BOX SCORE

Reading, Pa. (Dec. 15, 2007) – Albright College entered Saturday's showdown at the Sovereign Center averaging better than 12 rebounds per game more than its opponents. The Lions nearly doubled that advantage on their way to a 71-60 win over Alvernia College in non-conference men's basketball action.

The game was the final in a tripleheader at the home of the newly formed Reading Railers on a day when Jimmy V's Coaches vs. Cancer was the main focus. The Railers hosted the Maryland Nighthawks following a tip-off between the Reading and Boyertown High School Boys teams. More than 2,300 spectators passed through the turnstiles with the American Cancer Society being the main beneficiary.

Alvernia (3-4) took advantage of a few breaks and held a handful of leads early in the nightcap. The Crusaders were up three points on a few occasions; the last a 13-10 lead nine minutes into play. Albright senior Kyle Brudvig (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg), who finished with a dozen, including a pair of backbreaking putbacks late, knocked down a free throw to start what ended as a 13-2 run giving the Lions (6-2) a 23-15 lead at 5:06.

Alvernia trimmed that gap in half with four straight free throws from freshman guard Eric Barefield (Ardmore, Pa./Lower Merion), but senior forward Albert Medoro (Exton, Pa./West Chester), who finished with a team-best 16, scored on a dunk and freshman Zac Schaffer (Lampeter, Pa./Lampater-Strasburg) hit a 3 to cap a 10-0 run that ended the half leaving the Lions with a 33-19 lead.

The lead grew to 21 points early in the second half when Medoro canned his only 3 of the night, a line-drive dart from the left elbow, and two minutes later Tom Murphy (Royersford, Pa./Spring Ford) converted a 3-point play for a 22-point lead, 47-25, with 15 to play.

Alvernia slowly began to cut away at the deficit, largely fueled by efforts from the reserves. Junior David Washington (Durham, N.C./Northern Durham) scored on a layup and sophomore Charlie Hughes (Kenhorst, Pa./Governor Mifflin) hit his first of two 3s. When junior center Tyrone Bradley (Chester, Pa./Chester) threw home a follow-up dunk the bench erupted and the Crusaders were in the midst of a 13-4 run that cut the gap to 11 with nine to play.

Sophomore Matt King (Phoenixville, Pa./St. Pius X), who finished with a game-high 21 points, hit the final 3 on the run. After an Albright bucket, Barefield missed a jumper that could have kept momentum rolling, the instead the Lions knocked down one of their five 3s on the other end to push the gap back to 16.

Two free throws later and the lead was 18, but King scored six during a 10-0 Alvernia run that pulled the Crusaders within eight, 63-55, with 2:30 to play. Medoro hit two free throws and Brudvig's back-to-back putbacks pushed the lead back to 14. The Lions finished with 12 offensive boards and 51 total to just 30 for the Crusaders. Medoro pulled down a game-high 19 rebounds while Bradley led the Crusaders with six.

Alvernia finished just 24-of-63 from the floor and 8-of-17, 47 percent, from the free throw line. The Crusaders are off for the Christmas break and will face Williamson Free Trades School in the opener of Franklin & Marshall's New Year's Tournament.

Albright 71, Alvernia 60