Reading, Pa. (Jan. 7, 2015) – Hood College (3-10, 1-3) put together a 16-2 run early in the second half then held off a late charge from Alvernia University (5-7, 1-3) in a 60-56 win Wednesday evening in Commonwealth Conference women's basketball action at Jack McCloskey Court.
 
Hood overcame a 10-point deficit with the run and built a second-half lead as big as nine points.
 
Alvernia got game highs of 20 poitns and 15 rebounds from Tyra Roberts.  Hood was led by Rachel Wiley who totaled 15 and 11.
 
Stevie Fortna and Olivia Andrefski hit 3s for the first two buckets for the Crusaders for a 6-2 lead early.  The lead grew to nine points, 23-14 on a 3-point play from Roberts and hit 10 points, 27-17 on a layup from Jenna Wolff.
 
Hood got a jumper in the lane from Briana Lee in the last minute of the first half to hit the break facing a 29-21 deficit.
 
Andrefski and Mya Lobb led the Crusaders with six points apiece in the first half.
 
Alvernia opened the second half with a pair of free throws from Kaitlyn Yoh to reestablish the 10-point lead at 31-21, but Hood scored 12 of the next 14 points to knot the game at 33-all.
 
A Rachel Kessler layup gave the Blazers a 35-33 lead, their first since the opening bucket of the game.
 
The Hood lead quickly grew to nine points, 45-36, following a pair of free throws from Allie Appleby with just under nine minutes to play.
 
The Crusaders cut the gap down to three points with two minutes to play, and missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 27 seconds left.
 
Hood scored one of two free throws at the other end for a 58-54 lead, and inexplicably fouled Yoh on the inbounds.  Yoh missed the front end then Hood grew the lead to six with a pair of free throws before Roberts' score at the buzzer.
 
Alvernia continues the conference schedule at Stevenson on Saturday.
 
Hood 60, Alvernia 56