BOX SCORE

Reading, Pa. (Feb. 25, 2008) – Freshman Kelli McIntyre (Orwigsburg, Pa./Blue Mountain) matched her career high with 25 points to lead fourth-seeded Alvernia College to 79-62 win over #5 Centenary College Monday evening in quarterfinal action of the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Championships at the Physical Education Center.

McIntyre scored 18 of her 25 after halftime including six during a pivotal 11-0 run early in the second half that gave the Crusaders (14-12) a 10-point lead, 49-39 with 14:18 to go. Centenary (15-10) pulled as close as seven points, but when McIntyre's 3 at the 9:52 mark pushed the lead back to 10 the Crusaders held a double-digit lead the rest of the way.

Alvernia has now won nine straight games and will travel to top-seeded Gwynedd-Mercy College on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. The two teams split the season series with both teams winning on the road and Alvernia snapping a 43-game conference winning streak for the Griffins with an 83-80 decision on Feb. 7.

Alvernia ran off the first significant run of the night putting together an 11-2 run that built a 10-point lead, 21-11. Junior Ana Nieves (New Bedford, Mass./Greater New Bedford), who picked up her second foul just 63 seconds into play but remained in the game, knocked down a jumper, freshman August Reichardt (Kenhorst, Pa./Governor Mifflin) followed with a bucket and Joanna Graber (Manalapan, N.J./Notre Dame) two free throws for a 16-9 lead. After a pair of Centenary free throws cut the lead to five, junior Michelle Lutzkanin (Hummelstown, Pa./Lower Dauphin) hit a 3 and junior Allee Barnes (Blooming Glen, Pa./Pennridge) pushed the gap to 10 with just under 14 minutes left in the first half.

Centenary cut the lead in half with a 5-0 spurt led by a 3 from Kristen Camuso (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Josephs by the Sea) and a jumper from senior Alana Way (Edison, N.J./John P. Stevens). Two minutes later the Crusaders pushed it back to 10, 28-18 on a Jill Rosolie (Quarryville, Pa./Solanco) layup.

The Cyclones took two minutes to cut the gap to six and pulled within four points, 31-27 on a Way layup with 1:19 on the first half clock. Rosolie answered that shot, but Centenary sophomore Nicole Van Tassel (Franklin, N.J./Wallkill Valley Regional) converted a 3-point play for the Cyclones to close the first half scoring with Alvernia holding a tenuous three point lead, 33-30.

McIntyre hit a 3 and Nieves two free throws early in the second half, but the rest of the first three minutes belonged to the Cyclones who took the lead on back-to-back Camuso 3s, the second of which prompted a 30-second timeout for the Crusaders.

Rosolie assisted McIntyre on a jumper coming out of the timeout and the Crusaders regained the lead. Cyclones' leading scorer, Stephanie Roberts (Bakersfield, Calif./South) turned the ball over on successive possessions before another McIntyre bucket made it four straight for the hosts. Graber hit a 3 and Rosolie and McIntyre capped the 11-0 run with back-to-back jumpers.

The Crusaders did a great job containing Roberts while the outcome was still in question. She scored just nine of her team-high 20 points before the Alvernia lead hit double digits for good. The Crusaders forced the senior guard/forward into two turnovers and three missed shots while the they went from down one to up 10.

Roberts did connect on a 3 with 12:30 left to cut the lead to seven, but McIntyre answered with a jumper assisted by Barnes. After six empty possessions Roberts scored to pull back within seven, but McIntyre was there again for the Crusaders with a 3 that pushed the gap to 10, 58-48. It grew to 12 on a Rosolie layup with 7:41 left and Alvernia cruised to the 17-point victory.

Alvernia scored 46 points in the second half to build on its three point halftime lead. Rosolie and Graber joined McIntyre in double figures with 14 and 11 points respectively, and Rosolie tied a career high with six assists. Centenary, which was limited to a seven-player rotation, had four players in double figures. Camuso finished with 14 on 4-for-10 3-point shooting, Van Tassel finished with 13 points and 14 rebounds, and Way added 10 points and nine rebounds.

Alvernia forced 20 turnovers and won the battle of the boards, 53-44.

Wednesday night's semifinal will be webcast live by Gwynedd-Mercy through its website http://athletics.gmc.edu.

#4 Alvernia 79, #5 Centenary 62