BOX SCORE
Reading, PA (Jan. 25, 2006) – Junior guard Garrett Etzel (Shillington, PA/Governor Mifflin) scored 15 of his career high 28 as Alvernia College blew open a tie game at halftime holding College Misericordia to 20 second-half points in a 77-52 win Wednesday evening in Pennsylvania Athletic Conference men’s basketball action at the Physical Education Center.
Etzel nailed one of his five 3s to open the second half and hit another to put Alvernia (14-4, 10-1 PAC) up 13 points with 9:34 to play and the lead never fell below 11. Chris Tally (Royersford, PA/Spring Ford) and Sharron Richardson (Chester, PA/Chester) both scored 11 for the Crusaders and senior forward Zach Straining (Paxtang, PA/Central Dauphin East), who received a game ball in pregame ceremonies for going over 1,000 career points, tallied eight points, eight rebounds, and eight assists.
Alvernia senior Mike Brock (Royersford, PA/Spring Ford) opened the scoring with a 3 and freshman Tyrone Bradley (Chester, PA/Chester) scored four of his nine as Alvernia opened up an early 9-2 lead. Misericordia (4-13, 4-6) earned a one-point lead with a quick 8-0 spurt. Senior forward Corey Brown (Bronx, NY/James Island) scored four points during the two minute run.
Etzel nailed his first 3 of the night to regain the lead and added a layup to put the hosts up five. CM came back with five straight to tie the score at 17-all, but Etzel answered again with a 3. Misericordia junior Tony Rezykowski (Dimock, PA/Elk Lane), who led the Cougars with 14 points, scored five straight to give the visitors a two-point edge, 22-20 with 7:51 left in the first.
Alvernia tied the score on a Richardson jumper, but the Cougars ran off seven straight to take their largest lead of the game at 29-22 with 4:32 left. Etzel hit a layup, Brock a 3, and Richardson another jumper as Alvernia erased the deficit in just over a minute. Sophomore Matt Hornak (Montrose, PA/Montrose Area) nailed the third 3 of the opening half for the Cougars and Bradley finished the first half with a 3-point play to knot the score at 32-all at the break.
Etzel’s opening 3 came over a minute and a half into the second period and Alvernia held Misericordia to just two points over the first 5:43 while it opened up a nine-point lead, 43-34. The gap wavered between nine and seven points until Etzel’s layup at 10:51 put Alvernia up 11.
The lead came back to nine before a Richardson free throw and an Etzel 3 pushed the gap to 13 at the 9:34 mark. Straining scored four points during a stretch of six straight for the Crusaders that put the hosts up 17 and Richardson hit a pair of free throws for an 18-point cushion with 4:26 to play.
CM closed the gap to 15, but didn’t score for the final 3:51 as the Crusaders cruised.
Alvernia will continue the conference schedule at Wesley College in an afternoon women’s and men’s doubleheader.
Alvernia 77, Misericordia 52
