NEWPORT NEWS, VA - The Susquehanna Men's Basketball historic season came to an end on Saturday night as the River Hawks fell to the #4 Christopher Newport Captains 81-67. Susquehanna could not recover from a 15-point halftime deficit, as they never got closer than 11 in the second half.

Senior Lukas Yurasits also scored his 1000th point in the game, eclipsing the mark at the 16:12 mark as his layup was counted after a CNU goal tend. Yurasits finished his career with 1006 points over his three-year career. Dominic Dunn was the leading scorer for SU, as the redshirt-junior had 22 points for the River Hawks, knocking down four three-pointers. 

Susquehanna took an early lead over the Captains as a three from Quincy Haughton and a jumper from Yurasits put SU up 9-2 early in the game's action. However, the Christopher Newport team was quickly awakened as they outscored the River Hawks over the next 13 minutes 30-7, taking a 32-16 lead. That big run allowed CNU to never look back, as Susquehanna was never able to bring the game back within single digits.

Despite a large halftime advantage for the Captains, the River Hawks did not roll over, as their offense had a stellar second half, shooting 52.9% from the floor. CNU led by as much as 23 mid way through the period, but Susquehanna got their offense going as Dunn scored 10 straight points for SU to pull the game back to a 15 point lead. The River Hawks would continue to battle, bringing the Captains lead to 11 twice and as late as 2:56 left in regulation. The Captains, however, had an answer for almost every SU response, pulling away at the end of regulation. 

Danny Frauenehim had a solid game for SU in his final appearance as a River Hawk, dropping 12 points and four assists. Howie Rankine, Jr. had 10 points off the bench, as he connected on two three pointers for SU. Haughton also contributed 7 points to the River Hawk squad.

Ultimately, the Captains just shot the ball too well for Susquehanna to overcome, as they connected on 55% of their shots on the evening. They also dominated in the paint, with a 42-28 advantage, and took advantage on the fast break, finishing with a 12-0 advantage. Jason Aigner hit seven threes for CNU and Darian Petersen had 18 points and 13 rebounds for the Captains.

Susquehanna finished their year 24-5, ending their 14-game win streak with Saturday's loss. Their 24 wins are tied for the most in school history and the team captured their second conference title in three years, and their second consecutive title in years that they had played after sitting out the 2020-21 season. 

The River Hawks will also graduate eight seniors with Dunn, Frauenheim, Yurasits, Jack Van Syckle, Jay Martin, Ryan Collins, and Stuart McAvoy all having played their last game in the maroon and orange on Saturday.
 

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