BOX SCORE

*PORTIONS OF THIS STORY COURTESY OF WASHINGTON & LEE SPORTS INFORMATION*

Lancaster, Pa. (November 17, 2007) - Alvernia freshman Kelli McIntyre (Orwigsburg, PA/Blue Mountain) led all scorers with 19 points as Alvernia won their season opener 76-66 over Washington & Lee on Saturday afternoon at the Terry Greene Tip-Off hosted by Franklin & Marshall.   

Alvernia (1-0) jumped out to a seven-point lead (14-7) with 12:33 remaining in the first half, before the Generals responded to bring the score within one point (22-21) with 6:45 to play in the half.  Alvernia would battle back and tack on seven unanswered points and would use a 12-4 spurt over the final 3:31 of the stanza to take a 41-28 lead into the break. 

In the second half, Alvernia extended its advantage to 16 points, 47-31, with 17:34 to play in the contest, before an 8-0 run by W&L cut the lead to single-digits (49-41) at 14:22. The Generals trimmed the Crusaders' edge to five points three times in the final seven minutes, including trailing 68-63 with 3:39 to go, but that was as close as they would get as Alvernia held on to emerge with a 76-66 victory.

Alvernia shot 43.5 percent from the field (27-of-62) but Washington and Lee (0-1) held a 51-37 advantage on the boards.  The Generals were hampered by 22 turnovers and 34.9 percent shooting from the floor (22-of-63). 

McIntyre was aided by Ashley Blevins' (York, PA/York) 10 points and Tracee Harrison (Wilow Street, PA/Solanco) and Joanna Graber (Manalapan, NJ/Notre Dame), who each totaled nine points. 

The Crusaders will face Franklin & Marshall in the championship game tomorrow afternoon after host F&M defeated Goucher College 78-71.

Alvernia 76, Washington & Lee 66