News Release

READING, Pa. — Alvernia College suffered through two cold spells, one during most of the first half and the second during a 19-4 run over the final 6:29 that carried Albright College to a 64-58 win Saturday afternoon in non-conference men’s basketball action at the Physical Education Center.

http://athletics.alvernia.edu//images/mbball/2005/12/17/d3chris_talley.jpg " align=right width=200 height=280 border=1> Alvernia senior Chris Talley, right (Royersford, PA/Spring Ford) scored his 10th point of the game on a jumper with 6:29 left in the game that put the Crusaders (5-2) up 54-45, but the hosts managed just one fast break layup and two free throws the rest of the way.

Albright junior Matt Kieselowsky (Moscow, PA/North Pocono) knocked down a jumper at 6:17 and sophomore Taylor Steltz (Womelsdorf, PA/Conrad Weiser) followed with a layup at 5:21 to cut the gap to five, 54-49. Junior center Lee Walter (Green Lane, PA/Boyertown) traded layups with Alvernia senior Lamar Brickus (Coatesville, PA/Coatesville) and the Crusaders held five, 56-51, with 3:44 to play.

Walter and senior Trevor Deeter (Langhorne, PA/Neshaminy), who led the Lions (6-2) with 12 points, hit back-to-back layups to cut the lead to one, 56-55. Alvernia senior Zach Straining, below (Paxtang, PA/Central Dauphin East) hit a pair of free throws to push the gap back to three, 58-55, but Albright closed with the final nine points of the game for the six-point win.

Albright snapped a two-game losing streak after starting the season with five straight wins and also ended a losing streak of four games to Alvernia over the past four seasons.

http://athletics.alvernia.edu//images/mbball/2005/12/17/d3zach_straining.jpg " align=left width=200 height=280 border=1> Albright forged the first serious lead of the game after six ties in the opening 11 minutes of play. Steltz knocked down his only 3 of the day and scored five of his seven as the Lions opened up a six point lead, 26-20 with 4:56 left in the first. The Crusaders closed back to within two on a Damon Bogan (Oxford, PA/Oxford) 3 and a Brickus free throw, but Albright closed the first half with five straight, taking its largest lead of the day, a seven point gap, into the locker room, 31-24.

Alvernia, which hit its first four free throws, finished the half 7-for-13 from the line and 8-for-32 from the floor including an ice cold 1-for-11 effort from the 3-point arc. Albright wasn’t much better going 8-for-24 from the floor, but did knock down 11-of-12 free throws in the opening frame.

Straining, who sat for 14 minutes in the first half with foul trouble, opened the second half forcing a turnover, but couldn’t convert on the offensive end missing a pair of putbacks. Albright quickly countered when sophomore Tom Murphy (Royersford, PA/Spring Ford) hit a runner and the guests held a nine point edge, 33-24.

Straining and Murphy traded jumpers before Talley’s jumper at 16:29 sparked a 9-0 run for the Crusaders that gave them the 37-35 lead; their first since they held a 16-13 lead with 9:28 left in the first. Brickus, who hit just 2-of-10 first half shots, fueled the run knocking down a 3 from the left elbow and Talley’s second straight jumper tied the score at 35-all.

Albright leveled the score at 37-37 on a Deeter layup and Alvernia junior Garrett Etzel (Shillington, PA/Governor Mifflin) hit a pair of 3s on an 8-1 spurt that put Alvernia up 45-38 with 11:43 left. Kieselowsky cut the gap to four with a 3, and junior forward Mike Boles (Philadelphia, PA/Penn Charter) scored in the post to keep it a four point game, 47-43 with 10:19 to go.

Straining hit a jumper to push the lead back to six and following one of Deeter’s five turnovers, Alvernia senior Ryan Finger (Lancaster, PA/Lampeter Strasburg) hit a 3 at the shot clock buzzer, assisted by Mike Brock (Royersford, PA/Spring Ford), that brought the home crowd to its feet. Boles scored again in the post to trim the gap to seven with 7:35 left and Talley’s jumper at 6:29 put the Crusaders up nine, 54-45.

http://athletics.alvernia.edu/Sports/mbball/2005/051217mbbox.asp>BOX SCORE