SELINSGROVE, PA – The Susquehanna University men’s basketball team will host defending champion Elizabethtown on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in O.W. Houts Gymnasium in the Commonwealth Conference title game. The winner of the game will receive an automatic bid to next week’s NCAA Division III tournament.

The Crusaders (18-7 overall) have won 13 of their last 14 games, including a 73-61 win over Lebanon Valley in semifinal action on Wednesday night, while the Blue Jays (17-8 overall) advanced to their third straight conference title game with a 71-62 victory over Moravian.

The teams met in last year’s Commonwealth semifinals, as host Elizabethtown held off the Crusaders 80-77 to advance to the championship game, where the Blue Jays downed Widener 85-73 to earn a berth in the NCAA playoffs for the first time since 1992-93. Elizabethtown eventually advanced to the national championship game where the Blue Jays lost 102-83 to Otterbein.

Meanwhile, Susquehanna will be looking for its fourth conference title and first since 1991-92, but will need to snap a nine-game losing streak to the Blue Jays that dates to January 30, 1999 when the Crusaders picked up a 105-73 victory at Houts Gymnasium. A victory would send Susquehanna to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1993-94 and the sixth time in program history.

Elizabethtown dominated both meetings this season, handing the Crusaders their lone home loss of the season on December 7 by a 105-70 score and picking up a 90-78 win in Elizabethtown on February 1.

Admission to Wednesday’s game is $5.00 for adults, $4.00 for seniors and $2.00 for students. Children age 6 and under are admitted free of charge. The game can be heard live on WQSU-FM (88.9) in Selinsgrove beginning with the pregame show at 7:15 p.m.

SUSQUEHANNA PREVIEW

The Crusaders defeated Lebanon Valley 73-61 on Wednesday night as sophomore forward Bubba Mills scored a team-high 17 points while senior forward Tim Hurd added 15 points and five rebounds. Susquehanna rallied from a 32-29 halftime deficit to take control in the final six minutes for the team’s seventh straight win overall and seventh consecutive home victory.

Junior guard Chris Zimmerman (Coal Township, PA/Shamokin Area H.S.) contributed 14 points against Lebanon Valley and leads the team in scoring with an average of 13.2 points per game, while junior guard Nick Griffiths (Shamokin, PA/Shamokin Area H.S.) has added 12.9 points per game and leads the team with 67 three-pointers.

Two other Crusaders average in double figures, as Hurd (Montvale, NJ/Pascack Hills H.S.) is averaging 11.9 points per game and junior guard Dan Rathmell (Windsor, NY/Windsor H.S.) is scoring 10.9 points per contest off the Susquehanna bench.

Mills (Reading, PA/Reading Central Catholic H.S.) is fifth on the team in scoring at 8.4 points per game while shooting 55.6 percent from the field, while 6-9 freshman center Walter Fowler (Dingmans Ferry, PA/Delaware Valley H.S.) has chipped in with 8.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game off the bench.

ELIZABETHTOWN PREVIEW

Brian Loftus scored 15 points while Jon English added 14 points and seven rebounds as the Blue Jays defeated Moravian 71-62 on Wednesday night at Thompson Gymnasium. Elizabethtown shot 50 percent from the field and hit 20-of-27 foul shots in the victory.

English leads the Blue Jays in scoring and rebounding at 15.6 points and 6.3 boards per game and is shooting 56.6 percent from the field, while senior Chad Heller is averaging 12.4 points and 4.4 boards per contest. Loftus is the third Blue Jay in double figures at 12.0 points per game and leads the team in three-pointers with 41 and assists with 93.