READING, Pa. – Freshman T.J. Duckett (Severna Park, Md./Calvert Hall) led the fifth-seeded Lycoming College men's basketball team with 18 points and sophomore Chris Wallace (Randallstown, Md./Calvert Hall) added 17, while the team turned in its one of its best defensive efforts of the season, downing No. 1-seed Alvernia, 69-53, in the MAC Commonwealth Championship semifinal game on Wednesday night, Feb. 24, at Jack McCloskey Court.
 
The Crusaders' season ends with a 15-11 overall record and an 11-5 MAC Commonwealth record while the Warriors improve to 18-9 overall on the season and advance to the conference championship game on Saturday, Feb. 27, at the league's number-three seed, Arcadia, at 7 p.m.
 
"The guys were really focused," Lycoming head coach Guy Rancourt said. "I am really proud of them to find a way through. Our group has been through a lot this year. I am proud of them for sticking together."
 
The win gives the Warriors' their second straight 18-win season for just the second time in school history (1995-96, '96-97). The Warriors also became the 10^th team in program history to surpass 2,000 team points in a season.
 
Duckett shot 6-for-7 from the field including a sizzling 5-for-6 from downtown with three rebounds and two assists. Wallace also had a hot-hand, finishing with 17 points on 8-for-11 shooting from the field and pulled in four rebounds. Junior Nykolas King (Harlem, N.Y./Manhattan Center for Science and Math) continued his hot play with 12 points, including 2-for-3 from long range, six rebounds, four assists, a block, and a steal. Senior John Monkam (Lanham, Md./DuVal) anchored the defense, finishing with two blocks and two steals.
 
After shooting a season-best 56 percent from the field in their first-round game against Stevenson, the Warriors shot 54 percent (27-for-50) for the game, the second-highest percentage this season. They also turned in their best defensive effort of the season, holding the Crusaders to just 28 percent from the field (16-for-57), the first time they held an opponent under 30 percent. The Warriors held the rebounding advantage (39-27) and got 23 points from the bench as they held the lead for 32:30.
 
The Warriors began the second half on a huge 13-4 run to take control of the game with a 47-32 lead with 14:09 left. Alvernia kept fighting, outscoring the Warriors 12-8 over the next 4:55 to pull within 11 points, but coming out of a timeout, Wallace hit a layup and Duckett sank a 3-pointer on the next possession to start a 9-2 run to take a 64-46 lead. The Warriors continued to suffocate the Crusaders on defense and, with 2:41 remaining, Duckett connected on his fifth 3-pointer of the game to give the Warriors a 20-point lead, their largest of the game. In the final moments, Alvernia scored four points to make up the final margin.
 
The Crusaders came out firing and scored the first six points, but the Warriors wasted no time in getting back into it as a 3-pointer by Duckett capped off a 14-6 run to take a 14-12 lead. After junior David Johnson (Philadelphia, Pa./Communications Tech) came away with a steal, he passed it up the floor to Wallace, who finished off with a highlight reel dunk to take a 19-14 lead with 8:52 left.
 
After the Crusaders closed the gap to one point, Wallace capped off a 10-2 run with a jumper which put the Warriors up 29-20, their largest lead of the first half. The Crusaders responded with an 8-5 run to close the half, but the Warriors still held a 34-28 advantage.
 
The Warriors shot 14-for-27 (.519) in the first half and held a 20-11 rebounding advantage.
 
The Crusaders were led by George Sapp, who finished with a team-high 14 points, four rebounds, and six assists while Mike Miller and Marquis Marshall both scored nine with Miller grabbing seven rebounds and Marshall blocking three shots.