BOX SCORE
Reading, Pa. (Feb. 19, 2007) – Senior guard Lauren Fortna (Lebanon, PA/Lebanon Catholic) scored a game-high 25 points to lead third-seeded Alvernia College to an 81-59 win over #6 Immaculata University Monday evening in quarterfinal action of the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Championship at the Physical Education Center.
Alvernia (16-10) will travel to #2 Cabrini for a semifinal match-up with the Cavaliers on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. Sophomore Michelle Lutzkanin (Hummelstown, PA/Lower Dauphin), who posted an Alvernia-record nine 3s at Eastern last Thursday, scored 22 points, and freshman Janelle Richardson (Manor, DE/Delcastle) reached double figures with 14.
Junior forward Ashley Blevins (York, PA/Central York) led the Crusaders’ effort of the glass with a career-high 13 rebounds. As a team the Crusaders finished one rebound short of their own season-high with 54, and outrebounded the Mighty Macs (15-11) by 11. Senior forward Erin Knarr (Sinking Spring, PA/Wilson) pulled down five offensive boards and seven on the defensive end for a dozen.
Immaculata struggled shooting the ball from the floor, especially from long range finishing the night 2-of-18 from the arc, both of which came after the game was well in hand for the Crusaders. Senior Meg Legere (Lancaster, PA/Lancaster Catholic) scored on an assortment of short jumpers and post moves to finish with a team-best 21 points and fellow senior Mary Kate Pawlowski (Exton, PA/Downingtown) reached double digits with 14.
The Macs took an early 10-7 lead hitting four of their first seven attempts, but Fortna knocked down her first of four 3s at 15:27 to knot the score at 10-10. Her second 3 put the hosts up 15-12 and Lutzkanin took over knocking down a pair of shots from long range during a 12-2 spurt that put Alvernia up a dozen, 27-15, with 10:30 left in the first half.
The lead was cut to 10 twice over the next two minutes and Lutzkanin hit her third 3 in the midst of a 9-1 run that put the hosts up 18, 38-20. Immaculata chipped away at the lead closing the half with eight of the last 10 points and hit the break trailing 40-28.
Lutzkanin’s jumper pushed the lead to 14 to start the second half, and the Crusaders built the lead to 22 over the next six minutes. Fortna led the way with five points during the stretch capping the run with a free throw at the 14:32 mark that put the Crusaders up 22 points, 52-30.
Legere answered with a pair of free throws, but back-to-back Lutzkanin 3s capped a 13-5 streak and the Crusaders were up 28 points, 65-37 with 10:14 to play. Immaculata cut that gap to 19 points with under five minutes to play, but got no closer the rest of the way.
Wednesday’s other semifinal will feature #5 Neumann College at top-seeded Gwynedd-Mercy College also at 7:00 p.m. The final will be Saturday at the highest remaining seed.
#3 Alvernia 81, #6 Immaculata 59
