Reading, Pa. (Jan. 27, 2016) – Allentown Bishop John Barres stopped by the pregame lockerroom for a pep talk, and a pair of Berks Catholic alums had nights to remember leading Alvernia University (11-8, 7-3) to an 83-79 win over Lycoming College (14-4, 6-3) in MAC Commonwealth men's basketball at Jack McCloskey Court.
 
Alvernia junior Marquis Marshall scored a career-high 31 points and grabbed a personal best 18 rebounds and Mike Miller scored 21 points—15 in the final seven minutes—to pace the Crusaders.  The two played alongside Penn State senior Donovan Jack in high school and led Berks Catholic into the state tournament in the senior season for Marshall and Jack.
 
"I gave my guys a bit of a theology lesson," said Alvernia head coach Mike Miller, Sr., "On who the Pope is and who the Bishop is and he's a basketball guy.  He just came home from Argentina, and he could go anywhere in the world today and where does he come…to our game."
 
Marshall and Miller, Jr. who put on a show--especially late--combined to score 20 of the final 25 points for the Crusaders who overcame a 13-point second-half deficit.
 
"They were good," said Miller, Sr. of the former high school and now college teammates.  "And they had to be."
 
Miller, Jr. hit a corner 3 with 6:55 to play that forged a 63-all tie then ran off six straight points on an off-balance 3-point play and another corner 3 to put the Crusaders up 72-69 with 3:46 to go.
 
Lycoming put together a 6-1 run with under two minutes to play to tie the game at 79-all with 42 second left.  Marshall was taken out right in front of the Alvernia bench on the Crusaders' next possession, and in a strange series of events, freshman Anthony Hedgepeth—who hadn't played a second of the game to this point—subbed in for Marshall who had received medical attention.
 
The Lycoming staff was permitted to select the shooter for Marshall since he was subbed out and originally selected Hedgepeth was calmly stepped to the line, but before his first attempt the officials corrected a mistake making the Warriors choose form the four remaining players who were already in the game.
 
Lycoming picked George Sapp—who finished the night 7-for-7 from the line—and he knocked down both ends of the double bonus around a Warriors' timeout for an 81-79 lead.
 
Lycoming sophomore Alex Newbold was whistled for traveling on the ensuing possession and the Warriors sent Miller, Jr. to the line with 7.6 left on the clock.  Miller, Jr. hit the first free throw then waited through two Lycoming timeouts before hitting the second for a two-possession lead.
 
Lycoming's final shot—a 3-point attempt from Chris Wallace—fell to Marshall for his 18th board of the night.
 
Alvernia vaults into first place on its own following Lebanon Valley's overtime loss to Hood College.  The Crusaders continue the second cycle through the conference scheduling hosting Messiah College on Saturday.
 
Marshall posted his fourth straight double-double on the year after the Crusaders played the first 15 games without one.
 
"He's exceeding expectations so far," said Miller, Jr. of Marshall.  "He's been incredible.  It feels like old times especially in big games like this.  It feels great to be back with him."
 
Miller, Jr. scored in double figures for the second time in three games since returning from an injury that caused him to miss five games.  Sapp turned in an efficient effort at the point finishing with 13 points, two assists, and just two turnovers against a relentless Lycoming pressure.
 
Lycoming put three players in double figures getting a team-high 20 from Newbold and T.J. Duckett.
 
The Warriors jumped out to a 16-6 lead on Duckett's third 3 of the game.  The Lycoming freshman hit five 3s in the first half.
 
Alvernia chipped that lead down to a point, 18-17, getting eight points from Marshall in an 11-2 run.  The Crusaders tied the score at 22-all on five straight from Miller and Marshall, but Lycoming closed the half scoring 20 of the last 30 for a 42-32 lead at the break.
 
The lead was still 10, 53-43, following another Duckett 3, and hit its max at 61-48 with 12:08 to go when John Monkam scored on a layup.
 
Sapp scored five points during a 10-0 Alvernia run that cut the gap to three, and two minutes later Miller, Jr. hit the corner 3 that set the 63-63 tie.
 
"Down 13, the way this unfolded, we had chances to pack it in and we didn't," said Miller, Sr.  "They all fought to the end and that's what I liked."
 
The Crusaders are in the middle of a four-game home stretch then finish with three of the last four on the road.  The MAC Commonwealth takes the top five teams into the postseason starting Monday, Feb. 22.
 
Alvernia 83, Lycoming 79