BOX SCORE
Reading, Pa. (Nov. 17, 2006) – Senior guard Garrett Etzel (Shillington, PA/Governor Mifflin) scored a game-high 22 points to lead Alvernia College to a 74-55 win over Rutgers-Camden in the ninth annual Tom Masano/Sheraton Reading Tip-Off Tournament Friday evening at the Physical Education Center.
Sophomore transfer Terrence Shawell (Pottstown, PA/Pottstown) picked up two fouls quicker than any points, but came back with 17 points in the second half. Senior guard Ryan Finger (Lancaster, PA/Lampeter Strasburg) drove and dished his way to a game-high seven assists and collected nine rebounds.
Etzel opened up the scoring nailing his first of two first-half 3s just over 10 seconds into play. The visiting Scarlet Raptors answered with seven straight points over a four-minute stretch pace by five from Dane Nicholson (Pleasantville, NJ/Holy Spirit). Alvernia battled back over the next four minutes tying the score at 10-all on a Finger layup with 12:07 to play.
The Crusaders forced RCU into a turnover for the fourth straight possession and Zach Westmoreland (Downingtown, PA/Downingtown West) dropped in a jumper for a 12-10 Alvernia lead. Etzel reestablished the two-point Crusader lead at 19-17 with his second 3 and back-to-back layups from Finger and Etzel pushed the lead to six for the hosts, 23-17.
A 3 from RCU sophomore Wayne Smalls (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts) cut the lead in half, but the Crusaders closed the half with 10 of the last 14 points to take a 33-24 lead to the locker room. Etzel paced the hosts’ efforts with 12 points over the first 20 minutes and freshman Matt King (Phoenixville, PA/St. Pius X) posted three assists and two blocked shots.
RCU scored the first three points of the second half to cut the lead to six, 33-27, and following a Sydney Francis (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson) 3, the Crusaders’ lead was down to five, 37-32. Shawell answered with a 3 assisted by Finger, but five straight RCU points cut the Alvernia lead to three. Shawell scored on a short jumper and Etzel’s third 3 of the night pushed the lead back to eight.
Following another Francis bucket, Alvernia ran off an 8-1run fueled by a Shawell dunk that put Alvernia up 58-45 with 8:56 to play. RCU cut the lead back to 10, but did not get closer as the Crusaders rattled off 14 straight points to take a commanding lead.
Francis led the Scarlet Raptors with 19 points, Smalls reached 11, and Nicholson scored 10. Francis also grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds for the only double-double of the night.
Alvernia will face Baldwin-Wallace, ranked sixth in the d3hoops.com preseason poll, in the championship game Saturday afternoon at 3:00. Rutgers-Camden will face Curry College in the consolation game at 1:00 p.m.
Alvernia 74, Rutgers-Camden 55
