York, Pa. (February 4, 2026) - Alvernia University (11-8, 5-4) trailed by as many as 20 points in the second half but Mason Jones and Robert Cottrell led the Golden Wolves to a 80-77 come from behind victory over York College(16-4, 6-3) Wednesday night in a MAC Commonwealth men's basketball clash at York's Wolf Gymnasium. 

York held a 15 point, 44-29 lead at the halftime break and pushed it to 20, 53-33, with 18:42 to go in the second half but the Golden Wolves started chipping away at the lead and pulled off the comeback victory over the Spartans. Alvernia outscored the Spartans 51-33 in the second half on the shoulders of Robert Cottrell and Mason Jones. Cottrell poured in 21 of his 28 points in the second half and Jones tallied 13 points in the final 20 minutes of action. 

The victory came as Alvernia's first win at Wolf Gymnasium since January of 2024, including last year's MAC Commonwealth title game when York downed the Golden Wolves on its home court. 

How it Happened 

• The Spartans came out hot to start the game and ratted off the first eight points of the game and posted a 15-7 scoring stretch in the first five minutes of the ballgame. 
• York continued to control the game and posted another scoring run over the next six minutes that pushed its lead to 13, 26-13, with 7:24 to go in the first half. 
• Alvernia's Robert Cottrell halted the scoring run with a two point jumper that sparked an 8-8 run that kept the deficit at 13, 34-21, with under four minutes to go in the first half. 
• The Spartans answered back with a three point bucket of their own on the ensuing possession and posted ten of the next 14 points to push the lead to 19, 44-25. 
• The Golden Wolves answered with a Rasheem Dearry layup and jumper to make it a 44-29 York lead heading into the halftime break. 
• Rasheem Dearry led the way for the Golden Wolves in the first half with nine points. Mason Jones and Robert Cottrell followed with seven and Elijah Hamilton rounded out the scorers for the Golden Wolves with six. 
• The Golden Wolves and the Spartans battled back and forth to start the second half with the Golden Wolves recording a 13-11 scoring stretch over the first five minutes of the game but the Spartans still held a 13 point, 55-42 lead. 
• York responded with a three pointer to make it 58-42, but Cottrell answered with an and-one from beyond the arc to pull within 12, 58-46. 
• The Golden Wolves then began to chip away at the Spartan lead and went on an 8-5 scoring run over the next three minutes to pull within single digits, 63-54, after Dearry knocked down a two point jumper. 
• Alvernia continued to score the basketball and pulled within seven after a Mason Jones layup but York's Jayden Rowe knocked down a three to push the York lead back to ten, 68-58 with 8:22 to play in the second half. 
• The Golden Wolves answered with Cottrell driving layup but York's Rowe responded yet again with another three to push the lead back to 11, 71-60. 
• Alvernia would not go away and after a few three throws, a Jones jumper and layups from Cottrell and Dearry, the Golden Wolves saw them pull within five, 74-69, with four minutes to play. 
• Alvernia came out of the under four media timeout and cut the deficit to three, 74-71, after Hamilton grabbed an offensive rebound off a Cottrell missed layup and finished the putback. York came down and answered with a three pointer but Jones knocked down yet another big shot, this one a three pointer to make it a three point game again, 77-74, with 2:49 to play. 
• The Golden Wolves then grabbed a defensive rebound after a Rowe missed jumper and Cottrell went to the rack and got fouled. Cottrell knocked both shots down for the Charity stripe and pulled Alvernia within one, 77-76, the closest they were to tying the game since it was 0-0. 
• Alvernia would force a Spartan turnover on the ensuing possession and then grabbed the lead, 78-77, after Hamilton grabbed yet another offensive rebound and converted the putback to give the Golden Wolves a one point lead and forced a York timeout with 1:18 to play. 
• The Spartans came out of the timeout and drew up a play to get Tate Landis the ball behind the arc, Landis was unable to knock down the shot and on the next trip down the floor, Cottrell drove into the lane and scooped the basketball into the basket and gave the Golden Wolves a three point, 80-77 advantage. 
• The Spartans missed a three but grabbed the offensive rebound and called a timeout to draw up a play in the final ten seconds of the game. York came out and got two three point shots off but were unable to hit either one as the Golden Wolves held on and completed the 20 point comeback victory over the Spartans, 80-77. 

Inside the Box Score 

• Robert Cottrell led the Golden Wolves with 28 points and four rebounds. Cottrell went 9-15 from the floor including 2-3 from three and 8-9 from the charity stripe. Cottrell also tallied 21 of his 28 in the second half alone. 
• Mason Jones also posted a 20 point scoring effort and also added four rebounds and four steals. Jones went 5-7 from the floor, 2-2 from beyond the arc and a perfect 8-8 from the free throw line. 
• Elijah Hamilton recorded 19 points on an 8-9 shooting night and also added 11 rebounds which marks Hamilton's fifth double-double of the season. 
• Rasheem Dearry rounded out the scorers for the Golden Wolves with a 13 point performance with three rebounds and two assists. 
• The Golden Wolves posted its second best shooting percentage from the floor tonight with a 54.9% field goal percentage including shooting at a 70.8% clip in the second half. 
• Alvernia also outscored the Spartans 51-33 in the final 20 minutes of the ballgame and held the Spartans scoreless over the final 3:06 and ended the game on a 9-0 scoring run. 
• Alvernia was down by as many as 20 in the second half and out rebounded York 34-24 and outscored the Spartans 36-18 in the paint. 

Up Next 

• The Golden Wolves look to keep things going on Saturday when they host their crosstown rivals Albright College in a MAC Commonwealth clash on Jack McCloskey Court. Tip off is set for 3:00 PM after the women's game, which will tip off a 1:00 PM.