Senior guard Danny Cooper brings the ball up the court during the first half versus Elizabethtown College in Johnston Hall. Photo by Mairi West '23
Senior guard Danny Cooper brings the ball up the court during the first half versus Elizabethtown College in Johnston Hall. Photo by Mairi West '23
February 5, 2022

Cooper’s Career High Helps Moravian Hold on for Landmark Conference Win over Elizabethtown

BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian University men’s basketball squad led by as many as 12 points in the first half only to see visiting Elizabethtown College come back to take a lead late in the second half before the Greyhounds rallied to hold on for a 90-85 victory in Landmark Conference action Saturday afternoon in Johnston Hall.

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BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian University men's basketball squad led by as many as 12 points in the first half only to see visiting Elizabethtown College come back to take a lead late in the second half before the Greyhounds rallied to hold on for a 90-85 victory in Landmark Conference action Saturday afternoon in Johnston Hall.

How It Happened

  • The Blue Jays scored the first two points of the game before baskets from sophomore guard Alex Dietz and junior guard Nate Dougherty put the Hounds up 4-2. Senior guard Danny Cooper pushed the Blue and Grey's advantage to six points at 10-6 with back-to-back three-pointers before Elizabethtown closed within a point at 12-11. Moravian answered with consecutive three-pointers from Cooper and sophomore guard C.J. Weber for an 18-11 edge, and the Hounds were up 20-13 after two free throws by freshman forward Nate Santiago at the 13:14 mark
  • The Blue Jays would get back within two points at 24-22 at the 9:44 mark. The Greyhounds then went on a 9-0 run with a fast break lay-up from Dougherty pushing the advantage to 11 points, 33-22, with 8:01 on the clock. Once again, Elizabethtown narrowed the gap to three points, 35-32, after a 10-2 run only to see Moravian embark on an 11-2 run to make the lead 46-34 with 1:17 before the intermission after a three-pointer from freshman guard/forward Michael Leonardo. Dietz hit a free throw with four seconds before halftime to send the Blue and Grey to the locker room with a 49-39 edge
  • Over the first 2:51 of the second half, the Blue Jays got back within three points at 52-49, while Cooper eventually made it a 10-point difference with a jumper at the 11:14 mark to put the Hounds up 67-57. Moravian was leading 71-61 after a tip-in from sophomore forward Mike DiPietro with 9:51 remaining before the Blue Jays went on a 14-2 run to move ahead 75-73 with 6:16 to go
  • Dietz knotted the score at 75-75 with a pair of free throws; however, two baskets from Elizabethtown had the Blue Jays leading 79-75 with 5:02 to play. The Greyhounds retook the lead, 81-79, on back-to-back three-pointers from Cooper before Elizabethtown tied the contest for a fourth time at 81-81. Santiago gave the Hounds the lead for good with a three-pointer at the 2:08 mark, and Cooper sank four free throws in the final 14 seconds to seal the victory

Inside the Numbers

  • Moravian had four players in double figures with Cooper tossing in a career-high 29 points to go with three rebounds and three assists. Cooper was 9-for-13 from the floor, 5-for-8 on three-pointers and 6-for-6 at the foul line in the contest
  • Dietz netted 17 points to go along with six assists and three rebounds while Dougherty and Santiago both scored 10 points with Santiago grabbing seven boards to go with a pair of blocked shots and Dougherty adding two rebounds
  • Freshman guard/forward Antonio Montgomery contributed nine points, a career-high eight rebounds and two assists while DiPietro and Leonardo both had six points with DiPietro adding six rebounds and a pair of assists. Weber finished off the scoring with three points
  • The Greyhounds had a 36-33 edge in rebounds including a 13-10 advantage on the offensive glass
  • The Hounds finished the contest going 10-for-24 on three-pointers while the Blue Jays were just 5-for-18 beyond the three-point line. Moravian also had an edge in made field goals, 31-30, while Elizabethtown made more free throws 20-18
Head Coach Mike Frew '02 discusses their 90-85 Landmark victory over Elizabethtown.

Up Next for the Greyhounds

  • Monday, February 7 vs. New York University, 7:00 p.m.
  • Wednesday, February 9 vs. Susquehanna University, 7:00 p.m.