BOX SCORE

Virginia Beach, Va. (Mar. 7, 2014) – Tenth-ranked Wesley College (23-3) shot 65 percent from the floor in the second half and scored 54 points after the break in an 83-72 win over Alvernia University (20-8) Friday evening in first round action of the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championships at Virginia Wesleyan.

"It certainly wasn't our "A" game," said Alvernia head coach Mike Miller.  "We were lacking some intensity and seemed a step slow from beginning to end.  Credit them, they certainly had something to do with it."

Wesley shot just 30 percent in the opening half, but pounded the offensive glass for 10 rebounds and found itself down just two at the break, 31-29, with Alvernia hitting 40 percent from the floor and 44 percent (4-9) from behind the 3-point arc.

"We didn't have a good first half with the little things," said Miller.  "All the little things we did bad in the first half and I thought we should have been up more [at halftime]."

Wesley hit six of its first 10 shots to open the second half and rebounded three of its four misses over the first four minutes, but Alvernia managed to keep pace going four for the first five capped by a Kahlil Bennett (Old Bridge, N.J./Old Bridge) 3 that left the Crusaders up one, 40-39.

Alvernia was up one three minutes later, 48-47, following a Lamont Clark (Parkesburg, Pa./Octorara) jumper at the elbow, but Wesley scored nine of the next 11 for a six point lead, 56-50.

Eric Selby started it with a layup, then Anthony Bowers turned a steal into a fast break bucket, David Langan hit a short jumper and Wayne Lennon knocked down a 3.

"Again, credit to them," said Miller. "They made shots when they had to.  Every time we made a run they made a shot."

Charles Cooper (Parkesburg, Pa./Octorara) stemmed the tide for the Crusaders with a 3, and Clark buried another jumper to cut the gap to two points, 59-57, with 8:17 to play.

Bowers answered with a 3 for the Wolverines, Lennon scored on a jumper, and Quincy Pettiford made it seven straight for Wesley over a two-minute span to push the lead to nine points, 66-57.

The lead hit 14 points, 76-62, with 3:10 to play, but a resilient crew of Crusaders clawed back to a one-possession game. 

Cooper started it with a 3 then Davis hit a 3 and scored on a layup after Brandin Youngblood hit 1-of-2 from the line for Wesley.

Alvernia forced a turnover and Bennett hit two free throws and all of a sudden it was a seven point game, 79-72, with 43 seconds left.

Selby went 1-for-2 from the line and Cooper knocked down an NBA-range 3.  Then 1-of-2 from Pettiford and another 3 from Cooper and the Crusaders were within 3, 81-78 with 18 seconds left.

Pettiford went back to the line with 13 seconds left and hit both, then Alvernia missed a pair of desperation looks at 3s and the horn sounded.

Cooper finished with a team-high 19 points hitting 5-of-7 from beyond the arc.

"He's been doing that as of late and especially against zones," said Miller of Cooper.  "Obviously we needed scoring down the stretch."

Davis finished with 15 points and 14 assists, and Bennett and Brian Parker (Chichester, Pa./Chichester) had 14 apiece.

Alvernia finishes the season at 20-8, the third straight 20-win season for the Crusaders.  The senior class graduates with three Commonwealth Conference titles, an ECAC South Championship, and three NCAA appearances.

Wesley 83, Alvernia 78