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Reading, Pa. (Feb. 4, 2012) - Alvernia University (10-11, 3-7) struggled to find the range all game shooting just 30 percent from the floor including 0-for-15 from the 3-point arc in a 65-48 loss to #18 Lebanon Valley College Saturday afternoon in Commonwealth Conference women's basketball action at the Physical Education Center.
The Crusaders hit just one of their first 12 shots--a driving layup from freshman Kate Yoh (Wernersville, Pa./Conrad Weiser)--but only found themselves down seven points, 10-3 seven minutes into the game. Seniors
Angela Altemose (Pottsville, Pa./Nativity BVM) and
Kelli McIntyre (Orwigsburg, Pa./Blue Mountain) scored back-to-back buckets to pull within three points, but Lebanon Valley answered with a 15-6 run to push the lead to 12 points, 25-13 with 4:15 left in the first. Renee Fritz scored three times in the paint and Caitlin Bach scored twice inside for the Dutchment during the run.
Alvernia then scored six straight points to cut the deficit in half, but Lebanon Valley scored the final six points of the half to push it back to a dozen at the break, 31-19.
After a McIntyre bucket to open the second half, LVC ran off six quick points for a 16-point lead prompting Alvernia head coach
Kevin Calabria to go with a smaller, quicker lineup. The change of pace worked to the Crusaders' advantage as then chipped seven points off the lead with an 11-4 run, but they couldn't get within eight the rest of the way.
Altemose and
Allie Toczylowski (Mantua, N.J./Clearview Regional) scored nine each to pace the Crusaders. Altemose pulled within 17 points of reaching 1,000 for her career. She would be the 12th women's player at Alvernia to reach 1,000 career points and the third on the current roster joining teammates McIntyre and Toczylowski.
Alvernia now sits perilously close to missing out on the conference playoffs for the first time since the 1989-90 season.
The Crusaders travel to crosstown rival Albright on Wednesday.
#18 Lebanon Valley 65, Alvernia 48
