BOX SCORE

Reading, Pa. (Feb. 12, 2011) – Alvernia University (13-10, 6-6) scored 13 of the game's final 18 points, five of those from leading scorer Angela Altemose (Pottsville, Pa./Nativity BVM) who finished with a game-high 22 points, and held off Lycoming College (9-14, 4-8) Saturday evening in Commonwealth Conference women's basketball action at the Physical Education Center.

"A monster game from our inside players tonight," said Alvernia head coach Kevin Calabria. "They've been carrying us all year and tonight was just another example."

Leading by just a point with 5:33 to play after trailing for much of the game, Alvernia got a 3 and a layup from freshman Alisa Greco (Long Valley, N.J./West Morris Central) to push the lead to six points.

"That was the key point of the game for us tonight," said Calabria of Grecco's five-point run. "She's been kind of absent for the last few games. She really practiced well last night and I said to our coaching staff, she's really going to help us [tonight]."

Altemose scored on a jumper assisted by fellow post player Allie Toczylowski (Mantua, N.J./Clearview Regional) then the two traded roles as the Crusaders' lead hit double figures, 74-64 with 1:41 to play.

Toczylowski finished with 16 points and both she and Altemose were a rebound shy of a double-double. Freshmen Brittany Young (Columbus, N.J./North Burlington) and Melissa Giannatti (Wyomissing, Pa./Wyomissing) reached double figures with 10 points each.

Lycoming controlled the first half behind Kaitlyn Ober, who hit 9-of-12 shots from the floor and posted 19 points over the first 20 minutes. The Warriors took a seven-point lead after a free throw from Ober, and following a trade of buckets Altemose hit a 3 to cut the gap to four.

The Crusaders cut the deficit to two points four times but each time the Warriors responded until a missed 3 opened the door for Giannotti who scored on a layup to tie the score at 21-all.

Giannotti scored her third bucket of the half at 3:35 to give the Crusaders their first lead of the night, 31-30, but Lycoming scored five of the last seven points for a 35-33 lead at the break.

"Give credit to their coaching staff for getting their players ready to play tonight," said Calabri, who's team trailed at the half for just the second time in the last 13 games. "They played hard. We really had to work hard for this one tonight."

Alvernia opened the second half forcing four ties. Altemose and Young combined to score the Crusaders' first 11 points.

The Warriors scored seven straight points for a 50-44 lead with 12:46 to play, but Alvernia got a 3 from freshman Kerri Weber (Sicklerville, N.J./Paul VI) to spark a 12-3 run that included five straight from Altemose.

A pair of free throws from Giannotti pushed the Crusaders' lead to five points, 62-57 before a four-point streak from the Warriors set the stage for the final run.

"I said to these guys in the locker room every game in this league is a war," said Calabria. "That's what makes it so much fun to win. But it's not easy to win in this league. Here's a team that's in sixth place who comes in and gives us everything they have. It's a testament to them and it's a testament to the league."

The win for the Crusaders leaves them a game in front of Elizabethtown College, who suffered a 22-point loss at home against Widener, for the fourth and final playoff spot with two games to play. Alvernia plays an important game with Albright College (7-15, 3-9) on Tuesday at home before finished the season at Lebanon Valley (21-2, 11-1) next Saturday.

Alvernia 75, Lycoming 66