BOX SCORE

Gwynedd Valley, Pa. (Feb. 7, 2008) – Chalk it up to a bad night and move on.

Just about every different line of the box score both across the page and down it makes you shudder. The bottom line is that Alvernia College dropped its second straight conference game, a 76-62 decision to Gwynedd-Mercy College Thursday evening in men's basketball action at the Griffin Complex. In the end, it only counts for one loss.

The line for shooting percentage ends with 30.2 percent, 19-for-63 from the floor, the Crusaders worst effort of the season. Drop down a line and see just six 3-pointers made out of 30 attempts, a 20-percent effort.

Scroll up the scoring column and near the top you see a game-high 19 points for junior forward Terrence Shawell (Pottstown, Pa./Pottstown) and think you found the silver lining. Zero 3s in 10 attempts and 5-for-23 from the floor – charcoal gray. Two buckets in 12 attempts for sophomore Matt King (Phoenixville, Pa./St. Pius X), and 3-for-10 from junior David Washington (Durham, N.C./Northern Durham), all from behind the arc, both equally as depressing.

The Crusaders have approximately 18 hours to get over this one before hitting the floor for Friday's practice. Their three games per week conference schedule gives them only that to prepare for Neumann College on Saturday. Fortunately the Knights should be fresh in their mind since the two teams squared off last Saturday. Unfortunately it was the Knights who halted an 18-game home winning streak over conference opponents nearly a week ago with a 95-82 win in the Physical Education Center. In two days they start with a clean slate.

Thursday's game hinged on a huge first-half run that started with the Griffins trailing 12-11. Junior Tim McCauley (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) converted a 3-point play at 10:27 and when the dust settled not even six minutes later, the Griffins had put together a 24-2 run that put them up 35-14 with 4:54 left on the first half clock. The Crusaders chipped in going 0-for-10 from the floor during that span and at one point turned the ball over on five straight possessions.

This was not uncharted water for these Griffins. Three nights ago they had the conference leader down 28 points in the first half, but as they have become accustomed of doing lately, the Griffins allowed a seemingly impossible comeback and lost 81-73 to Immaculata. This was their shot to clear that bad night from memory.

Thursday's game began to show promise for the Crusaders when the 21-point lead was cut to 17 points over the next 90 seconds and eventually down to 16 at the half. The Griffins were accommodating with six turnovers in the final five minutes of the half including one of their final possession when they could have held for the final shot.

The second half began with much of the same. Shawell hit a pair of free throws when GMC senior Tom Keenan (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) was assessed with a technical foul. Washington then hit back-to-back 3s and the lead went from 16 down to 10 in less than 80 seconds. Then, inexplicably, the missing returned. Washington misfired on his next 3, Shawell missed a pair, and junior Tyrone Bradley (Chester, Pa./Chester), the silver lining with 11 points on 5-for-8 shooting and 11 boards, missed a layup.

At the other end Gwynedd-Mercy slowly got its confidence back hitting a pair of shots from close range before Matt Johnson (Philadelphia, Pa./Strawberry Mansion) pushed the lead back to 17 points, 51-34 with 15:11 to go.

Sophomore sub Charlie Hughes (Kenhorst, Pa./Governor Mifflin) tried to spark the offense when he nailed a 3, but the offense couldn't continue the momentum with three missed shots on the ensuing possession.

Finally, with nine minutes to play it looked like the Crusaders might take Gwynedd-Mercy up on the invitation to get back in the game. Shawell scored on a layup and the Griffins turned the ball over. Shawell missed the next one, but the rebound, one of 18 offensively for the Crusaders, was kicked out to Hughes who stroked his second 3.

The Griffins managed just one foul shot to temporarily stem the tide, but Shawell hit two and King a layup to cut the gap to seven points, 63-56 with 5:13 to play. Insert McCauley again, whose 3-point play in the first started this mess, for an all-important 3 that pushed the gap back to double figures, 66-56 at 4:59.

King missed a jumper for the Crusaders but Shawell was fouled on the rebound. He made both, and finished 9-for-9 from the free throw line, another silver lining for the Crusaders who shot 78 percent from the line, nearly 10 percent better than their season average.

McCauley missed a jumper for the Griffins as did Washington for the Crusaders and the guests went cold for the final four minutes missing six of eights shots from the floor as the Griffins opened up the 14-point final.

Washington finished with 10 points for the Crusaders while four players reached double figures for the Griffins. Lemeire Talley (Blackwood, N.J./Highland) led the way with 17, Dave Smith (Cape May Court House, N.J./Middle Township) scored 13 and Johnson and Haven Wroten (Philadelphia, Pa./Prep Charter) pitched in with 10 apiece.

Saturday's afternoon tip at Neumann (8-12, 6-6 PAC) gains increasing importance with a first-round playoff bye going to the top two seeds. Immaculata increased its lead at the top with a two-point win at Neumann on Thursday, and third-place Misericordia (13-7, 7-4 PAC) slipped a game with a 10-point loss to Cabrini.

By the time the Crusaders are back on the practice floor tomorrow this night will be ancient history. Tomorrow is another day. The day after that the Crusaders start filling out a new box.

Gwynedd-Mercy 76, Alvernia 62