BOX SCORE

Scranton, PA (Jan. 16, 2006) – Senior forward Zach Straining (Paxtang, PA/Central Dauphin East) scored 16 of his game-high 25 after the break to lead Alvernia College to a 92-64 win over Marywood University Monday evening in Pennsylvania Athletic Conference men’s basketball action at Marywood.

            Straining scored on a layup early in the second half and tallied all nine points for the Crusaders (11-3, 7-0 PAC) during a 9-2 run that gave Alvernia a 56-32 lead with 14:17 left in the game.  The 6-5 senior buried a pair of free throws and his second 3 of the night at the 7:01 mark accounting for five straight as Alvernia claimed a 30-point lead, its largest of the night.

            The lead changed hands three times in the opening 4:10, the final time on a Chris Talley (Royersford, PA/Spring Ford) layup.  Junior guard Garrett Etzel (Shillington, PA/Governor Mifflin) hit a 3 as the Crusaders slowly built their lead to eight following an Etzel layup at the 11:03 mark.

            Marywood got a 3 from Lawrence Tompkins (Montrose, PA/Blue Ridge) a minute later to cut the gap to five, 17-12, but Alvenria senior Mike Brock (Royersford, PA/Spring Ford) answered that and the Crusaders rattled off 17 of the next 19 points to take a 34-14 lead with 5:26 left in the opening half.  Brock nailed a second 3 during the streak and Straining hit his first of two 3s on the night.

            The host Pacers responded with eight straight points in just over a minute led by four from Matt Chapman (Hazleton, PA/Bishop Hafey).  Alvernia senior Lamar Brickus (Coatesville, PA/Coatesville) scored to push the lead back to 14 and Straining reestablished the 14-point lead at 38-24 with a bucket as the half ended.

            Alvernia senior Ryan Finger (Lancaster, PA/Lampeter Strasburg), who scored 12 points for the Crusaders, opened the second half with a bucket, and the lead was 19 following a Talley free throw with 16:52 to play.  Marywood senior Tim Smallwood (Greenwich, CT/Greenwich) hit a pair of free throws on the ensuing Pacer possession to reach 1,000 career points and cut the gap to 17, but the hosts would get no closer.

            Straining has scored 25 points twice this season, one short of his career high.  He also reached 25 at Immaculata on January 4.

Alvernia 92, Marywood 64