Box Score SELINSGROVE, Pa. – Susquehanna University sank 23 of 27 free throws and the Eastern Connecticut State University men's basketball team shot just 36.2 percent from the floor as the River Hawks advanced in the NCAA Division III Tournament with a 72-67 second-round victory Saturday night at O.W. Houts Gymnasium.
A winner of six straight entering the game – including a first-round victory over MIT Friday night -- Eastern (21-9) never led after the opening minutes but tied the game four minutes into the second half before Susquehanna (23-5) went on a 12-4 run that gave it a ten-point, 56-46 lead with seven minutes left.
Down by ten with five minutes left, Eastern made it a one possession game twice inside the final 36 seconds, but Susquehanna converted five of six free throws the rest of the way to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time.
Eastern senior forward Hugh Lindo (Enfield) ended his career with his 21st double-double of the season with 20 points (9-of-12 from the floor) and 13 rebounds – all but four of the points and four of the rebounds coming in the second half. Lindo played the final 13 minutes with four personal fouls.
Junior guard Tarchee Brown (Rockville) finished with 14 points – five coming in the opening minute – and six rebounds and freshman point guard Carlos Gonzalez (Springfield, MA) added 12 points and five assists.
After scoring Eastern's first five points with two field goals, Brown struggled from the floor before regaining his touch in the final five minutes. His three-point field goal with 4:38 left cut a ten-point deficit to seven. He followed with another from long range that made it 66-62 with 50 seconds left and his two free throws with 36 seconds remaining made it a one possession game, 67-64. Five River Hawks' free throws over the final 36.5 seconds offset a desperation three-pointer by Gonzalez with ten seconds left. Weidlich, his team's leading scorer and second-best free-throw shooter, swished two free throws with 8.4 seconds that sealed the Susquehanna win.
Although Eastern rallied to tie the game in the second half, the River Hawks seized the momentum midway through the first half by scoring seven points in a row to assume an eight-point, 27-19 lead with six minutes left before the break. After junior guard Kendall Marquez (Willimantic) came off the bench to drill consecutive three-pointers, Eastern went cold for over three minutes.
While Weidlich was on the bench with two personal fouls, Susquehanna responded with its seven-point spurt on five consecutive points from Traub on two inside hoops and free throw and a driving layup from junior guard Adam Dizbon.
Lindo converted in the paint after an Eastern timeout and Gonzalez connected on a three-pointer to help Eastern back to within five – the margin which the hosts carried into halftime.
Three Eastern starters managed only 11-of-44 from the floor and the Warriors also missed six of 15 free throws in the game.
Susquehanna got 25 points and seven rebounds from senior guard Steven Weidlich, 18 points and 14 rebounds from junior center Ryan Traub and nine points and eight assists from sophomore guard Tyler Hoagland. Weidlich and Traub were 13-of-14 from the foul line.
Susquehanna closed out its home season with a 12-2 record. The Warriors lost their last four contests on their opponent's home court, where they were 5-5 on the season.
