Box Score
ANNVILLE, Pa. – On the final day of the regular season, Susquehanna University erased a seven-point deficit in the final 2:37 of regulation and the Crusaders rallied to defeat Lebanon Valley 74-69 in overtime in Commonwealth Conference men’s basketball action Saturday afternoon on Senior Day and Hot Dog Frank Day.
With its win, Susquehanna (16-9, 8-6 CC) clinched a playoff berth in the upcoming Commonwealth Conference playoffs and eliminated Lebanon Valley (14-11, 6-8 CC) from Commonwealth playoff contention.
Trailing 59-56, junior forward Brad Okonak drained a 3-pointer from the top of the arc with two seconds left to send the game to overtime. It was one of five 3-pointers for Okonak, who tied a game-high with 15 points in 25 minutes off the bench. He also rallied the Crusaders midway through the second half with three straight 3-pointers during a key Susquehanna run.
Senior guard Jimmy Curran paced Lebanon Valley with 15 points.
The Dutchmen trailed only once in regulation – when the Crusaders led 2-0. Lebanon Valley enjoyed a 15-point lead in the first half, and it was 54-47 with 2:37 remaining following a lay-up from freshman forward James Shinn. However, Susquehanna used clutch free-throw shooting to stay within striking distance. The Crusaders went 11-for-12 at the foul line over the final 4:26, and a pair of foul shots from junior forward Kevin Cuff made it 56-54 with 55 seconds left.
Lebanon Valley seemed to be headed for victory after sophomore guard Dustin Kerns drained a 3-pointer from the right elbow with 24 seconds to go, making it 59-54. However, freshman guard Bryan Majors made two free throws with 16 ticks showing, and Curran missed the front end of a 1-and-1 one second later. Sophomore forward Matt McDevitt came down with the rebound, setting up Okonak’s big shot.
The Crusaders never trailed in OT after Cuff nailed a jumper 22 seconds into the five-minute period. Cuff was fouled following an offensive rebound with 3:46 left, and he connected on both of the ensuing free throws to put Susquehanna up 63-59. The Dutchmen were unable to cut the deficit under two the rest of the way.
Junior forward Peter Ruth made it 63-61 following a lay-up with 2:39 to go, but a 7-2 Crusader spurt put Susquehanna on top 70-63 with 27 seconds left after a Majors free throw. Shinn then dropped in a lay-up with 18 seconds left and was fouled on the shot, but he missed the ensuing free throw. However, senior guard Hunter Bretschneider pulled down the offensive rebound, then found sophomore guard Kyle Enoch for a deep 3-pointer from right wing to bring LVC to within two (70-68) with 12 seconds to go.
Susquehanna also came up big at the foul line in the closing seconds of overtime. McDevitt knocked down a pair of free throws with 11 seconds remaining, making it 72-68, and after Enoch hit 1-of-2 foul shots with three seconds to go, Patch put the game away with two more free throws one second later.
Okonak was one of five Susquehanna players to reach double figures in scoring. Cuff finished with 15 points while Patch posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. McDevitt notched 11 points and eight rebounds while Majors tallied 11 points, seven rebounds, and four steals.
Ruth tied career-highs for points (14) and rebounds (10) for LVC while recording his second double-double of the season. Enoch finished with 11 points, six rebounds, and five assists while sophomore guard Dan Hodge contributed 10 points in 13 minutes off the bench.
Leading 6-4, the Dutchmen scored nine straight points to open up their first double-digit lead (15-4) after a Curran trey with 10:51 to go in the opening stanza. A 10-1 LVC run midway through the half gave the Valley its biggest lead of the night, as four different players scored during the stretch to make it 28-13 with 4:52 remaining in the period. Patch scored the final six points of an 8-0 Susquehanna run to draw the Crusaders to within seven, but Enoch drilled a 3-pointer with four seconds left to give the Dutchmen a 31-21 halftime lead.
A Ruth bucket 25 seconds into the second half to push LVC’s lead to 12, but an 8-1 Crusader run made it 34-29 with 18:14 on the clock. The Dutchmen increased their advantage to as much eight on three occasions, the last coming on a lay-up from Hodge with 10:22 to go that made it 42-34. But that’s when Okonak started to heat up, making three consecutive 3’s that closed the gap to 44-43 with 7:29 on the clock.
McDevitt made it a 46-45 game after a pair of foul shots, but Curran nailed back-to-back 3-pointers to give Lebanon Valley a seven-point advantage (52-45) with 3:21 left.
Lebanon Valley held Susquehanna to 32.3% shooting, but the Crusaders outscored the Dutchmen 25-8 at the foul line. Susquehanna went 25-for-31 at the charity stripe, where the Dutchmen were 8-for-17.
Lebanon Valley will now hope for a possible ECAC playoff berth. Pairings will be announced on Monday, Feb. 26.
[Photo - Junior forward Peter Ruth, who had 14 points and 10 rebounds in Lebanon Valley's 74-69 overtime loss to Susquehanna on Saturday]
-lvc-
