Eleven days ago the Crusaders missed four free throws down the stretch of an 85-81 overtime loss at College Misericordia. Monday night after four more misses in the final minute two Crusaders combined to force a game-saving turnover that helped run Alvernia’s win streak to a season-high four games.
Neumann sophomore Derahn Patrick nailed a second-chance 3-pointer with under 30 seconds to play pulling the Knights within two. Alvernia junior Chris Talley, who scored a game-high 23 points, followed that missing twice from the line, but junior Lamar Brickus forced Patrick into Finger’s double-team which led to the game-saving turnover.
Alvernia junior Zach Straining scored 22 points and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds. Brickus scored 10 and junior Mike Brock tallied 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting from behind the arc. Neumann got 18 points from Patrick and a team-high 19 from Elisha Hannibal who didn’t miss in seven attempts from the floor.
Neumann opened the game with a 10-0 spurt led by four each from Andre Wright and Charles Pringle. The Knights maintained control for much of the opening half pushing the lead to 13 points following a Hannibal 3 with 9:58 left on the first-half clock. The lead was down to 10 points, 31-21, five minutes later before the Crusaders closed the half with a 14-5 run to pull within one at the break. Brock started the run with a 3 and Straining and Talley also hit from long range during the stretch.
Brock hit another 3 to answer a triple from Neumann’s Alex Thompson early in the second half and Talley scored two at 17:29 to give the Crusaders their first lead of the night, 40-39. Talley knocked down a pair of free throws four minutes later to forge a 47-all tie and sparked a Crusader run of eight straight giving them a 6-point edge, 53-47, with 11:42 to go. The lead grew to eight on a Straining jumper at 10:13, but Neumann cut that down to three points with 6:04 to play.
Straining doubled the lead with his second 3 of the night and the Crusaders again held and 8-point lead after another Brock triple. Trailing 73-65 with 2:39 to go, Neumann scored five quick points during the next minute of play capped by Hannibal’s final 3 of the night. Senior center Steve Royles and Brickus each made 1-of-2 free throws on the next two Alvernia possessions for a 5-point edge with 30 seconds to play before Patrick made it interesting with his late 3.
Alvernia will travel to Gwynedd-Mercy on Wednesday for a rematch with the top team in the PAC. Game time is scheduled for 8:00 p.m.