Box Score Men's Basketball
Lebanon Valley 71, Alvernia 64

ANNVILLE, Pa. - A shorthanded Lebanon Valley ran out to a big halftime lead, then held off an Alvernia rally to win, 71-64, in the rematch of last year's Commonwealth Conference championship game.

Danny Brooks turned in 20 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Dutchmen (9-6, 2-2 CC) to a win over the conference preseason favorite Crusaders (10-4, 2-2 CC), who were down 41-22 at halftime before cutting LVC's lead to as little as five late in the game.

The Dutchmen shot a season-best 20-for-26 at the line - including 12-for-15 in the first half - as they used just eight players while missing starter Joey Giangiobbe and key bench players Matt O'Brien and Kevin Donahue.

Joe Meehan had 18 points, and Jordan Stewart (14 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists) and Cameron Prince (13 points) provided the bulk of the scoring for LVC. Josh Vargas led Alvernia with 15 points, and Steve Schneider had 15 off the bench.

Alvernia led early on, but Lebanon Valley hit a groove midway through the first half, using a 19-3 run in a span of just 4:02 to take a commanding lead that grew to 41-22 at halftime.

The Crusaders got right back in the game to start the second half, turning to the outside shot and cutting the lead to single digits after three-pointers by Stefan Thompson and Schneider. The lead stayed around 10 for most of the half until the closing minutes, when a Cory Boone layup followed by a Brian Nerney steal and Thompson three slashed LVC's lead in half from 10 to five with 2:04 left.

Prince made a free throw at the other end to go back up six, and a critical turnover by Josh Vargas gave LVC the ball back, allowing Sam Diaz to convert a running layup off Prince's feed to put the game away with 1:08 left. Meehan made a pair of foul shots in the final minute, and then put the icing on the game with an alley-oop to Brooks with 14 seconds left to end it at 71-64.

LVC will hit the road Wednesday to face rival Elizabethtown.