Trupe hit back-to-back first half 3s and an 18-footer in the final possession of the opening frame as he doubled his previous career-best with 14 points. Seniors Ray Strickland (Chester, PA/Chester) and Cornell Merricks (Philadelphia, PA/Norristown) and sophomore Zach Straining (Harrisburg, PA/Central Dauphin East) led the Crusaders with 15 points each. Freshman Akeem Washington (Lancaster, PA/McCaskey) scored 14 points and grabbed a game and career-best 15 rebounds. Senior reserve Alex West (LaMott, PA/Cheltenham) also reach double-figures for the Crusaders (17-4, 12-1 PAC) with 10 points. Senior Joe Colangelo (Landenburg, PA/Warton-FL) led the Pacers with a game-high 22 points and senior Isiah Walker (Wilkes-Barre, PA/GAR) added 11.
A back-and-forth start saw five lead changes and four ties, the final coming on a 3-point play from Colangelo that knotted the score at 19-all with 9:06 gone by. West answered with a bucket for the Crusaders on their ensuing possession and following five straight from Merricks, Alvernia was up 26-19 with 9:41 left in the first. Marywood sophomore Lawrence Tompkins (Montrose, PA/Blue Ridge) hit a free throw to temporarily stop the run, but Alvernia scored 20 of the next 27 to open up a 19-point lead with 2:52 left in the first half. Straining powered the run scoring the first six points of the streak, all on layups. Marywood responded cutting ten points off the lead with a 13-3 run capped by a pair of 3s from Walker before Trupe’s jumper reestablished the double-digit lead, 51-40 at the half. The Crusaders shot 76 percent from the floor in the opening 20 minutes including a 9-for-11 (81 percent) effort from behind the arc.
Brock opened the second half scoring with a 3-pointer on a set play, and the Crusaders held a 14-point lead, 62-48, after Washington answered a Tompkins bucket at 16:27. That jumper for Alvernia started a 20-1 run that put the game away for the hosts, giving them an 82-51 lead with 10:45 left to play. The Crusaders were able to empty the bench in the final minutes with every player on the roster scoring at least two points.
Alvernia 104, Marywood 63
MARYWOOD UNIVERSITY (6-14, 3-9 PAC) Joe Coleangelo 6-14 9-11 22; Isiah Walker 4-9 1-2 11; Lawrence Tompkins 3-5 2-3 8; Daron Dickerson 2-8 3-4 7; Matt Chapman 3-8 0-0 7; Joe Buczko 1-3 0-0 3; Kyle Thacker 0-1 2-2 2; Andrew Swanson 0-1 2-2 2; Matt Johnson 0-3 1-2 1; Terry Ryan 0-1 0-2 0. Totals 19-53 20-28 63. ALVERNIA COLLEGE (17-4, 12-1 PAC) Ray Strickland 5-11 2-3 15; Zach Straining 7-8 1-2 15; Cornell Merricks 6-7 1-2 15; Akeem Washington 5-8 4-7 14; Ryan Trupe 5-5 0-0 14; Alex West 5-9 0-0 10; Mike Brock 3-5 0-0 9; Josh Gerloff 3-10 0-0 8; Tom Pender 1-2 0-0 2; Steve Royles 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 41-67 8-14 104. Marywood University........... 40 23 - 63 Alvernia College.............. 51 53 - 104 3-point goals-Marywood University 5-17 (Isiah Walker 2-5; Joe Coleangelo 1-3; Joe Buczko 1-2; Matt Chapman 1-3; Matt Johnson 0-1; Daron Dickerson 0-2; Lawrence Tompkins 0-1), Alvernia College 14-25 (Ryan Trupe 4-4; Ray Strickland 3-5; Mike Brock 3-4; Josh Gerloff 2-6; Cornell Merricks 2-3; Alex West 0-3). Fouled out--Marywood University-None, Alvernia College-Steve Royles. Rebounds-Marywood University 21 (Daron Dickerson 4), Alvernia College 45 (Akeem Washington 15). Assists-Marywood University 6 (Daron Dickerson 2), Alvernia College 27 (Ray Strickland 7). Total fouls-Marywood University 14, Alvernia College 22. A-481