BOX SCORE
Reading, PA (Jan. 30, 2006) – Freshman forward Allee Barnes (Blooming Glen, PA/Pennridge) scored 13 of her career high 22 points after halftime to lead Alvernia College to a 75-48 win over Eastern University Monday evening in Pennsylvania Athletic Conference women’s basketball action at the Physical Education Center.
Barnes opened the second half with a bucket and scored six points during a nine minute stretch as Alvernia pushed a 14-point halftime lead to 25 points, 55-30 with 11:37 to play. Eastern quickly cut the gap to 18 points with a 7-0 run, but Barnes nailed her second 3 of the night during a 14-2 Alvernia run that put the game out of reach.
Senior guard Mandy Reinhart (Pine Grove, PA/Pine Grove) and freshman Tenay Gaddy (LaPlatta, MD/Pennridge) each scored 12 points for the Crusaders (9-10, 8-4 PAC), who are back on the winning track after Saturday’s overtime loss at Wesley. Eastern got 13 points apiece from Raya Shores (Athens, PA/Athens Area) and Patrice Freeman (New Castle, DE/New Castle Baptist).
Alvernia opened the game with the first six points and held six again at 12-6 following an Ashley Shrawder (Dalmatia, PA/Line Mountain) 3 that sparked a 7-0 spurt to give the hosts an early 10-point edge, 16-6. Eastern trimmed the lead back to three getting two 3s from Freeman on a 9-2 run.
After an exchange of buckets, Alvernia gained control with a 14-2 run that put the Crusaders up 15 with 5:50 left in the opening half. Reinhart tallied five points during the streak including one of her two 3s on the night. Eastern stemmed the tide with a bucket from Abbey Reed (Knox, PA/Keystone), but a Barnes 3 sparked five points in 10 seconds for the Crusaders that pushed the gap to 18 points, 39-21 with 3:13 to go before the break.
Alvernia missed three shots from the floor and two more from the free throw line in the final three minutes of the half, but Eastern could only manage four points to trim the gap to 14 at the break, 39-25.
Barnes hit a jumper 91 seconds into the second half and a layup midway through the Crusaders’ 12-2 run to open the half. Freshman reserve Rachel Koerner (Belcamp, MD/Harford Tech), who tallied a career high six points, capped the run with a layup and the Crusaders were up 24 points, 51-27 with 14:30 to go. Barnes pushed the lead to 25 points, the largest spread to that point with a jumper at the 11:37 mark, but the Eagles cut the lead back to 18 points when Reed capped the 7-0 run with a 3 at 10:05.
The lead was 21 following one free throw from Eastern freshman Martha Ratcliffe (Peterborough, NH/Convol) at 6:40. Alvernia freshman Michelle Lutzkanin (Hummelstown, PA/Lower Dauphin) nailed a 3 on Alvernia’s next possession as the Crusaders rattled off nine straight to push the gap to 30 points, the largest of the night.
Barnes scored on a layup at 1:13 making the score 71-44 and the teams exchanged points over the final minute for the 75-48 final.
Alvernia will host Randolph Macon, the 2005 national runner-up, in non-conference action on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. in the Physical Education Center.
Alvernia 75, Eastern 48
