BOX SCORE

Doylestown, Pa. (Jan. 29, 2009) - Delaware Valley College (7-10, 3-6) put five players in double figures and scored 52 points in the second half in an 85-72 win over Alvernia University (8-10, 5-5) Thursday night in Freedom Conference men's basketball action at James Work Gymnasium.

Both teams battled through a foul-plagued first half with neither team holding an advantage on the scoreboard in a 33-all game after 20 minutes.  The whistle blew on 28 fouls in the first frame with six players for Alvernia having two fouls each and five Aggies having at least a pair of fouls.

After Alvernia opened up an early six-point lead, Delaware Valley ran out to the largest lead of the half, a nine-point advantage, 21-12 at the 11:24 mark.  Alvernia scored each of its next six points from the free throw line and David Washington (Durham, N.C./Northern Durham) hit a 3 on the break, the only of the half for Alvernia, and added a free throw as the Crusaders closed within one with a 10-2 spurt.

The Crusaders eventually tied the score at 28-all on a Marcel Roane (Philadelphia, Pa./George Washington) layup.  Roane finished with eight points and six rebounds, all in the first half.

The score was tied again at 29 and 31-all and the team's traded layups in the final minute for the 33-33 score at the break.  Alvernia had chances to push ahead, but his just 14-of-23 first half free throws.

Del Val came out strong to start the second half opening up a 10-point lead with a 14-4 run as the Crusaders could just connect on two of their first eight attempts.

Alvernia junior Charlie Hughes (Kenhorst, Pa./Governor Mifflin), who led the Crusaders with 14 hit a 3 and Jeff Amponsah (Far Rockaway, N.Y./Carson Long Military Academy) scored three the old fashioned way as Alvernia cut the lead to four, 47-43 in less that a minute's time.

The lead was five after an Eric Barefield (Ardmore, Pa./Lower Merion) layup with under 11 to go, but Del Val hit a layup and James Jones(Philadelphia, Pa./Edward Bok Tech), who tallied a game-high 25, hit a 3 to push the gap back to 10.

For the second time in the half Alvernia scored six straight to pull within four, 67-63 with 5:41 to play, but the Aggies methodically worked the lead back to 10 with Chris Mayo (Philadelphia, Pa./West Catholic) leading with way with a pair of buckets.

The Del Val lead grew to 13 and the hosts kept it in double figures the rest of the way.

Alvernia will return to action Saturday at Misericordia University in a women's and men's Freedom Conference doubleheader.

Delaware Valley 85, Alvernia 72