Dec 28, 2011
BOX SCORE
Daytona Beach, Fla. (Dec. 28, 2011) – Senior guard Stefan Thompson (Philadelphia, Pa./G.A.M.P.) has 76 career 3s at Alvernia University. Few, if any, will be as memorably as No. 76.
Thompson hit the 3 at the horn off an inbounds pass from Chris Davis (Norristown, Pa./Norristown) to give the Crusaders (5-3) a 65-64 win over Ripon College (6-2) Wednesday evening in non-conference men's basketball action at the Land of Magic Classic hosted by Embry Riddle.
Ripon gave its sixth team foul of the half with two seconds to play and holding a two-point edge. The Crusaders tried to line up a lob for Terrance Bridgers (Drexel Hill, Pa./Upper Darby) on the sideline out of bounds play, but it was knocked out of bounds under the basket with 1.8 to go.
"It was a simple screen away play for Stefan," said Alvernia head coach Mike Miller of the game-winning play. "I was actually surprised how open he was."
Thompson, who is shooting 29 percent from the arc over his three-year career, upped his season percentage to 34 with his most recent make.
Ripon was up 11 points, 21-10 early in the game and still held a nine-point lead, 34-25 with 3:33 left in the opening half, but Alvernia closed with the final seven points of the half to hit the break trailing by just two. Thompson scored the first five and freshman Lamont Clark (Parkesburg, Pa./Octorara) hit a jumper on the final possession.
After senior center Cory Boone (Howard, Pa./Bald Eagle) scored to open the second half and tie the game at 34-all, Ripon scored 16 of the next 22 for a 50-40 lead with 10:49 to play.
Boone scored twice in the paint to start and finish a 13-3 run that tied the game at 53-all with 7:00 to go.
"Boonie, in the second half, was very good offensively and defensively," said Miller. "He responded well in the second half to what he wasn't doing well at the start."
Boone scored five points on 2-of-6 shooting in the first half then came back with 12 points in the second on a 6-for-8 effort and threw in a pair of blocked shots.
After a stretch of two-plus minutes that featured just a single Ripon free throw, Alvernia junior Josh Vargas (Allentown, Pa./Faith Christian Academy) hit three 3s assisted by three different players to give Alvernia a 62-58 advantage with 1:53 to play, but Ripon came back with six straight.
"They killed us on offensive rebounds," admitted Miller. They grabbed a pair in the final 40 seconds to fuel the 6-0 run and finished with a 43-28 advantage in boards—20 on the offensive end.
Ripon got a 3-point play following an offensive board to take a 63-62 lead then hit 1-of-2 free throws to go up two before Thompson's winner.
Vargas and Boone both finished with 17 points and Thompson had 16 for the Crusaders. Ripon got a game-high 22 from Aris Wurtz and 15 points and 13 boards from Taylor Koth.
The Crusaders wrap up the Land of Magic Classic on Thursday with an 8:00 p.m. game versus the University of Mary Washington.
Alvernia 65, Ripon 64
Daytona Beach, Fla. (Dec. 28, 2011) – Senior guard Stefan Thompson (Philadelphia, Pa./G.A.M.P.) has 76 career 3s at Alvernia University. Few, if any, will be as memorably as No. 76.
Thompson hit the 3 at the horn off an inbounds pass from Chris Davis (Norristown, Pa./Norristown) to give the Crusaders (5-3) a 65-64 win over Ripon College (6-2) Wednesday evening in non-conference men's basketball action at the Land of Magic Classic hosted by Embry Riddle.
Ripon gave its sixth team foul of the half with two seconds to play and holding a two-point edge. The Crusaders tried to line up a lob for Terrance Bridgers (Drexel Hill, Pa./Upper Darby) on the sideline out of bounds play, but it was knocked out of bounds under the basket with 1.8 to go.
"It was a simple screen away play for Stefan," said Alvernia head coach Mike Miller of the game-winning play. "I was actually surprised how open he was."
Thompson, who is shooting 29 percent from the arc over his three-year career, upped his season percentage to 34 with his most recent make.
Ripon was up 11 points, 21-10 early in the game and still held a nine-point lead, 34-25 with 3:33 left in the opening half, but Alvernia closed with the final seven points of the half to hit the break trailing by just two. Thompson scored the first five and freshman Lamont Clark (Parkesburg, Pa./Octorara) hit a jumper on the final possession.
After senior center Cory Boone (Howard, Pa./Bald Eagle) scored to open the second half and tie the game at 34-all, Ripon scored 16 of the next 22 for a 50-40 lead with 10:49 to play.
Boone scored twice in the paint to start and finish a 13-3 run that tied the game at 53-all with 7:00 to go.
"Boonie, in the second half, was very good offensively and defensively," said Miller. "He responded well in the second half to what he wasn't doing well at the start."
Boone scored five points on 2-of-6 shooting in the first half then came back with 12 points in the second on a 6-for-8 effort and threw in a pair of blocked shots.
After a stretch of two-plus minutes that featured just a single Ripon free throw, Alvernia junior Josh Vargas (Allentown, Pa./Faith Christian Academy) hit three 3s assisted by three different players to give Alvernia a 62-58 advantage with 1:53 to play, but Ripon came back with six straight.
"They killed us on offensive rebounds," admitted Miller. They grabbed a pair in the final 40 seconds to fuel the 6-0 run and finished with a 43-28 advantage in boards—20 on the offensive end.
Ripon got a 3-point play following an offensive board to take a 63-62 lead then hit 1-of-2 free throws to go up two before Thompson's winner.
Vargas and Boone both finished with 17 points and Thompson had 16 for the Crusaders. Ripon got a game-high 22 from Aris Wurtz and 15 points and 13 boards from Taylor Koth.
The Crusaders wrap up the Land of Magic Classic on Thursday with an 8:00 p.m. game versus the University of Mary Washington.
Alvernia 65, Ripon 64