Jan 30, 2013
1/30/2013 11:40:00 PM
BOX SCORE
Reading, Pa. (Jan. 30, 2013) – Alvernia University (15-4, 10-3) cut an 11-point deficit down to two in the final minute of play and had a potential game-tying 3 in the air on the final possession, but came up short in a 57-54 loss to Albright College (17-3, 10-3) Wednesday evening in Commonwealth Conference men's basketball action at the Physical Education Center.
"Give them credit," said Alvernia head coach Mike Miller. "We set up a play at the end and they took it away."
Alvernia set up a double screen for Kahlil Bennett (Old Bridge, N.J./Old Bridge) on the final play, but Bennett crashed through the screen and went sliding out of bounds. Lamont Clark (Parkesburg, Pa./Octorara) ended up being the second option and had a decent look, but his effort caromed off just before the buzzer.
Albright built the 11-point lead, 50-39 following a tip-in from Zach Benjamin then a Reuel Moore hit a free throw.
Alvernia started to cut into the lead with a free throw and a bucket from Brian Parker (Chichester, Pa./Chichester), but Albright got all three back when Moore was fouled on a 3 and was perfect from the stripe.
Parker scored again inside and freshman Charles Cooper (Parkesburg, Pa./Octorara) hit a big 3 to pull the Crusaders within six, 53-47 with 3:53 to go.
A possession later Terrance Bridgers (Drexel Hill, Pa./Upper Darby) knifed down the land for a one-handed dunk and after the Lions came up empty, Clark drove through the defense cutting the gap to four with 2:30 to play.
Bennett cut the deficit to two points, 56-54 on a 3 with 26 seconds to go and the Crusaders got the final look after Moore hit 1-of-2 from the line.
Reading, Pa. (Jan. 30, 2013) – Alvernia University (15-4, 10-3) cut an 11-point deficit down to two in the final minute of play and had a potential game-tying 3 in the air on the final possession, but came up short in a 57-54 loss to Albright College (17-3, 10-3) Wednesday evening in Commonwealth Conference men's basketball action at the Physical Education Center.
"Give them credit," said Alvernia head coach Mike Miller. "We set up a play at the end and they took it away."
Alvernia set up a double screen for Kahlil Bennett (Old Bridge, N.J./Old Bridge) on the final play, but Bennett crashed through the screen and went sliding out of bounds. Lamont Clark (Parkesburg, Pa./Octorara) ended up being the second option and had a decent look, but his effort caromed off just before the buzzer.
Albright built the 11-point lead, 50-39 following a tip-in from Zach Benjamin then a Reuel Moore hit a free throw.
Alvernia started to cut into the lead with a free throw and a bucket from Brian Parker (Chichester, Pa./Chichester), but Albright got all three back when Moore was fouled on a 3 and was perfect from the stripe.
Parker scored again inside and freshman Charles Cooper (Parkesburg, Pa./Octorara) hit a big 3 to pull the Crusaders within six, 53-47 with 3:53 to go.
A possession later Terrance Bridgers (Drexel Hill, Pa./Upper Darby) knifed down the land for a one-handed dunk and after the Lions came up empty, Clark drove through the defense cutting the gap to four with 2:30 to play.
Bennett cut the deficit to two points, 56-54 on a 3 with 26 seconds to go and the Crusaders got the final look after Moore hit 1-of-2 from the line.
| Alvernia hosted a short ceremony between games of the doubleheader to officially name the PEC floor Jack McCloskey Court in honor of the late head men's coach who led the Crusaders to the 1997 Final Four. |
Neither team was particularly effective from the free throw line. Albright hit 14 out of 22 while the Crusaders shot 13-for-28. Alvernia is now 30-for-68 from the line in two games against Albright (17-40, .425 on Dec. 1).
"You gotta make shots and you gotta make foul shots," admitted Miller.
Alvernia jumped out to a 5-0 lead early, but after an Albright run neither team led by more than three until Pedro Perez broke a 15-all tie with tie with back-to-back 3s.
That lead grew to nine points, but Alvernia was able to cut it down to four at the half, 26-22, with five straight points.
The Lions answered that starting the second half with 11 straight points to take their largest lead of the night, 37-22 with 15:15 to play.
Alvernia clawed back to within seven points with Clark and Parker combining to score a dozen on a 12-4 run.
"Lamont overall just took over the game for us," said Miller. " We were getting him driving to the basket and that brought us back, but every time we made a cut [into their lead] they answered it."
Moore hit a 3 to answer the 12-4 run pushing the lead back to double figures, and after Alvernia cut it down to seven twice more the Lions had the quick 4-0 run that built the 11-point lead with five and a half to play.
With the win, Albright pulls into a tie with Alvernia for first place in the conference. Both have a win over the other and both are two games clear of Arcadia and Lycoming who are in a tie for third.
Clark and Parker finished with a game-high 17 points apiece. Parker tallied a double-double with 12 rebounds. Singleton led the Lions with 12 and Kyle Jordan had 11.
"I like our comeback, but we gotta get better at executing," finished Miller. "We can't get too high or too low. It's like I just told [the team], good teams come back from losses and average teams don't."
The Crusaders have another shot to come back Saturday when they host Elizabethtown College.
Albright 57, Alvernia 54
"You gotta make shots and you gotta make foul shots," admitted Miller.
Alvernia jumped out to a 5-0 lead early, but after an Albright run neither team led by more than three until Pedro Perez broke a 15-all tie with tie with back-to-back 3s.
That lead grew to nine points, but Alvernia was able to cut it down to four at the half, 26-22, with five straight points.
The Lions answered that starting the second half with 11 straight points to take their largest lead of the night, 37-22 with 15:15 to play.
Alvernia clawed back to within seven points with Clark and Parker combining to score a dozen on a 12-4 run.
"Lamont overall just took over the game for us," said Miller. " We were getting him driving to the basket and that brought us back, but every time we made a cut [into their lead] they answered it."
Moore hit a 3 to answer the 12-4 run pushing the lead back to double figures, and after Alvernia cut it down to seven twice more the Lions had the quick 4-0 run that built the 11-point lead with five and a half to play.
With the win, Albright pulls into a tie with Alvernia for first place in the conference. Both have a win over the other and both are two games clear of Arcadia and Lycoming who are in a tie for third.
Clark and Parker finished with a game-high 17 points apiece. Parker tallied a double-double with 12 rebounds. Singleton led the Lions with 12 and Kyle Jordan had 11.
"I like our comeback, but we gotta get better at executing," finished Miller. "We can't get too high or too low. It's like I just told [the team], good teams come back from losses and average teams don't."
The Crusaders have another shot to come back Saturday when they host Elizabethtown College.
Albright 57, Alvernia 54