BOX SCORE
Reading, Pa. (Feb. 10, 2007) – Senior guard Garrett Etzel (Shillington, PA/Governor Mifflin) hit five 3s and scored a game-high 24 points to lead Alvernia College to an 81-51 win over Marywood University Saturday afternoon in Pennsylvania Athletic Conference men’s basketball action at the Physical Education Center. It was the 22nd straight home win for the Crusaders, who clinched top seed in the PAC Championship for the second straight season.
Etzel’s 24 gives him 972 career points. He could reach 1,000 for his career on the road next week as the Crusaders close out the regular season with games at Misericordia on Monday and Eastern on Wednesday. Alvernia freshman Matt King (Phoenixville, PA/St. Pius X) reached double figures with 12 and Terrence Shawell (Pottstown, PA/Pottstown), who struggled from the floor totaled 11, reaching double digits for the 20th straight game on an alley-oop dunk with just over four to play.
Marywood (5-19, 2-15 PAC) got a team-high 15 points from sophomore reserve Joshua Pena (New York, NY/Health Prof.) who hit 5-of-10 shots including four from behind the arc. Joe Buczko (Shavertown, PA/Bishop Hoban) also reached double figures with 12.
Etzel scored five straight points to cap a 9-0 run for the Crusaders to start the game. The early lead grew quickly to 10 points, 13-3, and when freshman forward Matt King (Phoenixville, PA/St. Pius X) knocked down a 3 at the 10:22 mark, the Crusaders were up 20, 27-7.
Etzel scored five straight points for the second time in the half three minutes later and the first-half lead grew to its largest, 23 points, 32-9 with 7:19 on the clock. Marywood got four points from Terry Ryan (Stroudsburg, PA/Notre Dame) during an 8-0 spurt that cut the deficit to 15 points with 5:03 left in the first half.
Alvernia pushed the gap back over 20 points on a fastbreak dunk by Terrence Shawell (Pottstown, PA/Pottstown), but Pena hit a pair of 3s to close the first half scoring with the Pacers trailing 42-27.
Alvernia opened the lead to 17 points early in the second half following a King jumper and a steal and layup from freshman Zach Westmoreland (Downingtown, PA/Downingtown West). Buczko scored a pair of buckets and Karl Anderson (Easton, PA/Notre Dame) knocked down a 3 and the Pacers had the lead down to 10, 46-36, with 16:57 to play.
King followed with a 3 and after back-to-back layups the Crusaders had pushed the lead back to 17, 53-36. It grew to 19 a few minutes later and reached a max of 31 in the final minutes.
Alvernia 81, Marywood 51
