BOX SCORE

Chester, Pa. (Feb. 15, 2014) - Alvernia University (15-7, 11-5) senior Brian Parker (Chichester, Pa./Chichester) hit two free throws to reach 1,000 career points and tie the game at 74-all with five minutes left, but Widener University (13-10, 7-9) scored 13 of the game's final 22 points for an 87-83 win Saturday afternoon in Commonwealth Conference men's basketball action at Widener.

Parker recorded game-highs with 25 points and 15 rebounds, but fouled out with just under two minutes to play and the Pride holding an 84-83 lead.  Junior guard Lamont Clark (Parkesburg, Pa./Octorara) had fouled out a possession earlier in a game marred by 51 personal fouls--a pretty even balance of 24 on the hosts and 27 on the guests.

Widener missed all four free throws associated with the Clark and Parker fouls then clanked one more after a foul was called on senior guard Chris Davis (Norristown, Pa./Norristown) with 1:14 to play.  Widener's Laron Byrd was able to hit the second free throw for an 85-83 lead and Davis followed with an elbow 3, but the rebound caromed over the backboard out of bounds.

Alvernia elected to play defense in a 2-point game with about a 15-second differential between the game and shot clock.  Byrd drove down the left side of the lane for a short jumper. Alvernia junior Harrison Deyo (Phoenixville, Pa./Phoenixville) timed his rotation well from the help side and blocked Byrd's effort.  The Crusaders had three players on the floor scrambling for the ball and trying to call timeout, but the jump ball was called and alternating possession favored the Pride.

Alvernia fouled David Nicholson on the inbounds and he knocked down both free throws.  He finished the game 7-for-7 from the line. 

Kahlil Bennett (Old Bridge, N.J./Old Bridge) had a look at a 3 with nine seconds to go and Charles Cooper (Parkesburg, Pa./Octorara) gathered the long rebound and had a second attempt at the top of the arc, but neither fell and the Pride collected the last rebound and the final horn sounded.

Cooper finished with 17 points for the Crusaders, Clark had 16 on 6-of-8 shooting including two driving layups on back-to-back possessions before he fouled out, and Bennett added 14 points.  The Pride put six players in double figures led by Dillon Fields sho scored 16.

The Crusaders are now tied with Stevenson for second place in the conference, one game behind Messiah College.  Hood College is a game behind in fourth place and Albright College is two games behind Hood in fifth place.  Widener is in a 3-way tie for sixth place with Lebanon Valley and Lycoming.  The top five teams make the playoffs which start on Monday, Feb. 26. 

Messiah, Alvernia, Stevenson, and Hood have all clinched playoff spots. 

Alvernia struggled from the floor in the early going starting the game 2-for-13 and trailing 24-8.  It trailed by as many as 18 points in the first half, 28-10, before a layup from Clark and a 3 from Bennett--his first in five attempts--started a 21-3 run that tied the game at 31-all.  Bennett and Cooper both hit 3s during the run and a 3 from Davis tied the score with 3:57 left in the half.

After three more ties, the Pride scored the last three points of the half for a 39-36 lead at the break.

Widener pushed its lead to 11 points in the second half as the Crusaders again struggled from the floor.  Alvernia again used the 3-ball with Bennett connecting once and Cooper twice as it cut the lead back down to one, 60-59.

Alvernia took a 65-64 lead on a Cooper 3 and went up two on a 3-point play from Cooper.  A Parker free throw put Alvernia up two again, 70-68, but four straight free throws from Byrd put Widener up two with 6:44 to play.  The teams traded scores until Parker's two free throws tied the score at 74-74 with five minutes to play.

Davis ended with eight assists and pulled within 19 helpers of breaking the single season record at Alvernia.

Widener 87, Alvernia 83