BOX SCORE

Annville, Pa. (Feb. 24, 2010) - Top-seeded Lebanon Valley College scored 16 of the game's final 23 points in an 87-77 win over #4 Alvernia University Wednesday evening in semifinal action of the Commonwealth Conference Women's Basketball Championships at LVC Gymnasium.

Both teams had four of five starters reach double figures.  The Dutchmen were led by Suzie Noyes who out-shot the Crusaders on her own at the free throw line hitting 14-of-17 attempts.  She finished with 22 points.  Alvernia, which got a team-high 19 points from junior Kelli McIntyre (Orwigsburg, Pa./Blue Mountain), shot 86 percent from the free throw line, but was limited to just 14 attempts.

"That's the complete opposite of what we try to do," said Alvernia head coach Kevin Calabria after Wednesday's loss.  "We look to make more than the opponent shoots from the line, and for the most part this season we have.  Tonight we weren't even close."

The Dutchmen hit 24-of-34 from the line.  The also out-rebounded the Crusaders, 37-31, and took care of the ball, 13 turnovers to 17 for the Crusaders, but still the game was a one-point affair with six and a half minutes to play.

Alvernia senior Joanna Graber (Manalapan, N.J./Notre Dame) scored on a layup at the 6:30 mark to pull Alvernia to within one, 71-70, but the Crusaders went scoreless over the next four minutes while the Dutchmen built their late lead to eight, 78-70.

The lead went to five points in a hurry as Caitlin Murphy then Eryn Shultz scored on successive possessions, but then both teams missed opportunities.  Alvernia came up empty with a missed jumper and two turnovers while the Dutchmen missed four straight shots.

Alvernia, which struggled to defend most of the night, was a few ticks away from defending through the end of the shot clock when junior Alex Velazquez (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) committed a crucial foul on Noyes shooting from beyond the arc.

Noyes hit all three free throws for the eight point lead and the Crusaders only got as close as six the rest of the way.

Graber and sophomore center Angela Altemose (Pottsville, Pa./Nativity BVM) finished with a dozen points each.  Altemose grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds.  Velazquez finished with 11 and Julie Hahn (Warrington, Pa./Central Bucks South) added 10.

The first half was an offensive clinic.  Both teams shot better than 55 percent and the half featured seven ties and eight lead changes.

Neither team led by more than four points until LVC put together an 11-0 run during which four different players scored.  The run was fueled by a four-point play from Shultz and capped by a 3 from Murphy.  Alvernia fouled a 3-point shooter three times, and all seemed to come a pivotal times.

Alvernia stopped the 11-0 spurt on a layup from Kayla Long (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Central) and tied the score at 36-all on a 3 from Graber with 4:01 left in the half.  Hahn followed later with a 3 to put the Crusaders up one and Lil Snyder (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter Strasburg) hit two free throws for a 41-40 lead, but Alvernia went cold from the floor while LVC closed the half on a 7-0 run for a 47-41 halftime lead.

Alvernia will await an ECAC Tournament bid this coming Monday while LVC will host second-seeded Messiah College in Saturday's final.

#1 Lebanon Valley 87, #4 Alvernia 77