Alvernia 86, Lebanon Valley 82

LVC Starters
Light, Conrad, Orr, Boccanfuso, Mrozek

Alvernia Starters
Sapp, Marshall, Hoff, Cooper, Miller

How It Happened
Andy Orr and Sam Light recorded double-doubles but it wasn't enough to knock off the MAC Commonwealth leaders as Alvernia held on for an 86-82 win over Lebanon Valley on Saturday afternoon.

After trailing by as many as 11 points late in the second half, LVC (12-9, 6-6 MAC Commonwealth) made a final charge to make it a one-possession game on five separate occasions but the Crusaders (13-9, 10-3 MAC Commonwealth) converted their free throws down the stretch to escape Sorrentino Gymnasium with the slim victory.

With his team down four, Light was fouled attempting a 3-pointer with 11 seconds remaining. He converted 2-of-3 free throws and Marquis Marshall's ensuing missed front end of a double bonus gave the Dutchmen life. Light was fouled again, made one foul shot, missed the second and grabbed his own rebound but stepped on the end line to end the LVC threat with five seconds to play.

Down 73-62 with 6:24 remaining, Lebanon Valley put together a clutch 8-0 run capped by Light's old-fashioned 3-point play at the 4:13 mark. The Dutchmen didn't trail by more than six points the rest of the way but couldn't convert the go-ahead basket despite a handful of chances to tie or pull out in front.

LVC trailed by nine at halftime but the team made things interesting following the break when Orr's 3-ball at the 15:16 mark drew the Dutchmen to within two at 47-45 but Alvernia answered with a 13-5 run over the 4:26 to push the advantage back to double-digits.

Lebanon Valley grabbed its largest lead of the game midway through the first half when Orr tipped in a Travis Conrad triple attempt to make it 22-10. The Dutchmen were hot out of the gate from range as Conrad, Light, Orr combined to knock down four long balls in the game's first 5:15.

Turning Point
Thanks to a strong start from 3-point territory, LVC jumped out to a 22-10 lead at the 11:32 mark. Alvernia proceeded to end the half on a tear and take a 40-31 lead into the break thanks to a game-changing 30-9 run that saw the Crusaders knock down five triples. The Dutchmen made it a one-possession game a number of times late in the second half but couldn't get over the hump.

Top Performers
Andy Orr and Sam Light – The MAC Commonwealth's top-scoring duo each posted double-doubles against the league's top team. Orr netted a game-high 28 and grabbed 10 rebounds to go along with four assists, a block, and a steal. Light came to life in the second half, scoring 19 of his 25 tallies after the break to go along with a team-high 11 boards. The big man leads the conference with a 21.1 ppg average, while his fellow sophomore ranks second with 19.1 ppg.

Top Play
With little more than seven minutes left to play and his team down 10, Zach Mrozek made a great defensive play to knock the ball free from Mike Miller's grasp on the LVC side of midcourt. Andy Orr corralled the loose ball and went the distance, finishing the play with an emphatic two-handed jam that brought the hometown crowd to its feet.



Inside the Numbers
- Both teams were lights out from beyond the arc, with Alvernia shooting 52.2 percent from distance and the Dutchmen netting 3-balls at a 42.3 percent clip.
- The Crusaders shot 49.1 percent from the field and 87 percent from the free throw line. LVC shot 41.4 percent from the floor and 81.3 percent from the charity stripe.
- The Dutchmen were strong on the glass, outrebounding Alvernia 41-31 and grabbing 18 offensive boards.
- Zach Mrozek joined Orr and Light as the third LVC player to reach the double-digit scoring mark with 12 points, while Travis Conrad just missed reaching the mark with nine tallies.
- Will Boccanfuso pulled in eight rebounds and dished out four assists for the Dutchmen.
- Lebanon Valley failed to manage a free throw attempt in the first half.
- Charles Cooper scored a team-high 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds for Alvernia. Alex Shippen netted 18 before fouling out, including 12 from beyond the arc.
- The Dutchmen held Marquis Marshall, the Crusader's leading scorer, to 19 points on 6-of-14 shooting, with the majority of his point total coming from the charity stripe in must-foul situations.
- LVC and Alvernia split the season series with each team picking up a victory on the other's home court.
- Lebanon Valley has been right there as of late, having lost its last three contests by a combined nine points.

Playoff Positioning
The Dutchmen currently sit tied with Stevenson for fourth place in the MAC Commonwealth standings. LVC has a chance to solidify its postseason chances and earn the tiebreaker with a win over the Mustangs in their next outing after having beaten SU at Sorrentino Gymnasium in early January.

Hot Dog Frank Day
Longtime LVC head football coach Jim Monos and his wife MaryEllen received the 2016 Hot Dog Frank Athletic Service Award at halftime. The award was established by the LVC administration in 1985 to honor the late Frank Aftosmes for his many contributions to the LVC athletic program. Aftosmes was an Annville businessman and devoted supporter of LVC athletics whose statue now stands in the College's Peace Garden. The award is given annually, presented by the Aftosmes family, with the tradition of free hot dogs for all the fans after the game.



Who's Next?
The Dutchmen travel to Stevenson for another MAC Commonwealth showdown on Wednesday night.