BOX SCORE

Annville, Pa. (Jan. 9, 2010) - Junior guard Seth Cornell (Millersville, Pa./Penn Manor) drove for a layup with six seconds left that gave Alvernia University (10-3, 2-1) a 61-60 win over Lebanon Valley College (6-6, 2-1) Saturday afternoon in Commonwealth Conference men's basketball action at LVC.

Cornell scored the Crusaders' last eight points of the game as they erased a five-point deficit with 1:35 to play.

LVC sophomore Joe Meehan, who finished with a game-high 24 points, hit 1-of-2 free throws to put the Dutchmen up 58-53 and Cornell answered with his fourth 3 of the game coming off a ball screen to cut the gap to two nine seconds later.

Junior guard Sean MacIntosh hit a jumper for a four-point LVC lead, but Cornell answered that with a layup.  Alvernia senior Nick Rivera (Reading, Pa./Holy Name) stole the ball from Meehan on the next possession and the Dutchmen sent Cornell to the free throw line in a two-point game.

Cornell hit the first, and missed the second, but the Crusaders came up with the rebound and called timeout.

Alvernia intended to go to the hot hand on the inbounds play, but considered going to Rivera on the inside when LVC showed single coverage on the post after doubling all day.

"They took a timeout before we could get it in," said Alvernia head coach Mike Miller.  "We set it up to go to Nick, but they doubled when we came back out.  We just yelled to go back to the original play.  Seth caught the pass and just went."

Cornell went straight to the tin and laid in the game-winner.  LVC got the ball back to midcourt, but had to take a timeout with one second left and threw away the final inbounds.

The first half was fairly uneventful with neither team able to establish much in terms of offense.  Alvernia took a 22-21 lead into the locker room.

LVC asserted itself early in the second half scoring 13 of the first 15 points for a 34-24 lead 15:51 to play.

"Credit our guys for gutting it out defensively when we went down 10," said Miller.  "We went to a clear out for Tad [Gillis] and he either scored or set someone up."

Gillis (Upper Darby, Pa./Upper Darby) scored seven points and set up 3s for both Cornell and Stephan Thompson (Philadelphia, Pa./G.A.M.P.) as the Crusaders erased the deficit with a 17-5 run capped by another Cornell 3.

Neither team had a lead larger than four points the rest of the way until Meehan's late free throw put LVC up five.

Gillis finished with 14 points, nine rebounds, and five assists; Rivera finished with nine points and nine boards; and Brian Nerney (Middletown, N.J./Red Bank Catholic) added 10 points.

Alvernia returns home for a women's and men's doubleheader against Arcadia University next Wednesday.

Alvernia 61, Lebanon Valley 60