Center Valley, Pa. (Dec. 30, 2022) - Alvernia University (9-3) closed out 2022 with a bang as the Golden Wolves downed Ursinus College (7-3) 104-90 to take third place in the DeSales University Al Senavitis Tournament on Friday night at DeSales. 

After Alvernia struggled offensively on Thursday night in a 61-54 loss to Montclair State, the Golden Wolves nearly doubled their point total on Friday night with 104 points scored. It is just the fourth time in 12 years that Alvernia has scored over 100 points in a game. 

The Golden Wolves shot 39-for-73 and were 15-for-29 from beyond the arc. Malik Green led Alvernia with six 3-pointers, and Jalil Schenck came off the bench to add three more.

The Bears jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but Alvernia quickly turned the tide. A floater by Keba Mitchell put the Golden Wolves on the board, and Green's first three of the night gave Alvernia the 5-4 lead after two minutes of action.

Alvernia pushed its lead to seven points, 15-8, three minutes later after Malik Slay subbed in and hit a jumper. But, the Bears quickly went on a 8-0 run to retake the lead, 16-15, with 13:51 to play in the opening half. 

Alvernia and Ursinus traded the lead and kept it a one possession game for the next seven minutes until a Schenck three gave Alvernia a six point lead, 37-31, with six minutes to play in the half. 

Three minutes later, a Jakob Kelly layup off a Bear turnover gave Alvernia a double-digit lead, 43-33, with 2:38 to play. Nigel Cooke then made a free throw and back-to-back field goals to give Alvernia the 16 point lead, 49-33. The Bears scored the final three points of the half to make it a 49-36 game going into the half.

After the Bears scored the opening two points of the second half, Alvernia's Robert Mullan knocked down a three on the first possession of the half for the Golden Wolves to give Alvernia the 52-38 lead. 

Four minutes later, Ursinus made it a single-digit game, 60-51, following an offensive foul and subsequent turnover by Alvernia.

Mullan hit another three to bring Alvernia's lead back into double-digits, 63-51, with 15:46 to play. Mullan's three marked the start of a 19-9 run for Alvernia over the next five minutes that was capped off by a Green three to make it an 82-60 game with 10:41 to play.

The Bears got as close as 16 on four occasions over the next three minutes, but a 3-pointer by Kelly and jumper by Schenck gave Alvernia a 21 point lead, 94-73, with 6:29 to play. The Golden Wolves coasted the rest of the way as they came away with the 104-90 win.

Green finished 8-for-12 from the field and was 6-for-10 from three point range. He finished with 24 points and was one of five players to finish with double-digits for Alvernia. Kelly finished with 20 points, and Schenck finished with 17 off the bench. Cooke finished with 16 points and Mullan finished with ten. Both Cooke and Kyle Gordon finished with a team-high eight rebounds. 

Alvernia returns to MAC Commonwealth play on Wednesday as the Golden Wolves host Eastern. The Eagles are entering Wednesday at a perfect 3-0 in MAC Commonwealth play. Alvernia has won its last three MAC Commonwealth games after dropping the first MAC Commonwealth game of the season in an overtime decision to Widener.