Etzel scored 12 of his game-high 23 points in the second half and sophomore Terrence Shawell (Pottstown, PA/Pottstown) scored 16 of his 22 after the break as the Crusaders (6-2) outscored the Diplomats (4-5) 41-30 after halftime.
F&M cut the second half deficit down to five points, 52-47 with 7:05 left to play when Bryan Teschke (Pittsburgh, PA/Fox Chapel) scored five straight points. Shawell answered with a steal and a dunk, and after two free throws from F&M, Alvernia rattled off eight of the next nine for a comfortable 12-point lead with 2:39 to play.
Alvernia senior Ryan Finger (Lancaster, PA/Lampeter Strasburg), the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference Player of the Week, reached double figures for the Crusaders with 12 and handed out four assists. The Alvernia starters tallied all 72 points with Matt King (Phoenixville, PA/St. Pius X) and Tyrone Bradley (Chester, PA/Chester) combining for 15. The Diplomats got 19 from Teschke and 17 points, 10 rebounds from junior center Brandon Yost (McDaniel, MD/St. Michael’s).
F&M held only one lead during the night after Yost made 1-of-2 free throws to start the game. Bradley scored for the Crusaders for a 2-1 lead and that was the last lead change in the game with just 1:24 gone.
The Alvernia lead grew to nine points, 12-3, when Finger found Etzel for a jumper at the 14:03 mark. The Diplomats used a 6-0 run later in the half to pull within one, 25-24 and Patrick Carney (Middletown, MD/Middletown) tied the score at 28-all on a layup with 1:35 left in the first half. Shawell hit his second of four 3s for the final bucket before halftime and the Crusaders went to the break with a 31-28 lead.
Alvernia pushed the second half lead to 10 points as Finger and Etzel scored four points each during an 11-4 run, and after Carney trimmed the gap to eight, Shawell hit another 3 to start the Crusaders’ 9-2 run.
Alvernia ran its home win streak to 14 games and is off for the Christmas break. The Crusaders return to action hosting local rival Penn State Berks on January 4.
Alvernia 72, F&M 58