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Reading, Pa. (Jan. 26, 2009) - Sophomore Kelli McIntyre (Orwigsburg, Pa./Blue Mountain) scored five of her team-high 23 points during a crucial 14-1 second half run that helped Alvernia University (10-6) knock off its second ranked team this month with a 71-67 win over #22 Muhlenberg College (14-3) Monday evening in non-conference women's basketball action at the Physical Education Center.

McIntyre posted a career-high 30 points in a 68-66 win at #12 DeSales 16 days ago, and scored 16 of her 23 on Monday in the second half as the Crusaders overcame a seven point deficit with clutch shooting down the stretch.

Alvernia went up six after the 14-1 run ended with 5:53 to go, and held that same advantage with 3:44 to play.  Muhlenberg then scored eight of the next 10 points to knot the score at 65-all with 1:00 to go.  Freshman Alexandra Chili (Rockville, Md./Walter Johnson), who led all scorers with 27 points, scored four for the Muhls during the stetch and senior Lauren Boyle (Wantage, N.J./High Point Regional) tied the game with a short jumper in the lane.

Alvernia sophomore Lil Snyder (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter Strasburg) gave the lead back to hosts knocking down a clutch 18-foot jumper from the top of the key on the next possession, and Muhlenberg missed a pair at the line with a chance to tie the score again with 30 seconds to play.

Senior Rachel Koerner (Bel Air, Md./Harford Tech) rebounded the second miss and hit 1-of-2 to put Alvernia up three, 68-65.  Chili missed a 3 that would have tied the score and sophomore Sheila Cook (Rockville Center, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial) dropped in the putback to pull within one with 16 seconds to go.

Alvernia junior Joanna Graber (Manalapan, N.J./Notre Dame) hit one free throw for a two-point lead and for the third time in as many possessions the Muhls couldn't force the tie as Kelly McKean's (Watertown, Conn./Holy Cross) driving layup rolled off the side rim.  Graber grabbed that miss and hit two free throws for the final margin.

Alvernia freshman Allison Toczylowski (Mantua, N.J./Clearview Regional) finished one rebound shy of her third straight double-double getting 12 points and nine boards.  Sophomore Alex Velazquez (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) scored 11 points and ripped 10 rebounds before fouling out, and senior Ana Nieves (New Bedford, Mass./Greater New Bedford) responded to her first start in six games with nine points, four rebounds, and a career-high eight assists.  Cook joined Chili in double figures for the Muhls with 16 points to go with 12 boards.

Muhlenberg went up five points early, 9-4, and pushed the first half lead to seven points, 21-14 on a Chili 3 at 10:08.  The Muhls had three chances to build on that lead as Alvernia struggled with three straight turnovers, but the next bucket was from McIntyre as the Crusaders started an 8-0 run that swung the lead back to the hosts.

Chili stopped that with one of her five first-half 3s, and hit another to put Muhlenberg up three, 27-24.  Nieves then scored on a layup which Muhleberg answered, and McIntyre scored the final points of the half on a fastbreak layup that left Alvernia down just one at the break, 29-28.

Alvernia took the lead on a Toczylowski post move to open the second half, but Muhlenberg reclaimed the lead pushing it to six points, 43-37 with 12:23 to play.  Alvernia got four straight, but Chili was there again with her only second-half 3 to cap a 7-2 run that gave the guests their largest lead of the game, 50-43.

McIntyre's layup on the next Alvernia possession started the 14-1 run that put the Crusaders up six with under six minutes to play.

Alvernia will hit the road for a pair of Freedom Conference games Wednesday and Saturday and will return to action at home on Feb. 4 in a doubleheader against Eastern University.

Alvernia 71, #22 Muhlenberg 67