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Reading, Pa. (Jan. 17, 2009) - Alvernia University (8-7, 5-2) clamped down on defense holding the top-scoring team in the conference a dozen points under its average and 16 points under its season shooting percentage in a 75-66 win over Wilkes University (9-5, 5-2) Saturday afternoon in Freedom Conference men's basketball action at the Physical Education Center.

The Colonels hit just 19 of 59 shots from the floor including 10 of their 29 shots from 3-point range.  Alvernia packed into a zone for the first half and Wilkes hit just 25 percent from the floor missing 10-of-16 from 3-point range and trailing 37-23 at the break.  The Crusaders held Wilkes, which starts three players at 6'5", to no points in the paint in the first half, and held a 14-0 advantage in points off turnovers.

Alvernia scored the first seven points of the game and never trailed.

The Crusaders put together a 10-2 run midway through the first half to push a four-point lead up to 12, 29-17 with four minutes left in the half.  Two minutes later David Washington (Durham, N.C./Northern Durham), who along with Nick Rivera (Reading, Pa./Holy Name) lead the Crusaders with a dozen points on the night, hit one of his two 3s to give Alvernia a 14-point lead and hit his second just shy of the buzzer for a 37-23 lead at the break.

Junior Charlie Hughes (Kenhorst, Pa./Governor Mifflin), who finished with 10, started the second half with a jumper and the Alvernia lead hit 20 on a Marcel Roane (Philadelphia, Pa./George Washington) layup.

Wilkes cut that gap to 14 points with an 8-2 run getting 3s from Chris DeRojas (Kingston, Pa./Bishop O'Reilly) and Paul Huch (Tuckerton, N.J./Pinelands Regional), but Alvernia pushed the lead back to 18 points, an advantage it held with nine minutes to play.

The lead was 16, 66-50, with 4:37 to go before Wilkes put together its final push.  The Colonels pulled within 11 with two minutes to go and down to seven, 68-61 on a Tom Kresge (Broadheadsville, Pa./Pleasant Valley) layup with 75 seconds to play.

The gap shrank to five with 30 seconds to go as Alvernia hit 1-of-2 free throws twice in the last 60 seconds and Michael Donatoni(Malvern, Pa./Great Valley) knocked down a jumper for the Colonels.

Jeff Amponsah (Far Rockaway, N.Y./Carson Long Military Acad.) finally hit a pair of free throws with 28 seconds to go and Wilkes couldn't convert on its next possession and the Crusaders held on for an important conference victory.

DeRojas finished with a game-high 24 for the Colonels.

Alvernia will hit the road on Monday for a non-conference game at Immaculata.

Alvernia 75, Wilkes 66