BOX SCORE

Reading, Pa. (Feb. 11, 2008) – Freshman guard Kelli McIntyre (Orwigsburg, Pa./Blue Mountain) scored five of her game-high 22 points during an 11-0 run to start the second half leading Alvernia College to a 67-57 win over Misericordia University Monday evening in Pennsylvania Athletic Conference women's basketball action at the Physical Education Center.

Both teams sported pink shooting shirts with the “Think Pink” logo printed across the front during warm ups. Over 900 colleges and universities are taking part in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's (WBCA) program to raise money and awareness for the fight against breast cancer.

McIntyre, who has reached double figures in nine straight games and 20-plus in every other game in the streak, converted a 3-point play to open the second half and push a one-point lead to four. Senior Jill Rosolie (Quarryville, Pa./Solanco), who finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds, followed with a pair of free throws as the Crusaders pulled out to a 41-29 lead as the clock ticked under 17 minutes to play.

The Cougars (16-6, 11-2 PAC) cut the gap to eight points with four straight, but Alvernia (11-12, 10-4 PAC) freshman Alex Velazquez (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) scored two of her career-high 18 to spark a streak of seven straight that gave Alvernia all the cushion it needed.

Misericordia opened the game racing out to an early five-point lead before the Crusaders responded with 11 straight for a 12-6 lead with 13:37 still to go in the first half. The lead remained six after the teams traded 3s, and Misericordia took back the lead going with seven straight points fueled in the middle by a Lindsey Sykes (Avalon, N.J./Middle Township) 3, the Cougars' second from long range in a span of three possessions.

McIntyre scored on a jumper to stop the run, but the Cougars answered with six straight led by four from Amy Hughes (Scranton, Pa./Bishop Hannan) to take a five point lead, 22-17 with 5:52 on the clock.

The lead grew to six on a Vanessa Wright (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport) 3 and remained there after two free throws with two minutes to go in the half. McIntyre then scored four straight and Rosolie added two more to knot the score at 29-all with 57 seconds to go. Velazquez hit 1-of-2 free throws on the Crusaders' final possession to make is seven straight for the hosts and give them a 30-29 lead at the break.

Alvernia's second-half lead grew to as many as 16 points midway through the frame. Misericordia cut it down to nine points, 61-52 with 3:22 to go, and had a look at a 3 to cut to six, but it caromed off and Velazquez scored four straight from the free throw line to push the lead back to 13 points.

DeGraw finished with a team-best 17 points for the Cougars and Hughes added 13. Rosolie posted her third double-double of the season and it was the second double-double for Velazquez who pulled down 10 rebounds.

Alvernia hit 26-of-33 free throws for the game including 20-of-25 in the second half which offset a 25-percent shooting effort from the floor in the final 20 minutes.

The Crusaders will visit Cedar Crest College on Thursday for a 7:00 p.m. match-up with the Falcons. Both teams will again be wearing pink shooting shirts during warm ups to support the WBCAs “Think Pink” campaign.

Alvernia 67, Misericordia 57