BOX SCORE

Reading, Pa. (Jan. 19, 2008) – Alvernia College's one-two punch of junior Terrence Shawell (Pottstown, Pa./Pottstown) and sophomore Matt King (Phoenixville, Pa./St. Pius X) delivered a knockout blow to Gwynedd-Mercy Saturday afternoon with 35 and 27 points respectively as the Crusaders handed the Griffins their third straight loss with a 104-86 decision in Pennsylvania Athletic Conference men's basketball action at the Physical Education Center.

King scored 22 of his career high in the first half doing much of his damage from behind the 3-point arc and Shawell delivered the knockout with 20 of his season-high 35 in the second half scoring from all over the court and stamping the victory with a fastbreak dunk on the final possession.

Depending on your perspective the first half was either a clinic in how to play offense or how not to play defense. The teams combined to shoot 35-for-61 from the floor, a combined 57 percent. King led the Crusaders charge going 9-for-11 from the floor and was 3-for-4 from behind the arc in the opening 20 minutes.

Sophomore guard Zach Westmoreland (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West) opened the scoring for the Crusaders with the first of six first-half 3s for the hosts. GMC answered with seven straight points for its largest lead of the half, but King's first 3 stopped the streak.

Alvernia regained the lead on a Tyrone Bradley (Chester, Pa./Chester) layup at 14:52, and 3s from King and David Washington (Durham, N.C./Northern Durham) pushed the Alvernia lead to five, 16-11. Following a few possessions, the Griffins strung together the next significant run going 10-4 over 3½ minutes to knot the score at 24-all with 9:14 left in the first half.

The teams traded layups for another tie at 26 before the turning point of the opening half left the Crusaders with a 10-point lead. Sophomore Nick Rivera (Reading, Pa./Holy Name) was fouled on the block and the Griffins were whistled for a technical foul on the ensuing dead ball. Shawell knocked down those two free throws and hit two more when he was fouled on the inbound play.

The 6-2 junior knocked down his only 3 of the half on the next possession and his perfectly placed skip pass out of a double team found King with all kinds of time and he obliged with his third 3 for a 36-26 lead with 5:29 on the clock.

Gwynedd-Mercy finally ended the streak, but the Crusaders followed with seven of the next nine for a 43-31 lead, their largest of the half. Five straight from the Griffins cut that lead to seven and Shawell's layup in front of the halftime buzzer sent the teams to the break with Alvernia enjoying that same spread, 49-42.

Westmoreland and Washington hit 3s in the first 90 seconds of the second half and Alvernia pushed its lead back to 10 points, 56-46. The Griffins countered with a five-minute run that cut the lead down to four points at 61-57. Junior Dave Smith (Cape May, N.J./Middle Twp.) started the 11-5 run with back-to-back buckets and Lemiere Talley (Blackwood, N.J./Highland) scored five of his team-high 31 to cap it.

Shawell answered that run with one of his four second-half 3s and Washington followed to push the lead back to 10, and four minutes later Shawell scored five straight for a 12-point lead with under six minutes to play.

Westmoreland and Washington finished the game with 15 and 14 points and Bradley was the fifth Crusaders in double figures with 10. Alvernia posted 100 points for the second straight game having defeated Centenary 102-75 on Thursday. Smith finished with 18 for the Griffins and Haven Wroten (Philadelphia, Pa./Prep Charter) added 14.

The Crusaders free throw parade started with 2½ to play and the hosts nailed 10 from the charity stripe for the 18-point win.

Alvernia will travel to Misericordia University on Monday for a women's and men's doubleheader. Game times are 6:00 and 8:00 p.m.

Alvernia 104, Gwynedd-Mercy 86