Gwynedd Valley, Pa. (December 3, 2025) - Alvernia University (4-3) fended off Gwynedd Mercy University (5-2) in overtime Wednesday night, 88-84, in a non-conference men's basketball tilt at Gwynedd Mercy's Griffin Complex. 

The Golden Wolves were led by junior forward Elijah Hamilton who notched a season best 31 points in the victory and also added a team high 16 rebounds. Hamilton's 30 point performance comes as the second of his career with the first being last season when he posted 32 points in a victory over the Griffins on Jack McCloskey Court. 

Alvernia held a nine point, 31-22 advantage after the first 20 minutes of basketball but the Griffins then outscored the Golden Wolves 51-42 in the second half to force the game into overtime tied at 73. The Golden Wolves would hold off the Griffins thanks to clutch free throws by Janye Stanley in the dying seconds of the game and a big time three ball from Rasheem Dearry with 38 seconds to go to propel the Golden Wolves to the four point 88-84 victory.

How it Happened 

• The Golden Wolves came out flying to start the game and went on a 15-6 run in the first ten minutes of the game to take a nine point lead. Alvernia was led by Elijah Hamilton who rattled off 13 of Alvernia's 15 points during the stretch. 
• The Griffins then pulled within four, 18-14, after an 8-3 scoring run over the next five minutes but a Hamilton jumper and a Janye Stanley and one pushed the Golden Wolves lead to six, 23-17 with four minutes to go in the half. 
• Alvernia would then tally eight of the final 11 points of the first half and took a nine point, 31-22 advantage into the halftime break. Hamilton led the way for the Golden Wolves with 17 points. Stanley followed with eight points and both Keon Long-Mtume and Robert Cottrell added three for the Golden Wolves. 
• Alvernia shot 42% from the floor in the first half and out rebounded the Griffins 25-14 in the first 20 minutes. The Golden Wolves also held the lead the entire first half. 
• The Golden Wolves came out of the break and pushed their lead to 14, 42-28, after an 11-6 stretch in the first four minutes of the half thanks to nine points from Rasheem Dearry, all nine of which came from beyond the arc. 
• Gwynedd Mercy then began to get hot and closed the gap over the next six minutes and ripped off an 18-7 scoring run that would pull them within three, 49-46, and forced Alvernia head coach Mike Miller Jr. to take a timeout. 
• The Golden Wolves came out of the timeout and knocked down a big time three from Dearry, his fourth of the game, but the Griffins responded immediately with a Dylan Harris three pointer of his own on the ensuing trip down the floor to keep the Griffins within three, 52-49. 
• Dearry came down the floor the next possession and knocked down yet another shot from deep to make it 55-49 but Gwynedd Mercy turned around and went on a 13-5 run over the next four minutes to swing the lead in its favor for the first time all night, 62-60, with 5:44 to play in the second half and forced another Alvernia timeout. 
• The Golden Wolves and the Griffins battled back and forth over the next two minutes before another Harris three pushed the Griffins back in the lead, 69-66, with 3:33 to play in regulation. 
• Both teams would trade buckets and free throws back and forth over the next two minutes before the Griffins knocked down two free throws with 1:15 to play in the second half to make it a two point, 73-71 lead. 
• Alvernia responded immediately with a beautiful Elijah Hamilton drive and slam to tie it at 73 a piece and forced a Griffin timeout with 55.1 on the clock. 
• The Golden Wolves then got a big time stop on the next possession and a defensive rebound by Hamilton but back to back missed jumpers for Alvernia gave the Griffins the ball back with under 25 to play in regulation tied at 73. 
• Gwynedd Mercy's Jalen Snead drew a foul with two seconds left on the clock while driving to the basket and went to the free throw line with two chances to take the lead and win the game but Snead missed both attempts from the charity stripe and sent the game into overtime tied at 73. 
• Dearry led Alvernia in the second half with 15 points all of which came off of three pointers, Hamilton followed with 11 and Cottrell added eight. 
• The Griffins took a five point lead in the first two minutes of the overtime period after Harris knocked down three free throws and Jake Okon knocked down a three pointer to make it a 79-74 Gwynedd Mercy lead. 
• Hamilton would knock down two free throws for Alvernia but the Griffins responded with a layup to keep it a five point ballgame, 81-76 with 2:38 to play. 
• The Golden Wolves pulled it back within one after a Dearry driving layup and a yet another three point bucket to make it 82-81 with under two minutes to go in OT. 
• Alvernia would produce another massive stop on the defensive side of the ball the next time down the floor for Gwynedd Mercy and took a timeout to regroup. Mike Miller Jr. drew up the right play during the timeout and got the ball to Dearry who knocked down his seventh three ball of the night to propel the Golden Wolves in the lead, 84-82 with 38 seconds to go. The lead was the first for the Golden Wolves since the 6:18 minute mark of the second half when they led 60-59. 
• The Golden Wolves then forced a Griffin turnover on the ensuing possession and Janye Stanley went to the free throw line and knocked down four clutch free throws in the final 13 seconds of the game to secure the 88-84 comeback victory for the Golden Wolves. 

Inside the Box Score 

• Elijah Hamilton led all scorers with 31 points and added a season high 16 rebounds. Hamilton shot 12-22 from the floor and went 7-12 from the charity stripe. Hamilton also added two assists and one block in his best performance of the young season. 
• Rasheem Dearry followed Hamilton with 23 points and knocked down a career high seven three pointers. Dearry went 7-11 from three point range in the win and added seven rebounds and two assists and also scored eight of Alvernia's 15 points in the OT period. 
• Janye Stanley posted 18 points for the Golden Wolves and went a perfect 7-7 from the free throw line including four clutch free throws in overtime. Stanley also added eight rebounds, three steals and two assists. 
• Robert Cottrell tallied 11 points and added a team high seven assists, two steals and a block. 
• The Golden Wolves shot 44% from the floor in the victory and 33% from beyond the arc. Alvernia also posted a season low 68% free throw percentage but made them when it counted at the end of the game. The Golden Wolves also out rebounded the Griffins 51-35 including a 15-8 advantage on the offensive glass. 

Up Next 

• The Golden Wolves are back in action on Saturday when they host Arcadia at 1:00 PM on Jack McCloskey court in a MAC Commonwealth/Freedom clash.