BOX SCORE

Annville, Pa. (Feb. 23, 2011) – Top-seeded Lebanon Valley College (24-2) hit a 3 on the first possession of the game and never trailed in a 55-38 win over #4 Alvernia University (13-13) Wednesday evening in semifinal action of the Commonwealth Conference Women's Basketball Championships at LVC Gymnasium.

Alvernia stayed close in the early going, something it wasn't able to do four days ago in a 53-point loss in the regular season finale. Junior center Angela Altemose (Pottsville, Pa./Nativity BVM) scoring the team's first eight points, and the Crusaders found themselves down just three, 11-8 seven minutes into the game.

Alvernia then went cold while the Dutchmen heated up scoring 13 straight over the next six minutes for a 24-8 lead. Alvernia had an answer to that run scoring 14 of the next 16 points to pull back within four 26-22 with under a minute left in the half.

LVC got a jumper from Renee Fritz, the game's leading scorer with 16 points, and two free throws from conference Player of the Year Andrea Hoover to push the lead to eight, 30-22 at the break.

Altemose, who picked up three fouls in just 11 minutes in the first half, scored a pair of buckets around a Fritz hoop, then Alvernia freshman Alisa Greco (Long Valley, N.J./West Morris Central) knocked down a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to four.

The next five-plus minutes of game action had just two free throws from Fritz and a combined four turnovers and 11 missed shots.

The Dutchmen put an end to that with back-to-back buckets then pushed the lead to 13 points 42-29 with 8:24 to play. The lead slowly grew to 19 points in the game's final minutes and the Dutchmen advanced to host their second straight Commonwealth final.

Altemose matched Fritz with 16 points in 27 minutes as the only Crusader to reach double figures. She added a game-high 12 rebounds for her 13th double-double of the season. Hoover and Noyes scored 10 points each for the Dutchmen and Noyes pulled down a team-best 10 boards.

#1 Lebanon Valley 55, Alvernia 38