BOX SCORE

Hackettstown, N.J. (Jan. 28, 2008) – The defense held an opponent to the lowest scoring total of the year and sophomore Matt King (Phoenixville, Pa./St. Pius X) tallied his second straight double-double and third in four games as Alvernia College pasted Centenary College 79-48 Monday night in Pennsylvania Athletic Conference men's basketball action at the Folkner Family Gymnasium.

King finished the night with 16 points and a career-high 15 rebounds and sophomore reserve Nick Rivera (Reading, Pa./Holy Name) went 8-for-8 from the floor for a team-best 17 points and pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds. The defense limited Centenary to just 26 percent shooting including a 1-for-8 and 2-for-13 effort from a pair of starters.

The Crusaders (10-7, 7-1 PAC) hit 40 percent of their shots from the floor in the opening half and built a commanding 37-22 lead at the break. They opened the second half with more of the same scoring 10 of the first 12 points and cruised to the 50th PAC victory for 4th-year head coach Mike Miller.

Centenary trimmed the second-half gap under 20 on a pair of occasions, but Alvernia got six straight from freshman reserve Eric Barefield (Ardmore, Pa./Lower Merion) in an 8-0 spurt that pushed the lead to 29 points, 71-42, with 5:23 to play.

The lead hit 30 for the first time on back-to-back layups by Rivera, and freshman Mike LaScala (Reading, Pa./Antietam) closed the scoring with his first career bucket.

King broke his previous career-best of 13 rebounds which he recorded earlier this season in a win at Eastern. Rivera doubled his previous career-high in rebounds to record his first career double-double and the ninth for the Crusaders this season. Rivera's perfect night from the floor was the first time an Alvernia player made at least five shots without a miss since his previous career high 11 points (5-for-5) versus Cabrini at home on January 15, 2007.

Alvernia will return to action on Thursday when it travels to Marywood University for a women's and men's doubleheader at 6:00 and 8:00 p.m.

Alvernia 79, Centenary 48