BOX SCORE

Scranton, Pa. (Jan. 31, 2008) – Senior Jill Rosolie (Quarryville, Pa./Solanco) recorded her second double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 rebounds and Alvernia College hit a season-best 17-of-18 free throws in a 59-51 win at Marywood University Thursday evening in Pennsylvania Athletic Conference women's basketball action at Insalaco Arena.

The win snaps a four-game losing skid for the Crusaders (6-12, 5-4 PAC) and keeps them one clear of the Pacers (11-6, 4-5 PAC) in conference play. Alvernia shot 44 percent from the floor (21-48), but missed all seven shots from long range and snapped a modest string of 30 straight games with a 3-point bucket.

Rosolie hit just 4-of-12 from the floor, but was perfect on six free throws to reach 14. She was joined in double figures by sophomore Joanna Graber (Manalapan, N.J./Notre Dame) and freshman Kelli McIntyre (Orwigsburg, Pa./Blue Mountain) who both scored 13. McIntyre returned from a foot injury that kept her out for four games, all loses for the Crusaders. Marywood got a game-high 19 points from Caitlin Hadzimichalis (Harmony, N.J./Belvidere) and 13 from Stephanie Fusaro (Bala Cynwood, Pa./Harriton).

Marywood scored the first five points of the game and pushed its first-half lead to as many as eight, 20-12, at the 8:18 mark. McIntyre answered that lead with a 3-point play and Alvernia ran off an 18-6 run to end the half and take a 30-26 lead at the break. An Allee Barnes (Blooming Glen, Pa./Pennridge) free throw at 4:16 forged the first tie of the night at 22-all, and Hadzimichalis knotted it at 26-26 with 50 seconds. Graber answered with a layup and Rosolie hit a pair of free throws with two ticks left to push ahead by four.

Hadzimichalis opened the second half with six straight points to swing the lead back to the host Pacers, and McIntyre came back with six of her own to put the Crusaders back up four. Marywood used a pair of 3s opposite a Lil Snyder (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter Stasburg) layup to forge the sixth tie of the night at 40-40 with 12:04 left in the game.

Alvernia freshman August Reichardt (Kenhorst, Pa./Governor Mifflin) put the Crusaders up one with a layup on the next possession and the Crusaders put together a 10-0 run to take command of the game up 50-40 with 6:40 to play. Rosolie and McIntyre both made a pair of free throws during the stretch and Snyder capped it with another layup.

Marywood showed some fight running off five straight points to cut the Crusaders' largest lead in half, but after an exchange of points, Graber scored five straight over a 51-second span to push the lead back to 10 with under a minute to go and assure the Crusaders' victory.

Alvernia will return home to face PAC South foe Neumann College on Saturday as the opener in a women's and men's doubleheader at 1:00 p.m.

Alvernia 59, Marywood 51