Jan 08, 2011
BOX SCORE | PHOTOS
Reading, Pa. (Jan. 8, 2011) - Alvernia University (8-3, 3-0) squandered a 16-point second half lead, but finished on a 13-9 run for a 74-70 win over Elizabethtown College (9-2, 2-1) Saturday afternoon in a Commonwealth Conference men's basketball game at the Physical Education Center.
After facing a 59-43 deficit, Etown's Joe Flanagan scored on a layup with 5:10 left to tie the score at 61-all. Alvernia senior Charlie Swiggett (Chester, Pa./Chester), who scored a game-high 26 points, answered with a layup then junior Brian Nerney (Middletown, N.J./Red Bank Catholic) scored back-to-back layups assisted by Seth Cornell (Millersville, Pa./Penn Manor) then Tad Gillis (Upper Darby, Pa./Upper Darby) to push the lead to four and this time the Crusaders made their free throws down the stretch.
Gillis returned to action for the first time since November and handed out seven assists and grabbed four steals. His presence made the team more efficient. Cory Boone (Hanover, Pa./Bald Eagle Area) went 8-for-10 from the floor and scored 17 points, and Nerney scored 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting.
Alvernia stormed out of the gates to a 14-3 lead and held a 14-point lead three different times in the first half the final time with 3:33 left in the half. Etown chipped into that lead with six straight free throws and a layup from Brian Allport cut the gap to six points, 35-29 with 1:07 left in the half.
Both teams failed to convert on their next possessions and Alvernia junior Stefan Thompson (Philadelphia, Pa./GAMP) hit a 3 at the buzzer to give the Crusaders a 38-29 lead at the break.
Alvernia slowly build the lead back up taking a 48-35 lead on a Nerney dunk with 15:33 to go and pushed it to 16 points, 59-43 on a pair of free throws from Chris Davis (Norristown, Pa./Norristown) with 11:07 to go.
Boone had a dunk two minutes later to momentarily stop an Etown run, but the Blue Jays answered that with 12 straight points for the 61-all tie.
Alvernia continues the conference Wednesday at Arcadia University.
Alvernia 74, Elizabethtown 70
Reading, Pa. (Jan. 8, 2011) - Alvernia University (8-3, 3-0) squandered a 16-point second half lead, but finished on a 13-9 run for a 74-70 win over Elizabethtown College (9-2, 2-1) Saturday afternoon in a Commonwealth Conference men's basketball game at the Physical Education Center.
After facing a 59-43 deficit, Etown's Joe Flanagan scored on a layup with 5:10 left to tie the score at 61-all. Alvernia senior Charlie Swiggett (Chester, Pa./Chester), who scored a game-high 26 points, answered with a layup then junior Brian Nerney (Middletown, N.J./Red Bank Catholic) scored back-to-back layups assisted by Seth Cornell (Millersville, Pa./Penn Manor) then Tad Gillis (Upper Darby, Pa./Upper Darby) to push the lead to four and this time the Crusaders made their free throws down the stretch.
Gillis returned to action for the first time since November and handed out seven assists and grabbed four steals. His presence made the team more efficient. Cory Boone (Hanover, Pa./Bald Eagle Area) went 8-for-10 from the floor and scored 17 points, and Nerney scored 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting.
Alvernia stormed out of the gates to a 14-3 lead and held a 14-point lead three different times in the first half the final time with 3:33 left in the half. Etown chipped into that lead with six straight free throws and a layup from Brian Allport cut the gap to six points, 35-29 with 1:07 left in the half.
Both teams failed to convert on their next possessions and Alvernia junior Stefan Thompson (Philadelphia, Pa./GAMP) hit a 3 at the buzzer to give the Crusaders a 38-29 lead at the break.
Alvernia slowly build the lead back up taking a 48-35 lead on a Nerney dunk with 15:33 to go and pushed it to 16 points, 59-43 on a pair of free throws from Chris Davis (Norristown, Pa./Norristown) with 11:07 to go.
Boone had a dunk two minutes later to momentarily stop an Etown run, but the Blue Jays answered that with 12 straight points for the 61-all tie.
Alvernia continues the conference Wednesday at Arcadia University.
Alvernia 74, Elizabethtown 70