The University of Scranton men's basketball team used sharp shooting and a strong second half to pull away from Susquehanna University in the second half for a 78-63 victory in the Landmark Conference opener for both teams on Saturday afternoon in the Long Center.
Freshman forward Brendan Boken (South Pasadena, Calif./Loyola) led the way with 22 points and nine rebounds as Scranton, ranked 12th in the D3hoops.com Top 25, improved to 5-0 overall and 1-0 in Landmark Conference play. Sophomore guard Ross Danzig (Clarks Green, Pa./Abington Heights/Blair Academy, N.J.) scored 17 points and had nine rebounds, and junior guard Michael Barr (North Wales, Pa./Lansdale Catholic) added 15 points in the victory.
Scranton is 5-0 for the first time since 1997-98, a span of 15 years, and the first time in 12 seasons under head coach Carl Danzig.
The Royals led at halftime, 41-36, after hitting 16 of 33 shots (48.5 percent). Susquehanna, which entered shooting 50 percent from the free throw line, stayed close by making seven of nine from the line.
The Crusaders (1-5, 0-1 Landmark) used a 12-6 run to start the half to take a 48-47 lead with 13:55 to play. But the Royals answered moments later with a 10-1 run, sparked by a three-point play from Barr, to take a 61-52 lead with 8:45 to play.
Susquehanna got no closer than seven the rest of the way as Scranton scored eight of the game's final 10 points over the final three minutes, including an emphatic dunk by Boken, who finished 10-for-15 from the field.
Senior guard Travis Farrell (Middletown, N.J./Christian Brothers Academy) added six points, seven assists and five steals in the victory. Scranton shot 52.8 percent (28-for-53) from the field, including 24-for 36 inside the 3-point arc. The Royals also connected on 18 of 24 free throws (75 percent), including 11 of 12 for Danzig.
The Royals won the rebounding battle, 32-29, and forced 12 turnovers while committing 11.
Freshman forward Spencer Ortmyer (York, Pa./York Central) scored a game-high 23 to go along with seven rebounds for Susquehanna, which shot 43.6 percent (24-for-55) from the field.
Scranton now leads the all-time series between the schools, 55-29, including 10-2 in Landmark Conference play. The teams split the two-game series last season.
Scranton returns to action on Thursday, Dec. 6, when it travels to Newburgh, N.Y. to take on Mt. St. Mary at 7 p.m.
--ROYALS--