Junior transfer Brandon Thompson scored 12 for the Crusaders (8-5, 2-2 PAC) and pulled down a game-high nine rebounds. Neumann junior Andre Wright led all scorers with 19 points, and sophomore guard Dehran Patrick hit four 3s for 12 points.
Neumann established the first big lead at 15-7 paced by six points from Patrick on two early 3s. Alvernia forced a 20-all tie with a 13-5 spurt capped by back-to-back jumpers from Straining and junior guard Mike Brock. The Crusaders pushed the lead to as many as seven in the first half following four straight points from Thompson and held a 5-point advantage at the break, 32-27, after Wright closed the first-half scoring with a layup at 1:22.
Alvernia shot just 35 percent from the floor in the first frame, but hit 10-of-12 from the free throw line.
Thompson opened the second half with an 18-footer, but Neumann quickly cut the gap to two and eventually took a 1-point lead on Patrick’s final 3 of the game with 15:41 to go. Straining answered with a layup and Garrett Etzel hit the only 3 of the night for the Crusaders to push the host’s lead to four, 45-41, with 14:27 to go.
Neumann took back the 1-point edge on two occasions with under seven minutes to play, but couldn’t increase the spread. Alvernia hit back-to-back layups under four minutes for a 3-point lead and pushed it to four, 58-54, with 1:33 to play. Neumann senior Randy Maultsby hit a jumper on the Knights’ next possession to cut the lead to two, but turned the ball over on the next possession with a chance to tie. Brickus hit his first two from the line with 12 seconds to play and after another Neumann turnover, hit 1-of-2 at the line with only a second to play.