BOX SCORE | PHOTOS

Reading, Pa. (Dec. 15, 2010) - Opportunities were abundant Wednesday evening in non-conference men's basketball action at the Physical Education Center and Kean University's (6-3) Michael Burton made good on the last one hitting a pull-up jumper with 4.8 seconds left in overtime for an 80-79 win over Alvernia University (5-2).

The Crusaders did get one final look, but senior Charles Swiggett (Chester, Pa./Chester) hit the front of the rim from better than 25 feet at the final horn.  Swiggett led all scorers with a career-high 38.  Kean got 21 points and 10 boards from Jonathan Jones.

Both teams shot better than 50 percent from the floor over the first 20 minutes and Kean took the four-point lead at the break, 40-36 on the strength of a 12-14 effort from the free throw line.  Alvernia was 8-for-12 from the stripe in the first half and the game featured 55 whistles.  Seven players finished the game with four fouls -- five of them on the Alvernia roster.

Kean had a 10-point lead early in the second half, but Alvernia erased that and took a 67-65 lead on a Swiggett 3 with 4:52 to play in regulation.  The lead was three for the Crusaders with under two minutes to play, but Jones hit a killer 3 -- the second in five attempts for the 6-5 forward -- that tied the game with 90 seconds left.

Alvernia missed two layups and a dunk with a chance to extend its lead and Burton scored on a short jumper to send the game to overtime.

Opportunities continued to pile up in overtime.  The extra frame started with a combined six straight misses and nearly four minutes in both teams had managed just two points each.

Swiggett swung the lead back to Alvernia with a pair of free throws then hit 1-of-2 to push the lead to three points under a minute.  Jones assisted on a layup with 34 seconds left to cut the gap to one, but the Cougars were forced to foul.  They sent Seth Cornell (Millersville, Pa./Penn Manor) to the line with 17 seconds left, but the senior guard came up empty on both chances and Burton's pull-up won it for the Cougars.

Alvernia returns to action Friday hosting New Jersey City University.

Kean 80, @ Alvernia 79 (OT)