BOX SCORE

Reading, Pa. (Jan. 26, 2008) – Alvernia College struggled through a 31 percent shooting effort in a 63-53 loss to Cabrini College Saturday afternoon in Pennsylvania Athletic Conference women's basketball action at the Physical Education Center.

The Crusaders (5-11, 4-3 PAC) made eight field goals in the opening half, falling behind by a dozen at the break, and couldn't recover as the Cavaliers (11-4, 6-0) remained undefeated in the league.
Alvernia, which opened both halves with a 3, started things when Joanna Graber (Manalapan, N.J./Notre Dame) connected from long range on the opening possession. Senior Jill Rosolie (Quarryville, Pa./Solanco) added to the lead with a free throw, but the Cavaliers answered with three straight buckets for their first lead of the day.

Alvernia answered back with an 8-2 spurt, led by four from freshman forward Alex Velazquez (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township), to take a 12-8 lead with 14:09 left on the first half clock.

Cabrini sophomore Deana DiAmico (Wilmington, Del./Ursuline Academy) stopped the run with her first 3 of the day and the Cavaliers ran off 18 of the next 20 points for a commanding 12-point lead with 6½ left in the half. Alvernia got its lone bucket from freshman Lil Snyder (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter Strausburg), and suffered through a scoreless streak of more than six minutes.

The Cabrini lead grew to 13 points three minutes later and the guests settled for a 12-point lead at the break, 32-20, with DiAmico's second 3 closing the first half scoring.

Rosolie opened the second-half with a four-point play drawing a foul while knocking down her first 3 of the day. That cut the gap to eight points, but the Cavs ran it back to 15 when Katie Walck (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) scored from beyond the arc at 16:53.

Cabrini kept the lead in double figures until the 9:20 mark when Snyder's free throw pulled Alvernia within nine, 39-48. Cabrini reestablished the double-digit lead at the 9:00 mark and Alverna's Ana Nieves (Reading, Pa./Greater New Bedford) hit a free throw for the only score in a nearly four-minute span and the Crusaders were down 11, 51-40. The hosts missed five times from the floor during the span and couldn't close the gap even as the Cavs struggled with five misses of their own and a pair of turnovers.

DiAmico's 3 ended the drought and the Cavs held a lead of 10 or more for the duration of the game.
Rosolie and Velazquez both reached double digits for the Crusaders with 14 and 10 points respectively. DiAmico finished with a team-best 12 points and five assists. Sophomore Alyssa Brady (Allentown, Pa./Central Catholic) finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds, and Brittany McLeod (Fairless Hills, Pa./Conwell-Egan) posted a 10-point, 13-rebound effort.

Alvernia will travel to Centenary College for a women's and men's doubleheader on Monday.

Cabrini 63, Alvernia 53