BOX SCORE
Reading, Pa. (Nov. 30, 2006) – Senior guard Lauren Fortna (Lebanon, PA/Lebanon Catholic) matched her career high with 20 points in leading Alvernia College to a 95-55 win over Wesley College in Pennsylvania Athletic Conference women’s basketball action Thursday evening at the Physical Education Center.
Fortna tallied 14 of her game-high 20 on four 3s and a pair of free throws in the first half as the host Crusaders (2-3, 1-0 PAC) opened up a 54-27 lead at the halftime break. Alvernia forced 32 Wesley turnovers in the game and scored 43 points off those miscues. Alvernia pounded the offensive glass for 22 of its 44 rebounds led by senior reserve Camrell Gholston (Westminster, MD/McDonogh School) who corralled eight boards in just nine minutes.
Wesley took its only lead of the night, 3-0 on a Colleen Thomas (Howell, NJ/Howell) triple that highlighted an otherwise sloppy beginning to the game. Alvernia scored six straight to quickly take the lead, and after Fortna’s first 3 with just over three minutes gone gave Alvernia a 9-8 lead, the Crusaders never trailed again.
Alvernia pushed its first-half lead to as many as 27 points, the exact margin it held at the break. The Crusaders shot 56 percent from the floor over the opening 20 minutes including a 6-for-10 effort from behind the 3-point arc.
The second half lead went to 30 on an Erin Knarr (Sinking Spring, PA/Wilson) layup with 11:45 to play and the Crusaders cruised to victory in the PAC opener for both teams.
Alvernia sophomore Michelle Lutzkanin (Hummelstown, PA/Lower Dauphin) scored a dozen for Alvernia on the strength of a 4-for-5 effort from the arc, and Kerry Higgs (Westminster, MD/Westminster) also reached double figures with 10. Wesley got a team-high 19 from Annette Nacrelli (Elkton, MD/Caravel), 15 from Domonique Barrett (Dover, De/Dover), and 13 from Thomas.
Alvernia will continue the conference schedule on Saturday hosting Immaculata University as part of a women’s and men’s doubleheader starting at 1:00 p.m.
Alvernia 95, Wesley 55
