READING, Pa. – Freshman T.J. Duckett (Severna Park, Md./Calvert Hall) and sophomore Alex Newbold (Bowie, Md./DeMatha Catholic) each posted 20 points to lead the Lycoming College men's basketball team, but Alvernia University used a late second-half run to post an 83-79 MAC Commonwealth win at the Physical Education Center on Wednesday night, Jan. 27.
 
The win moves Alvernia into first-place by a half-game in the MAC Commonwealth as it improved to 11-8 overall and 7-3 in the conference, while Lycoming fell into second place with a 14-4 overall mark and a 6-3 mark in league play.
 
In a game of runs, the Crusaders made the final one, scoring the final four points, all on free throws, in the final 17 seconds to break a tie at 79. A foul at the edge of the court helped George Sapp hit two free throws. The Warriors were unable to get a shot off on the next possession, as a player slipped to cause a travel call and Mike Miller capped the game off with two free throws with seven seconds left.
 
Alvernia began the second half with an 11-2 run to cut the Lycoming halftime lead to a point at 44-43 with 17:35 left before the Warriors responded, as Newbold hit a layup to start a run of 11 straight points that keyed a 17-5 run to help Lycoming take a 61-48 lead with 12:08 left. The Crusaders got back into the game over the next five minutes, using a 15-2 run that was keyed by six points from Marquis Marshall before Mike Miller tied the game at 63 with a 3-pointer with 6:55 left.
 
Newbold responded with four straight points, but Alvernia fought back to take a 72-69 lead with 3:46 left off a 3-pointer from Miller. Lycoming responded with a pair of layups, one from sophomore Chris Wallace (Randallstown, Md./Calvert Hall) and one from junior Nykolas King (Harlem, N.Y./Manhattan Center for Science & Math) tipped the scale in favor of the Warriors with 3:07 left, but Alvernia scored the next six points to take a 78-73 lead with 2:10 left.
 
Newbold again willed Lycoming abck into the game with a pair of jumpers before a layup from senior John Monkam (Lanham, Md./DuVal) tied the game with 42 seconds left to set up Alvernia's final run.
 
The Warriors jumped out on a 10-1 run and eventually got the lead to 10 points in the first seven minutes of the game, thanks to three 3-pointers from Duckett during a 16-6 start. The Crusaders responded with their own 16-6 run to tie the game at 22 with 7:30 left in the first half.
 
Lycoming got its offense started again, with an 11-1 run that was capped by back to back layups by Newbold and Wallace to take a 33-22 lead with 4:05 remaining in the half. The Crusaders cut the lead to three points, but Lycoming ended the half on a 9-2 run, with Duckett hitting another 3-pointer with 33 seconds to send Lycoming into the break with a 42-32 lead.
 
Duckett notched 20 points, six 3-pointers and five rebounds and Newbold added a career-high 20 points and two steals. Wallace also added 12 points, 16 rebounds and two steals and junior David Johnson (Philadelphia, Pa./Communications Tech) added 11 points and seven assists.
 
Marshall finished with 31 points, 18 rebounds and four blocks and Miller added 21 points and seven rebounds. George Sapp notched 13 points and Charles Cooper posted 10 points, six rebounds and three assists.
 
The Crusaders were able to take advantage of 31-of-38 shooting from the free-throw line, helping to negate a 32-of-69 shooting performance from the Warriors (46.4 percent), as Alvernia shot just 21-of-59 from the field (35.6 percent). Lycoming held a 42-22 advantage in the paint and a 12-4 advantage on fastbreak points.
 
The Warriors get back on the court on Saturday, Jan. 30, when Widener comes to Lamade Gym for a MAC Commonwealth doubleheader. The women will tip at 1 p.m. before the men at 3 p.m.