SELINSGROVE, Pa. – Trailing by one at halftime, The University of Scranton men's basketball team was right where it needed to be in a crucial Landmark Conference game at Susquehanna on Wednesday evening. Unfortunately, turnovers and cold shooting after the break cost the Royals in a 62-51 loss at Houts Gymnasium.

The loss drops the Royals (13-10, 7-6) into a tie for fourth place with Juniata, which beat Goucher, 66-59, on Wednesday. The Eagles hold the tie-breaker over the Royals, which means Scranton needs a win over Catholic and a Juniata loss at Moravian on Saturday, the final day of the regular season, to earn a spot in the Landmark Conference playoffs.

On Wednesday night at Susquehanna, the Royals went into the locker room trailing 30-29 against the River Hawks (20-4, 12-1), whose last loss came in the Long Center, 86-72, way back on Jan. 12. But Scranton could not pull off the feat again after scoring just 22 second-half points.

Senior guard Jackson Danzig (Clarks Green, Pa./Abington Heights) led the Royals with 15 points along with eight rebounds, three assists, three blocks and a steal. Junior guard Stephen Braunstein (Colts Neck, N.J./Christian Brothers Academy) hit four 3-pointers en route to 14 points while adding three assists and a rebound. Freshman forward Will McLoughlin (Glen Rock, N.J./Glen Rock) added eight points, eight rebounds, an assist and a steal.

Scranton shot 41.7 percent (20-for-48) from the field, including 8-for-17 (47.1 percent) from beyond the arc. The Royals went to the charity stripe just six times, making three.

Susquehanna finished the night just 25-for-64 (39.1 percent) from the field, including 4-for-18 (22.2 percent) from 3-point range. The River Hawks were 8-for-10 from the foul line. They committed just nine turnovers while forcing 17 by the Royals, including 10 in the second half.

The Royals will host Catholic on Senior Day this Saturday at 2 p.m. in the John Long Center. Senior Day festivities will take place prior to tip-off.

--ROYALS--