BOX SCORE

Glenside, Pa. (Jan. 22, 2014) - Freshman center Tyra Roberts (Bensalem, Pa./Bensalem) scored 16 of her career-high tying 22 points in the second half as Alvernia University (6-10, 2-7) overcame a 14-point halftime deficit in a 54-51 win over Arcadia University (8-8, 2-7) Wednesday evening in Commonwealth Conference women's basketball action at Alumni Gymnasium.

The Crusaders managed just 15 points in the first half shooting 23 percent from the floor including 0-for-4 from behind the 3-point arc.  Roberts had six points at the break and junior Kaitlyn Yoh (Wernersville, Pa./Conrad Weiser) had eight.  Mya Lobb (Reading, Pa./Muhlenberg) was the only other player in the book with just a single free throw.

Yoh scored the first bucket of the second half, but Arcadia kept pace over the first five minutes and Alvernia still trailed by 11 points, 35-24.

Lobb scored in the paint then Chelsea Ebersole (Palmyra, Pa./Palmyra) connected on Alvernia's first 3 of the night and the guests were off on what amounted to a 13-0 run to turn the 11-point deficit into a 2-point lead, 37-35 with 11:17 to play.  Roberts scored four points during the run and Ebersole five--including the free throws that gave the Crusaders their first lead of the game since an early 10-9 lead.

Neither team held more than a 1-possession lead the rest of the way.  The Knights led by three, 47-44 with just over five minutes left to play, but Alvernia clamped down on the defensive end got four points each from Roberts and Lobb as it closed the game with 10 of the last 14 points.

Lobb pushed the Crusaders ahead three with 25 seconds left and both teams missed free throws on the ensuing possessions--the front end of a 1-and-1 for the Knights and a pair of free throws for Roberts.  Arcadia had a look at a 3 just shy of the final horn, but it was off the mark and the Crusaders picked up just their second win at the end of the first cycle through the conference schedule.

Yoh joined Roberts in double figures with 14 points while the Knights had a balanced score sheet with only one player--Dominique Hassinger with 10 points--reaching double digits.

The second cycle starts up on Saturday when the Crusaders host Lebanon Valley College at 1:00 p.m.

Alvernia 54, Arcadia 51