BOX SCORE
Reading, PA (Jan. 30, 2006) – Alvernia College hit 6-of-7 first half free throws, 9-of-27 to start the second half, and 8-of-9 in the final 1:09 to hold of Eastern University, 97-91 Monday evening in Pennsylvania Athletic Conference men’s basketball action at the Physical Education Center. Eastern University (14-6, 9-4 PAC) hit 20-of-22 free throws including 18-of-20 in the second half to pressure the Crusaders (16-4, 12-1) down the stretch.
Alvernia junior Garrett Etzel (Shillington, PA/Governor Mifflin), who tallied a game-high 24 points in his third straight 20-plus point effort, hit the second of two free throws with 1:09 left to give Alvernia a seven point edge, 88-81. Eastern junior Ben Easley (Philadelphia, PA/Pennwood), who led the Eagles with 24, scored five straight points including three from the line, to cut the gap to two with 55 seconds left.
Etzel hit two more from the line and after a Sharron Richardson (Chester, PA/Chester) dunk and two Mike Brock (Spring Ford, PA/Royersford) free throws, the lead was back to eight, with 25 seconds to play. Bobby Black (Philadelphia, PA/King) hit a 3 for Eastern to cut the gap to five, answered a pair of Etzel free throws with a layup, and Brock closed the scoring going 1-of-2 from the line with six seconds to play.
Six Crusaders reached double figures including Zach Straining (Paxtang, PA/Central Dauphin East) with 21, Richardson with 17, and Brock, Tyrone Bradley (Chester, PA/Chester), and Chris Talley (Royersford, PA/Spring Ford) with 12, 11, and 10 respectively. Straining also added a game-high 14 rebounds. All three Eastern players to reach double figures cracked 20 as Black and Lenny DiMaria (Lincroft, NJ/Middletown South) tallied 22 apiece. DiMaria and Easley both scored 18 points after the break.
Black opened the scoring with a layup and Etzel answered with a 3-point play to give Alvernia a lead it briefly enjoyed until Matt Malloy’s (Somerdale, NJ/Camden Catholic) layup tied the score at 8-all with three minutes gone. DiMaria forced the fifth tie of the opening half at 19-19 with a layup and the Crusaders answered with 11 of the next 13 to take a 30-21 lead with 9:43 on the clock. Bradley scored early in the run and capped it with a layup as the Eagles went 1-for-4 with a turnover during the three minute stretch.
Eastern got a layup to stop the run and cut the lead to seven, but Etzel capped a quick 5-0 Alvernia spurt that put the hosts up 12, 35-23. Straining dropped in a layup to push the Alvernia lead to 13 at 4:16 and Etzel’s first 3 from the left corner put Alvernia up 16 points with 1:20 to go before the break. Black and Brock both missed from long range before Black’s layup with 36 seconds on the clock closed the first half scoring with the Eagles down 48-34.
Eastern opened the second half with four straight, but Alvernia pushed the lead back to 14 with an Etzel 3 and a Talley free throw. Eastern cut the lead to 11 points twice before Easley’s jumper at 14:18 brought the lead under double digits to nine, 57-48. Brock answered with a 3 for a 12-point edge and Black and Bradley traded buckets before a quick 7-2 Eastern run cut the lead to seven with 9:58 to go. DiMaria started the run with a pair of free throws and capped it with his only 3 of the night.
The lead was seven again 30 seconds later after an exchange of free throws. An Etzel 3 and Straining bucket pushed the Crusaders’ lead back to 12 points, 71-59. Eastern trimmed it to nine and following a Talley free throw the Eagles rattled off five straight to cut the gap to five, 72-67 with 6:30 to play.
The lead was six before Etzel’s four 3 of the night and a Bradley layup put Alvernia up 11 with 2:57 to go. Eastern hit a pair of free throws and Richardson hammered home a dunk on the break to push it back to 11. Eastern battled back cutting the 11-point lead to four as the Crusaders turned the ball over on back-to-back possessions and missed three times from the line. Eastern senior Chris McMonagle (Lancaster, PA/Catholic) was whistled for his fifth foul of the game and added a technical with the Eagles down five, but the Crusaders couldn’t capitalize as Brock and Straining combined for a 1-for-4 effort from the line.
Straining and Talley followed with a combined 2-for-4 effort from the line to give Alvernia a 6-point lead with 1:12 to go and Etzel’s free throw at 1:09 restored free throw confidence as the Crusaders nailed 8-of-9 from the line to earn the win.
Alvernia is off until Saturday when it travels to Cabrini College for a 3:00 p.m. game with the Cavaliers.
Alvernia 97, Eastern 91
