READING, PA – The York College men's basketball team opened up MAC Commonwealth play in impressive fashion as they traveled to Reading and downed Alvernia University 80-58 in the league opener for both teams.
The Spartans trailed by 13 early in the game but after a 21-1 Spartan run, York would never look back in snapping an 11-game losing streak to Alvernia including an 0-6 mark as members of the MAC Commonwealth.
York improves to 8-4 overall and 1-0 in the league while the Golden Wolves fall to 8-4 overall and 0-1 in conference play.
 
How It Happened
• The Golden Wolves, who had been off since December 28, got off to a blazing start hitting the Spartans with a 12-4 run to start the game. York began 1-for-8 from the floor to start the game while Alvernia started the game 5-for-5 from the floor. York cut the Alvernia lead to 14-8 but the Golden Wolves answered with a quick 7-0 spurt to take a 13-point lead with 11:59 left in the first half.
• The Spartans then exploded with a 21-1 run turning their deficit into a seven-point lead at 29-22. York was 8-for-12 from the floor and 2-for-3 from distance. The Spartans also went 3-for-4 at the line while the Golden Wolves were 0-for-6 from the floor with three turnovers. Pat Gilhool and Nick Schroeder led the run with seven points each.
• Alvernia scored the next three points to cut the York lead to 29-25 but York outscored their hosts 11-7 over the final 4:12 of the half to take a 40-32 lead to the break. York shot 47.1% in the first half while both teams were 3-for-8 (37.5%) from three and both teams were 5-for-8 (62.5%) from the free throw line in the opening 20 minutes of play.
• The Wolves cut the Spartan lead to five early in the second half but York went on a 22-9 run to push out to an 18-point lead at 64-46 with nine minutes left in the game. Alvernia got to within 15 with four minutes left but the Spartans ripped off one final run, this one a 11-3 spurt that pushed the lead to 23 before settling for the 22-point win. York outscored Alvernia 40-26 in the second half.
 
By the Numbers
The Spartans finished the game shooting 41.4% (29-for-70) from the floor and 10-for-27 (37%) from three … York was 12-for-22 (54.4%) from the free throw line while the Golden Wolves were 9-for-13 (69.2%) from the stripe … Alvernia shot 44% (22-for-50) from the floor and 33.3% (5-for-15) from distance … the Spartans attempted 20 more shots from the floor than the Golden Wolves … the Spartans held a 48-32 edge on the glass including an impressive 19-1 bulge in offensive rebounds … York had a 12-0 margin in second-chance points … York had 15 assists on their 29 field goals while Alvernia had four helpers on their 22 made field goals … York had just eight turnovers while the Golden Wolves had 15 miscues which cost them 13 points … York received a season-high 26 points off the bench … York had four blocks and seven steals in the win … Robert Cottrell led the Golden Wolves with 15 points, three rebounds, one assist and one steal … Elijah Hamilton was the other Golden Wolf in double figures with 12 points while he also had five rebounds and a blocked shot … Alvernia's 58 points was a season low (63 vs. Spalding on December 19).
 
Spartan Notes
The Spartans snapped their 11-game losing streak to the Golden Wolves as York is now 7-13 all-time against Alvernia … the Spartans last win over the Golden Wolves came at Alvernia during the 1989-90 season as York notched a 67-64 win in Reading … the Spartans' 22-point win was their second biggest margin of victory this year (24 at Arcadia on November 20) … York has won seven of their last nine games … the Spartans 70 field goal attempts were their most for the season … York made ten three pointers and that's the seventh time this year they have reached double figures from downtown … the Spartans had a season-high 16 rebound advantage in the game as the 48 total rebounds were a season-high for York … the Spartans' eight turnovers is their second-lowest total on the season (7 vs. Johns Hopkins) … the Spartans had one of their most balanced efforts of the year as they had four players in double figures led by Jackson Mascari … Mascari registered a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds in his 32 minutes of work … Jayden Rowe added a strong game with 14 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals in 27 minutes … Nick Schroeder and Pat Gilhool were fantastic off the bench for York … Schroeder tied a season high with 12 points as he was 5-for-8 from the floor including 2-for-2 from three … he also had four rebounds and two steals for the Green and White … Gilhool chipped in with a season-high 11 points in his 13 minutes of action … Gilhool was 3-for-3 from the floor including 2-for-2 from three while he was also 3-for-5 from the stripe … Kai Cipalla added nine points and six rebounds while Tate Landis chipped in with eight points, three rebounds, and three assists … freshman Ben Troyer set a career-high with six rebounds for York.
 
Up Next
The Spartans return home to host Eastern University in a key MAC Commonwealth contest on Saturday afternoon at 3:00 pm in Wolf Gymnasium. The game is York's annual Hoops for T1D Heroes game celebrating children and families dealing with type-1 diabetes. There will be a number of activities for families to engage in before the game.