BOX SCORE
Reading, PA (Dec. 17, 2005) – Alvernia College suffered through two cold spells, one during most of the first half and the second during a 19-4 run over the final 6:29 that carried Albright College to a 64-58 win Saturday afternoon in non-conference men’s basketball action at the Physical Education Center.
Alvernia senior Chris Talley (Royersford, PA/Spring Ford) scored his 10th point of the game on a jumper with 6:29 left in the game that put the Crusaders (5-2) up 54-45, but the hosts managed just one fast break layup and two free throws the rest of the way.
Albright junior Matt Kieselowsky (Moscow, PA/North Pocono) knocked down a jumper at 6:17 and sophomore Taylor Steltz (Womelsdorf, PA/Conrad Weiser) followed with a layup at 5:21 to cut the gap to five, 54-49. Junior center Lee Walter (Green Lane, PA/Boyertown) traded layups with Alvernia senior Lamar Brickus (Coatesville, PA/Coatesville) and the Crusaders held five, 56-51, with 3:44 to play.
Walter and senior Trevor Deeter (Langhorne, PA/Neshaminy), who led the Lions (6-2) with 12 points, hit back-to-back layups to cut the lead to one, 56-55. Alvernia senior Zach Straining (Paxtang, PA/Central Dauphin East) hit a pair of free throws to push the gap back to three, 58-55, but Albright closed with the final nine points of the game for the six-point win.
Albright snapped a two-game losing streak after starting the season with five straight wins and also ended a losing streak of four games to Alvernia over the past four seasons.
Albright forged the first serious lead of the game after six ties in the opening 11 minutes of play. Steltz knocked down his only 3 of the day and scored five of his seven as the Lions opened up a six point lead, 26-20 with 4:56 left in the first. The Crusaders closed back to within two on a Damon Bogan (Oxford, PA/Oxford) 3 and a Brickus free throw, but Albright closed the first half with five straight, taking its largest lead of the day, a seven point gap, into the locker room, 31-24.
Alvernia, which hit its first four free throws, finished the half 7-for-13 from the line and 8-for-32 from the floor including an ice cold 1-for-11 effort from the 3-point arc. Albright wasn’t much better going 8-for-24 from the floor, but did knock down 11-of-12 free throws in the opening frame.
Straining, who sat for 14 minutes in the first half with foul trouble, opened the second half forcing a turnover, but couldn’t convert on the offensive end missing a pair of putbacks. Albright quickly countered when sophomore Tom Murphy (Royersford, PA/Spring Ford) hit a runner and the guests held a nine point edge, 33-24.
Straining and Murphy traded jumpers before Talley’s jumper at 16:29 sparked a 9-0 run for the Crusaders that gave them the 37-35 lead; their first since they held a 16-13 lead with 9:28 left in the first. Brickus, who hit just 2-of-10 first half shots, fueled the run knocking down a 3 from the left elbow and Talley’s second straight jumper tied the score at 35-all.
Albright leveled the score at 37-37 on a Deeter layup and Alvernia junior Garrett Etzel (Shillington, PA/Governor Mifflin) hit a pair of 3s on an 8-1 spurt that put Alvernia up 45-38 with 11:43 left. Kieselowsky cut the gap to four with a 3, and junior forward Mike Boles (Philadelphia, PA/Penn Charter) scored in the post to keep it a four point game, 47-43 with 10:19 to go.
Straining hit a jumper to push the lead back to six and following one of Deeter’s five turnovers, Alvernia senior Ryan Finger (Lancaster, PA/Lampeter Strasburg) hit a 3 at the shot clock buzzer, assisted by Mike Brock (Royersford, PA/Spring Ford), that brought the home crowd to its feet. Boles scored again in the post to trim the gap to seven with 7:35 left and Talley’s jumper at 6:29 put the Crusaders up nine, 54-45.
Albright 64, Alvernia 54
