BOX SCORE

Glenside, Pa. (Jan. 22, 2014) - Senior Brian Parker (Chichester, Pa./Chichester) scored a career-high 31 points to lead Alvernia University (11-5, 6-3) to a 75-67 win over Arcadia University (6-10, 1-8) Wednesday evening in Commonwealth Conference men's basketball action at Alumni Gymnasium.

Parker did a good bit of his damage at the free throw line knocking down 13-of-17.  He was 9-for-13 from the floor and pulled down 11 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season.  Harrison Deyo (Phoenixville, Pa./Phoenixville) and Chris Davis (Norristown, Pa./Norristown) scored 11 points apiece.

Alvernia closed the first half with an 11-4 run to take a 37-33 lead at the break.  Parker led the way with six points during the 5-minute stretch and Kahlil Bennett (Old Bridge, N.J./Old Bridge), who had an off night shooting the ball, hit his only 3 of the night during the run.

The Crusaders took a double-digit lead fo the first time in the game when Parker scored back-to-back layups three minutes into the second half for a 45-34 advantage, but the Knights put an end to that scoring seven straight to pull within four, 45-41.

The Crusaders went right back to Parker on the offensive end and the senior delivered in the post to stop the Arcadia run.  After a pair of free throws, Deyo scored on back-to-back possessions, first on a jumper then on a breakaway dunk after a Davis steal.

After the teams combined to score on five straight possessions Alvernia got five straight points from Parker to extend the lead to 11 points and it remained over eight until the Knights cut it to seven with just over a minute to play.  Arcadia missed a pair of looks from the arc that would have brough the gap down to four points and Alvernia knocked down three free throws in the final 33 seconds to keep in a 3-possession game.

The Crusaders got a little help from Elizabethtown (4-5) which earned an upset win over Stevenson (7-2).  Hood (6-3) kept pace with the Crusaders (6-3) getting a last-possession win at Lebanon Valley (3-6).  Messiah (7-1) had its game at Widener (2-6) postponed until Thursday and remains on top of the league with almost everyone having played each other once.  Albright (5-4) also stopped a two-game skid with a 10-point win at Lycoming (3-6).

Alvernia starts the second trip through the conference schedule hostin Lebanon Valley on Saturday.

Alvernia 75, Arcadia 67