Sophomore transfer Garrett Etzel scored eight of his career-high 17 during a 17-4 Crusader streak midway through the first half. The win snaps a 3-game home losing skid for the Crusaders who will travel to King's College this weekend to face King's on Saturday and Wilkes on Sunday.
Junior forward Zach Straining reached double-figures with 15 points and sophomore guard Ryan Finger scored 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting.
Marywood kept the game close early taking a 4-point lead, 11-7 on back-to-back layups by Andrew Swanson. Alvernia tied the score at 11 and 13-all before taking a 6-point edge, 21-15 following a Finger layup. Pacer junior Tim Smallwood scored three of his team-high 14 on the next possession to cut the lead in half before Brickus hit his second of four 3s starting the 17-4 spurt. The Crusaders then closed the half with a 10-4 run sparked by a Josh Gerloff 4-point play, and held a 23-point lead at the half.
Alvernia pushed the second-half lead to as many as 35 and the Pacers never again threatened as the Crusaders leveled up their conference record at 1-1. Following the Wilkes-Barre Challenge this weekend at King’s, Alvernia will return to the conference schedule at Cabrini on Wednesday.