December 29, 2024
Greyhounds Race Past FDU-Florham in 44th Steel Club Classic
BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian University men’s basketball squad raced past visiting FDU-Florham, 99-63, in the opening round of the 44th Steel Club Classic in Johnston Hall Sunday evening.
BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian University men's basketball squad raced past visiting FDU-Florham, 99-63, in the opening round of the 44th Steel Club Classic in Johnston Hall Sunday evening.
How It Happened
- The Greyhounds scored first on a three-pointer from senior guard/forward Michael Leonardo to start a back-and-forth first nine-plus minutes of action. The span saw five ties and six lead changes before Moravian took the lead for good at 21-18 on another three-pointer from Leonardo at the 10:24 mark
- Junior guard Chad Kratzer hit two free throws, and a lay-up from freshman forward Jametric Harris had the Blue & Grey up 28-21, and Leonardo drained another three-pointer to make it 31-21 with 7:38 until the intermission. The Hounds saw their lead go to 14 points, 46-32, on a Kratzer three-pointer, and Moravian headed to the locker room with a 48-35 edge
- The Greyhounds quickly pushed the advantage past 20 points when junior guard Porter Kelly completed a three-point play for a 60-38 lead just over three minutes into the half. Moravian's lead peaked at 39 points late in the half
- Moravian is now 55-31 all-time in the Steel Club Classic and will be playing for its 18th tournament title
Inside the Numbers
- Moravian had three players in double figures led by Kratzer, who tossed in a career high 27 points to go with four assists and a pair of rebounds while shooting 7-for-14 on three-pointers
- Leonardo and Kelly each had 14 points with Kelly adding five rebounds, three assists and two steals and Leonardo contributing three rebounds and a pair of assists
- Harris tossed in nine points to go with six rebounds and three steals while freshman forward Brave Haugh netted eight points to go with four boards and a pair of blocked shots
- Sophomore guard Taylor Perlmutter recorded seven points and four assists while sophomore guard George Cutler added six points and three assists
- Sophomore guard/forward Riley Flood posted four points and two boards while graduate student guard Alex Dietz and junior forward Liam Cummiskey each had three points
- Junior guard Colin Farrell registered four rebounds and two points while sophomore forward Brian Farrell had two points
- The Hounds shot 36-for-77 from the field, 20-for-52 beyond the three-point line and 7-for-12 at the foul line
- Moravian forced FDU-Florham into 21 turnovers while committing just 11 miscues
Up Next for the Greyhounds
- Monday, December 30 vs. Dickinson College in Steel Club Classic Championship Game, 5:30 p.m.
- Saturday, January 4 at Messiah College, 2:00 p.m.
