Alvernia (14-10, 11-4 PAC) could have moved one game closer to the second seed and a first round bye for the PAC Championship, but will now need a win at Eastern on Wednesday for the third seed. Misericordia (13-10, 10-5 PAC) enters a three-way tie for fourth place in the conference standings with Neumann and Immaculata, who meet in the regular season finale on Thursday.
Alvernia junior Jill Rosolie (Quarryville, PA/Solanco) led the Crusaders with 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting. Sophomore reserve Michelle Lutzkanin (Hummelstown, PA/Lower Dauphin) also reached double figures with 11 points. CM placed four players in double figures led by Amy Hughes (Scranton, PA/Bishop Hannan) who scored 21 points, 10 of which came from the free throw line where the Cougars hit 22-of-32 attempts. Ericka Morrison (Avon Lake, OH/Avon Lake) scored 17 points, Lacey DeGraw (Tyler Hill, PA/Honesdale) scored 15 points, and Megan Yhlen (Sewell, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) added a dozen.
Hughes scored four points and Morrison three during the opening 7-0 run that took over three minutes off the clock. Alvernia finally got on the board at the 16:31 mark on an Allee Barnes (Blooming Glen, PA/Pennridge) bucket.
Hughes scored following a steal at 11:20 to push the lead to double figures for the first time in the game at 21-10. After an exchange of buckets, Alvernia put together a 7-0 run to cut the gap to four points, 23-19. Senior forward Erin Knarr (Sinking Spring, PA/Wilson) started things with a bucket and senior guard Lauren Fortna (Lebanon, PA/Lebanon Catholic) capped it with a layup and a 3.
CM closed the half with five straight points holding Alvernia off the board for the final 2:42 of the half. DeGraw scored a 3-point play, Hughes followed with a hoop and Morrison’s free throw with 37 seconds left in the half game Misericordia its largest lead of the half just before the break, 41-29.
The Cougars’ run continued after the break with the hosts scoring the first seven points of the second half to open up a 19-point lead, 48-29. Morrison scored a free throw and a bucket in the middle of the second half start and Yhlen closed the run with a bucket.
The lead remained 19 points with 14:21 to go, but Alvernia slowly cut it down to 11 with a 12-4 run that spanned just over four minutes. Knarr scored four points on the run and freshman Janelle Richardson (Manor, DE/Delcastle) capped it with a bucket.
Misericordia answered that run with six straight points to push the lead back to 17 and the Cougars led by 16 or more for the remainder of play.
Alvernia will wrap up the regular season with a 6:00 p.m. game at Eastern on Wednesday and will begin the conference playoffs the following Monday with site and opponent to be determined.
Misericordia 76, Alvernia 57