BOX SCORE

Reading, Pa. (Feb. 11, 2008) – Junior forward Terrence Shawell (Pottstown, Pa./Pottstown) hit a pair of 3s late and scored a game-high 22 points to lead Alvernia College to a 76-66 win over Misericordia University Monday evening in Pennsylvania Athletic Conference men's basketball action at the Physical Education Center.

The win pulls the Crusaders (13-9, 10-3 PAC) even with Immaculata University, an 85-81 loser at Eastern University Monday, atop the conference standings. Alvernia will host Immaculata on Thursday and wrap up the week's schedule hosting Eastern on Saturday. Eastern is currently tied for third with Gwynedd-Mercy College. The top two seeds in the conference championships earn a first round bye.

Misericordia (13-8, 7-5 PAC) cut a seven-point deficit to three points with five minutes to play and Shawell buried back-to-back 3s to push the lead to nine and give the Crusaders a comfortable margin. The Cougars called timeout to set up a play and junior Vinny Baumunk (Dushore, Pa./Sullivan County) knocked down a 3 at the top of the key to cut back to six with under four to go.

Alvernia worked the ball around on its next possession for a Matt King (Phoenixville, Pa./St. Pius X) 3 to push the lead back to nine. Baumunk hit a free throw and Misericordia senior Ryan Roa (Matamoras, Pa./Delaware Valley) hit two 3s around a Tyrone Bradley (Chester, Pa./Chester) layup to pull within four, 68-64 with 1:10 to play.

Alvernia junior David Washington (Durham, N.C./Northern Durham) hit two free throws for a six point lead and the Crusaders hit four free throws in the final minute to earn the win.

Alvernia held the largest lead of the first half when it was up six on two occasions midway through the frame and again with 3:38 to go. The Cougars got a free throw from Marcus Little (Stroudsburg, Pa./Pocono Mt. East) and a 3 from Dom Del Prete (Clarks Summit, Pa./Abington Heights) to pull within two and cut it to one with 1:35 left in the first half. Both teams turned the ball over on their next possession and Shawell's dunk sent the Crusaders to the locker room with a three point lead, 32-29.

Baumunk scored 10 points during a 12-4 Cougar run to open the second half and the guests opened up a five point lead, 41-36. Bradley scored to stop the run and King's 3 tied the score at 41-all. Shawell scored on a jumper and sophomore Charlie Hughes (Kenhorst, Pa./Governor Mifflin) hit a 3 to close a 10-0 Alvernia run.

Washington's layup at 9:56 pushed that lead to six for the first time in the second half and Hughes answered a Del Prete 3 to keep it there. Shawell built the lead to seven and the Cougars scored six points from the free throw line against one Nick Rivera (Reading, Pa./Holy Name) bucket before Shawell's first 3 at 5:03.

King scored 17 points for the Crusaders and Hughes finished with 12. Bradley also reached double figures with 10 points on 4-of-4 shooting. Baumunk led the Cougars with 22 points and Del Prete added 16.

Alvernia' s Thursday night game versus Immaculata will be webcast live through http://athletics.alvernia.edu.

Alvernia 76, Misericordia 66