News Release

READING, Pa. — Junior guard Garrett Etzel, pictured (Shillington, PA/Governor Mifflin) scored 15 of his career high 28 as Alvernia College blew open a tie game at halftime holding College Misericordia to 20 second-half points in a 77-52 win Wednesday evening in Pennsylvania Athletic Conference men’s basketball action at the Physical Education Center.

http://athletics.alvernia.edu//images/mbball/2005/12/17/d3garrett_etzel.jpg " align=right width=200 height=280 border=1> Etzel nailed one of his five 3s to open the second half and hit another to put Alvernia (14-4, 10-1 PAC) up 13 points with 9:34 to play and the lead never fell below 11. Chris Tally (Royersford, PA/Spring Ford) and Sharron Richardson (Chester, PA/Chester) both scored 11 for the Crusaders and senior forward Zach Straining (Paxtang, PA/Central Dauphin East), who received a game ball in pregame ceremonies for going over 1,000 career points, tallied eight points, eight rebounds, and eight assists.

Alvernia senior Mike Brock (Royersford, PA/Spring Ford) opened the scoring with a 3 and freshman Tyrone Bradley (Chester, PA/Chester) scored four of his nine as Alvernia opened up an early 9-2 lead. Misericordia (4-13, 4-6) earned a one-point lead with a quick 8-0 spurt. Senior forward Corey Brown (Bronx, NY/James Island) scored four points during the two minute run.

Etzel nailed his first 3 of the night to regain the lead and added a layup to put the hosts up five. CM came back with five straight to tie the score at 17-all, but Etzel answered again with a 3. Misericordia junior Tony Rezykowski (Dimock, PA/Elk Lane), who led the Cougars with 14 points, scored five straight to give the visitors a two-point edge, 22-20 with 7:51 left in the first.

Alvernia tied the score on a Richardson jumper, but the Cougars ran off seven straight to take their largest lead of the game at 29-22 with 4:32 left. Etzel hit a layup, Brock a 3, and Richardson another jumper as Alvernia erased the deficit in just over a minute. Sophomore Matt Hornak (Montrose, PA/Montrose Area) nailed the third 3 of the opening half for the Cougars and Bradley finished the first half with a 3-point play to knot the score at 32-all at the break.

Etzel’s opening 3 came over a minute and a half into the second period and Alvernia held Misericordia to just two points over the first 5:43 while it opened up a nine-point lead, 43-34. The gap wavered between nine and seven points until Etzel’s layup at 10:51 put Alvernia up 11.

The lead came back to nine before a Richardson free throw and an Etzel 3 pushed the gap to 13 at the 9:34 mark. Straining scored four points during a stretch of six straight for the Crusaders that put the hosts up 17 and Richardson hit a pair of free throws for an 18-point cushion with 4:26 to play.

CM closed the gap to 15, but didn’t score for the final 3:51 as the Crusaders cruised.

Alvernia will continue the conference schedule at Wesley College in an afternoon women’s and men’s doubleheader.

Alvernia 77, Misericordia 52
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