It was the second time in nine days the Crusaders (11-3, 6-1 PAC) posted 66 points in a win over the Scarlet Knights. Etzel scored 19 points last Thursday to lead the Crusaders to a 66-56 win at home.
On Saturday, Etzel hit two free throws to break a 2-2 tie and the Crusaders never trailed. The lead grew to 10 points on a Terrence Shawell (Pottstown, PA/Pottstown) free throw midway through the first half and grew to 12 points early in the second. Etzel’s free throw with 29 seconds left in the game put Alvernia up 65-55 and the Knights scored five of the final six points for the six point final.
Arcadia whittled the first half lead down to two points late in the half, but Etzel hit a free throw, he was 8-for-10 from the line, and freshman Zach Westmoreland (Downingtown, PA/Downingtown West) knocked down a 3 to push the lead to six before an Arcadia bucket set a 31-27 spread at the break. Westmoreland hit two 3s on the day to run the Crusaders’ streak of consecutive games with a 3 to 163 games dating back to the 2001 season. Fellow freshman Matt King (Phoenixville, PA/St. Pius X) and Shawell had personal streaks for 3s end at 12 and nine games respectively.
The Knights had the deficit down to two points four minutes into the second half, but Alvernia answered with a 12-2 run to built the lead to a dozen, 48-36. Sophomore center Tyrone Bradley (Chester, PA/Chester) scored six of his 10 points during the stretch.
Arcadia hit a pair of 3s during a five minute, 14-4 run that cut the gap back to two points, but Alvernia senior Ryan Finger (Lancaster, PA/Lampater Strasburg), who returned to the lineup after missing two games with a sprained ankle, started a 7-1 streak that gave Alvernia some breathing room with under a minute to play.
Shawell finished the day with 15 points and Finger and Bradley scored 10 apiece. Arcadia got a team-high 16 points from Dave Boettcher (Media, PA/Penncrest) and 13 each from Sterling Green (Burlington, NJ/Burlington Twp.) and Eric Elliot (Trenton, NJ/Steinert).
Alvernia will return home for a women’s and men’s doubleheader against College Misericordia starting at 6:00 p.m.
Alvernia 66, Arcadia 60