BOX SCORE | PHOTOS

Reading, Pa. (Jan. 8, 2011) – Alvernia University (6-5, 2-1) reached its highest point total of the season and put five players in double figures led by 16 from Allie Toczylowski (Mantua, N.J./Clearview Regional) in an 85-67 win over Elizabethtown College (7-4, 1-2) Saturday afternoon in Commonwealth Conference women's basketball action at the Physical Education Center.

“I thought our starters were really good tonight,” said Alvernia head coach Kevin Calabria after the game.

All five starters for the Crusaders hit double figures. Angela Altemose (Pottsville, Pa./Nativity BVM) scored 15 points and pulled down a team-best nine rebounds. Julie Hahn (Warrington, Pa./Central Bucks South) scored 13 points, freshman Kelsey Gill (State College, Pa./State College Area) -- in her first start of the season -- scored a career-high 12, and Brittany Young (Columbus, N.J./Northern Burlington) added 10 points to go with Toczylowski's total.

The Crusaders added to a day of season-bests with new marks in makes and percentage from both the line and the arc. They hit six 3s and shot 55 percent from behind the arc and added 27 free throws on 36 attempts (75 percent), but the first thing Calabria wanted to talk about was the defense.

“We knew we would have to focus on defending. They can shoot,” said Calabria, speaking of an Etown team that had two players over 20 made 3s on the season and was shooting 75 percent from the free throw line as a team. “If you give them open looks they can make shots.”

His initial answer on how he held them to 35 percent form the floor was short and to the point.

“Guard,” he said laughing at the simplicity of the answer. “We're a pretty good on-the-ball defensive team right now, and that worked well for us tonight.

The Crusaders hope to bring back the defensive intensity on Monday when they host The College of New Jersey in a non-conference game.

Alvernia scored the first six points of the game and never trailed. The Crusaders built their largest lead of the first half, 17 points, 37-20 when Gill was nothing-but-net on her first 3-point attempt of the season.

“That was a really solid game for Kelsey Gill,” said Calabria. “I didn't even know she could make that shot. Plus, she adds intensity and has skills with the ball.”

The Crusaders matched that 17-point lead at the halftime break, 43-26 following a 3 from Lil Snyder (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter Strasburg). The Crusaders more than doubled the Blue Jays' efficiency in the first half hitting 14-of-26 (.538) shots from the floor compared to 8-of-30 (.267). Altemose paced the effort with 12 points, six rebounds, and four assists by halftime.

Alvernia scored seven of the first nine points of the second half to push its lead over 20 points, 50-28, and kept it near there the rest of the way. Fourteen different players saw time for head coach Kevin Calabria.

Etown put three players in double figures led by 23 points from Kaity Snyder.  Snyder also grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds -- 10 of them on the offensive glass.  Megan Strohman scored 18 points and Nadine Yunginger scored 11.

After starting the series with the Jays with three straight losses, the Crusaders have now run off four straight wins, the last three being conference wins. Calabria picked up his 396th career against 194 losses.

Alvernia 85, Elizabethtown 67