A close contest turned into a rout thanks to a big spurt in the middle of the game as The University of Scranton men's basketball team rolled to its seventh straight victory, 65-52, over Drew University at the John Long Center on Friday night.
Senior forward Luke Hawk (Audubon, Pa./Methacton) scored a team-high 16 points off the bench and the Royals (11-4, 4-0 Landmark Conference) went on a 19-4 run from late in the first half through early in the second to turn a five-point deficit into a 10-point lead.
It was defense that sparked the big run as Scranton held Drew to 0-for-10 from the field while forcing five turnovers during a stretch of 11:29 spanning the two halves that saw Scranton turn a 22-17 deficit into a 36-26 advantage.
Hawk also had seven rebounds and five assists, and junior guard Travis Farrell (Middletown, N.J./Christian Brothers Academy) added 11 points and five rebounds for the Royals. Sophomore guard Tommy Morgan (Greenlawn, N.Y./Chaminade) had nine points and senior forward Matt Swaback (Kingston, Pa./Wyoming Seminary) added eight as Scranton remained tied for first in the Landmark Conference.
The Royals shot 46.4 percent (26-for-56) from the field while holding a 41-32 advantage on the boards.
Senior guard Asmer Capers (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) led all scored with 25 points for Drew, which dropped to 2-13 overall and 0-4 in the Landmark Conference.
Scranton is back in action Saturday when they host Merchant Marine Academy at 2 p.m. in the Long Center.
--ROYALS--