Mar 02, 2013
BOX SCORE
Reading, Pa. (Mar. 3, 2013) – Alvernia University (24-4) racked up a season high 97 points Saturday evening and improved to 4-0 at home in the NCAA Championships with a 97-78 win over Albertus Magnus (24-5) in the first round of the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championships at Jack McCloskey Court.
The Crusaders got 20-plus points from three different starters including a team-high 26 from junior Brian Parker (Chichester, Pa./Chichester), 20 from Terrance Bridgers (Drexel Hill, Pa./Upper Darby), and a career-high 23 from Lamont Clark (Parkesburg, Pa./Octorara).
"Obviously if you look at the stats, that's the definition of team basketball right there," said Alvernia head coach Mike Miller after his first NCAA Tournament win. "We had 15 assists and eight turnovers. Our four starters had doubles and our assist guy had seven assists. Even the two guys off the bench gave us solid minutes."
The two guys off the bench—senior Josh Vargas (Allentown, Pa./Christian Friends Academy) and freshman Charles Cooper (Parkesburg, Pa./Octorara)—played a huge role in the game's decisive run.
Alvernia led 37-30 and the defensive stopper Clark had just taken a seat with his second foul of the night with 5:09 left in the first half. The defense put on the clamps forcing the Falcons into 10 straight misses while the offense went an efficient 3-for-5 from the floor and hit eight free throws scoring 14 straight points for a 51-30 lead. Only Arshad Jackson's banked-in 3 at the horn gave Albertus Magnus some life, but it still trailed by 18 at the break.
"That was real important for us," said Miller of his team's effort in the last five minutes of the half and specifically of Vargas and Cooper. "Not only defensively, but they gave us some offense too."
Vargas scored four points during the 14-0 run while Cooper threw in four just before the run.
"I knew that my teammates were capable of playing defense," echoed Parker. "They did that well, so I could get my rest for the second half. When I first came out I thought it was going to be a quick break, but they were playing so well I just continued to get my rest."
The Crusaders 51-point effort in the first was the most in a half since they scored 50 in the first half of the ECAC Title game last March against Catholic. They shot 52 percent from the floor in the half and hit 19-of-21 free throws.
The Alvernia lead went back to 20 when Parker scored on a fast break a minute into the second half, and the closest the Falcons got from there was within 12 points, 81-69 with 5:29 to go.
Kahlil Bennett (Old Bridge, N.J./Old Bridge) finished with 11 points as the fourth Alvernia starter in double figures and Chris Davis (Norristown, Pa./Norristown) pitched in across the board with six points, six boards, and seven assists. Albertus Magnus got a game-high 29 points from Darius Watson.
The Crusaders will face St. Mary's (Md.), an 85-76 winner over MIT, next Saturday in the second round. The game site will be announced on Monday by the NCAA.
Alvernia 97, Albertus Magnus 78
Reading, Pa. (Mar. 3, 2013) – Alvernia University (24-4) racked up a season high 97 points Saturday evening and improved to 4-0 at home in the NCAA Championships with a 97-78 win over Albertus Magnus (24-5) in the first round of the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championships at Jack McCloskey Court.
The Crusaders got 20-plus points from three different starters including a team-high 26 from junior Brian Parker (Chichester, Pa./Chichester), 20 from Terrance Bridgers (Drexel Hill, Pa./Upper Darby), and a career-high 23 from Lamont Clark (Parkesburg, Pa./Octorara).
"Obviously if you look at the stats, that's the definition of team basketball right there," said Alvernia head coach Mike Miller after his first NCAA Tournament win. "We had 15 assists and eight turnovers. Our four starters had doubles and our assist guy had seven assists. Even the two guys off the bench gave us solid minutes."
The two guys off the bench—senior Josh Vargas (Allentown, Pa./Christian Friends Academy) and freshman Charles Cooper (Parkesburg, Pa./Octorara)—played a huge role in the game's decisive run.
Alvernia led 37-30 and the defensive stopper Clark had just taken a seat with his second foul of the night with 5:09 left in the first half. The defense put on the clamps forcing the Falcons into 10 straight misses while the offense went an efficient 3-for-5 from the floor and hit eight free throws scoring 14 straight points for a 51-30 lead. Only Arshad Jackson's banked-in 3 at the horn gave Albertus Magnus some life, but it still trailed by 18 at the break.
"That was real important for us," said Miller of his team's effort in the last five minutes of the half and specifically of Vargas and Cooper. "Not only defensively, but they gave us some offense too."
Vargas scored four points during the 14-0 run while Cooper threw in four just before the run.
"I knew that my teammates were capable of playing defense," echoed Parker. "They did that well, so I could get my rest for the second half. When I first came out I thought it was going to be a quick break, but they were playing so well I just continued to get my rest."
The Crusaders 51-point effort in the first was the most in a half since they scored 50 in the first half of the ECAC Title game last March against Catholic. They shot 52 percent from the floor in the half and hit 19-of-21 free throws.
The Alvernia lead went back to 20 when Parker scored on a fast break a minute into the second half, and the closest the Falcons got from there was within 12 points, 81-69 with 5:29 to go.
Kahlil Bennett (Old Bridge, N.J./Old Bridge) finished with 11 points as the fourth Alvernia starter in double figures and Chris Davis (Norristown, Pa./Norristown) pitched in across the board with six points, six boards, and seven assists. Albertus Magnus got a game-high 29 points from Darius Watson.
The Crusaders will face St. Mary's (Md.), an 85-76 winner over MIT, next Saturday in the second round. The game site will be announced on Monday by the NCAA.
Alvernia 97, Albertus Magnus 78