By Todd Stanford
For The Daily Item
SELINSGROVE -- If Susquehanna is going to make a run at a Landmark Conference playoff spot, it needs to get more production inside. On Wednesday night against Goucher, the Crusaders showed their fans just what that kind of production looks like.
Junior center Harley Sellinger scored a game-high 14 points and forwards Tre Dean and Tony Seldon combined for 18 rebounds and 15 points as Susquehanna earned a 60-46 victory at O.W. Houts Gym.
"We made (Goucher) play to some of their weaknesses," Crusaders coach Frank Marcinek said. "We need more of that (inside-outside balance). That has to continue to improve."
Susquehanna (8-12, 4-5 Landmark) also got production from its guards, as freshman Luke Cable scored 12 points and Brandon Hedley added 11. All of Cable's points came on 3-pointers.
"We knew how they were going to guard that screen," Marcinek said. "(Cable) did a good job reading it and got good looks."
Goucher (5-14, 3-6), which earned an overtime win in the teams' first meeting, got 14 points from Brian Morton II and 11 from Richard Harris.
But the Gophers were playing catch-up most of the night. Susquehanna trailed by one early, but then regained the lead and never relinquished it. The 6-foot-6 Sellinger had eight points 15 minutes in. His layup with 5:10 left before halftime gave the Crusaders a 25-7 lead.
"We knew they had nobody my size," Sellinger said. "I was told by all my coaches to not be afraid to take it strong to the rim."
Sellinger is starting to jell just when it matters most. The Central Mountain graduate spent the fall semester in Spain, and didn't rejoin the basketball team until after Christmas.
"He's making strides," Marcinek said. "He's starting to get into his own. ... Hopefully he's fresh down the stretch."
"It was tough at first," Sellinger added, "but I'm definitely back."
With Wednesday's victory, Susquehanna is currently tied with Moravian for the final Landmark Conference playoff spot.
"We needed this," Marcinek said. "We need a bunch of these yet."
Goucher, which trailed by as many as 21 in the first half, got the deficit down to 13 at halftime (34-21) and then was within five in the second half.
But the Crusaders had an answer. With 5:09 to go, Dean made a big three-point play to push the lead back up to 10.
