double of the year. Ratcliff also had a career best five blocked shots and missed just one shot from the field
  • Cooper tossed in 12 points to go along with three rebounds and three assists while Dietz finished with 111 points
  • DiPietro, Santiago and senior guard Nate Dougherty each scored third points with DiPietro contributing six rebounds and a pair of assists, Santiago grabbing six boards and Dougherty adding two boards
  • Sophomore guard/forward Michael Leonardo recorded four rebounds and two points while freshman forward Uma Kalu had three boards and two points and Weber finished with a point and two boards. Freshman guard Porter Kelly posted three rebounds and three steals
  • The Greyhounds shot 23-for-58 from the field, 7-for-27 on three-pointers and 11-for-18 at the foul line. The Blue and Grey also forced the Blue Jays into 14 turnovers while making just 12 miscues

Up Next for the Greyhounds

  • Tuesday, January 10 vs. Drew University, 1:00 p.m.
  • Friday, January 13 vs. Juniata College, 4:00 p.m.