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Reading, Pa. (Jan. 17, 2009) – Sophomore Alex Velazquez (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) scored 13 of her game-high 17 points in the first half as Alvernia University (8-5, 5-2) built a 14-point lead at the break and cruised to a 69-43 win over Wilkes University (8-7, 3-5) Saturday afternoon in Freedom Conference women's basketball action at the Physical Education Center.

Fourteen different players saw time for the Crusaders with all but one of them finding the scoring column. Sophomore Kelli McIntyre (Orwigsburg, Pa./Blue Mountain) scored 14, and freshman Allison Toczylowski (Mantua, N.J./Clearview Regional) added 11. Wilkes got a team-high 10 points from Samantha Simcox (Sinking Spring, Pa./Wilson).

Velazquez scored eight of the first 15 for Alvernia and the hosts opened up a 15-4 lead over the first 10 minutes of play. The lead hit a dozen on a Joanna Graber (Manalapan, N.J./Notre Dame) bucket, and maxed out at 17 points in the first half, 31-14 with 1:47 on the clock. Wilkes answered with six of the last nine to end the half down 14 points, 34-20.

Alvernia doubled the Wilkes productivity in the paint with a 20-10 advantage over the first 20 minutes and held a 14-4 advantage in points off turnovers. Alvernia forced 14 Wilkes turnovers in the first half to just eight of its own. Velazquez finished the half with 13 points to lead all scorers.

Wilkes chipped away at the lead early in the second half trimming the gap to seven points, 36-29 just over three minutes into the half. Sophomore Lil Snyder (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter Strasburg) hit a pair of free throws and Toczylowski followed with a bucket to push the gap back to double figures.

The lead grew back to 17 as McIntyre closed a 12-2 run with four straight free throws. Wilkes seesawed back to 15 points twice in the next two minutes, but Alvernia answered with eight straight points, getting two each from each of its double-digit scorers and a pair of free throws from Julie Hahn (Warrington, Pa./Central Bucks South).

The Crusaders emptied the bench with five minutes to go enjoying a 22-point lead and freshmen Sam Carangelo (Lebanon, Pa./Lebanon Catholic) and Jennifer Bonifant (Mount Airy, Md./Linganore) tallied their first career points from the 3-point line and foul line respectively.

Alvernia is off Monday and will continue the conference schedule next Wednesday at Eastern University.

Alvernia 69, Wilkes 43