BOX SCORE Reading, Pa. (Nov. 30, 2013) – Senior point guard
Chris Davis (Norristown, Pa./Norristown) scored a career-high 21 points on 6-of-8 shooting and led Alvernia University (3-2) to a 95-83 win over Penn State-Berks College (1-4) Saturday afternoon in non-conference action at Berks.
The Crusaders used a 10-0 run early in the second half to establish control and held off the Lions down the stretch. Senior
Kahlil Bennett (Old Bridge, N.J./Old Bridge) struggled from the floor overall, but did knock down two 3s during the 90-second run.
Bennett missed a 3 right before the run started—and at that point was just 2-for-7 from behind the arc in the game. He hit a 3 from the right elbow assisted by Davis for a 6-point lead then pushed it to eight with a second 3, this time assisted by
Harrison Deyo (Phoenixville, Pa./Phoenixville). Bennett finished the game 4-of-14 from the arc.
Senior forward
Brian Parker (Chichester, Pa./Chichester) scored on an aggressive move in the paint and
Lamont Clark (Parkesburg, Pa./Octorara) went coast-to-coast for the 12-point lead, 56-44 with 15:02 to play.
The lead was as many as 17 points following a 3 from junior
Kirby Turner (Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown) with 9:17 to go. Berks ran off eight straight points to cut the gap to single digits. The run was sparked by a 3 from Darren Major—one of eight triples on the day for the Lions.
Bennett hit another 3 during a run that got the lead back to double digits and the Crusaders held a comfortable margin through the final horn.
Bennett matched Davis with 21 points, Deyo had 14 points and a pair of highlight blocks. Parker finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds, and Turner set a new career high with seven.
The Lions had the stroke going from the arc in the early going. Sophomore Christian Burggraf opened the scoring with a 3 and the Lions knocked down six of their 14 attempts in the first half.
Berks held the lead for most of the first seven minutes with Alvernia only taking a brief 7-6 lead. The Crusaders broke a 19-all tie with a 12-3 run to take a 31-22 lead with 6:46 left in the half.
Berks cut the lead down to three points, 39-36 with 11 seconds left in the half, but the Crusaders pushed off the make and Clark found Deyo for a hoop right before the horn.
Davis had the best half for the Crusaders going 5-for-5 from the floor with a pair of 3s and 15 points. The rest of the team managed just 8-for-28 from the floor over the opening 20 minutes.
Berks cut the Alvernia lead down to three points with the first bucket of the second half and had it to two, 46-44 before the Crusaders' game-deciding run.
Alvernia returns to the conference schedule next Wednesday hosting Lycoming College.
Alvernia 95, Penn State-Berks 83
