Colonial States Athletic Conference

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March 3, 2003

2002-03 PAC Men's Basketball Standings

Institution	PAC	Overall
(1) Neumann	12-4	18-11
(2)Cabrini	12-4	17-9
(3) Alvernia	11-5	21-9
(4) Misericordia	9-7	16-12
(5) Gwynedd-Mercy	8-8	11-15
(6) Eastern	7-9	13-13
Arcadia	6-10	11-14
Wesley	4-12	7-18
Marywood	3-13	7-18

* - Clinched berth in PAC Tournament, number at left indicates seed;
PAC Tournament Champion in Bold

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October 28, 2002

Coaches Pick Neumann to Win First PAC Title
Aston, PA -- Neumann College is the favorite to win its first Pennsylvania Athletic Conference men’s basketball championship, according to the 2002-03 PAC pre-season coach’s poll.

The PAC runner-up last season, the Knights of head coach Brian Nugent received 70 points and four first place votes to edge perennial league powers Alvernia and Cabrini, who finished tied for second.

“This is truly an honor for everyone associated with our program,” said Nugent. “I’m happy for the players, coaching staff and the administration for earning the respect that our program deserves. Obviously, the challenge will be to defend this honor.”

Alvernia and Cabrini were second with 67 points. The Crusaders earned three first-place votes while the defending PAC champion Cavaliers had two first place votes. Cabrini has won eight championships in the 10-year history of the PAC.

Misericordia, a PAC semi-finalist last season, is fourth with 64 points followed by Gwynedd-Mercy (42) and Wesley (31).

Eastern is seventh with 28 points and Arcadia and Marywood finished tied for eighth with 18 points.

2002-03 PAC Men's Basketball Coaches Pre-Season Poll

Institution (First Place vote)	Points
Neumann (4)	70
Alvernia (3)	67
Cabrini (3)	67
Misericordia	64
Gwynedd-Mercy	42
Wesley	31
Eastern	28
Arcadia	18
Marywood	18

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Individual & Team Highs

Individual Game Highs (League)			Team Highs (League)
Most Pts:	45	W Chandler (Mis)	Most Pts:	100	Wesley (vs Marywood)
Most Fgm:	17	W Chandler (Mis)	Most Fgm:	38	Neumann (vs Gwynedd-Mercy)
Most Fga:	29	W Chandler (Mis)	Most Fga:	73	Neumann (vs Gwynedd-Mercy)
Most 3pm:	12	T Smallwood (Mar)	Most 3pm:	16	Marywood (vs Alvernia)
Most 3pa:	21	W Chandler (Mis)	Most 3pa:	34	Alvernia (vs Eastern)
Most Ftm:	12	L Bryant (Wes)	Most Ftm:	34	Alvernia (vs Wesley)
Most Fta:	15	B Merriweather (Alv)	Most Fta:	44	Alvernia (vs Neumann)
Best Fg%:	100.0	Multiple Players	Best Fg%:	58.3	Arcadia (vs Misericordia)
Best 3pt%:	100.0	T Wallace (Arc)	Best 3pt%:	58.3	Gwynedd-Mercy (vs Neumann)
Best Ft%:	100.0	Multiple Players	Best Ft%:	100.0	Alvernia (vs Cabrini)
Most Reb:	18	T Sims (Alv)	Most Reb:	48	Gwynedd-Mercy (vs Marywood)
Most Orb:	9	B Merriweather (Alv)	Most Orb:	36	Alvernia (vs Arcadia)
Most Drb:	13	B Gaye (Gwy)	Most Drb:	50	Alvernia (vs Arcadia)
Most Ast:	10	T Wallace (Arc)	Most Ast:	24	Neumann (vs Marywood University)
Most Stl:	9	Multiple Players	Most Stl:	17	Neumann (vs Wesley)
Most Blk:	7	Multiple Players	Most Blk:	11	Cabrini (vs Alvernia)
Best Prod:	48.0	W Chandler (Mis)	Best Prod:	112.0	Misericordia (vs Wesley)

Statistical Leaders

Scoring		G	FG	3FG	FT	PTS	Avg		Field Goal %		G	FG	FGA	Pct
1. Willie Chandler	CM	28	158	93	135	730	26.1		1. Omar Warthen	Neu	29	145	228	.635
2. Larry Bryant	Wes	25	132	53	144	567	22.7		2. Badou Gaye	GMC	25	217	369	.588
3. Badou Gaye	GMC	25	216	1	74	509	20.4		3. Jeff Lippincott	Arc	24	102	185	.551
4. Rahim Washington	Neu	28	139	39	74	469	16.8		4. Courtney Griffen	GMC	26	103	190	.542
5. Ryan Tozer	Eas	26	48	85	39	390	15.0		5. Reggie Bullock	Eas	18	76	140	.542
6. Tim Maddox	Cab	26	73	57	59	376	14.5		6. Brad Merriweather	Alv	30	115	213	.539
7. Magen McNeil	Arc	25	139	1	79	360	14.4		7. Jason Perry	CM	28	126	258	.488
8. Jeff Siti	Arc	25	70	54	55	357	14.3		8. Magen McNeil	Arc	25	140	289	.484
9. Doug Billet	Mary	25	42	68	66	354	14.2		9. Joe Colangelo	Mary	23	79	169	.467
10. Omar Warthen	Neu	29	144	1	118	409	14.1		10. Tim Maddox	Cab	26	130	279	.465
11. Ray Strickland	Alv	22	58	41	71	310	14.1
12. Tillman Sims	Alv	30	135	15	100	415	13.8		Three Pt FG %		G	3Pt	3PA	Pct
13. Melvin Hicks	GMC	15	41	26	44	204	13.6		1. Saleem Brown	Cab	2	2	4	.500
14. Corey Copeland	Eas	26	72	47	61	346	13.3		2. Ryan Tozer	Eas	26	85	201	.422
15. Randy Maultsby	Neu	29	106	41	47	382	13.2		3. Tim Smallwood	Mary	25	50	121	.413
16. Jordan Henson	Wes	24	75	37	49	310	12.9		4. Corey Copeland	Eas	26	47	116	.405
17. Jeff Lippincott	Arc	24	88	14	74	292	12.2		5. Justin McCuen	Arc	25	29	72	.402
18. Jason Perry	CM	28	126	0	87	339	12.1		6. Tim Maddox	Cab	26	57	143	.398
19. Tim Smallwood	Mary	25	54	50	34	292	11.7		7. Jeff Siti	Arc	25	54	143	.377
20. Brad Merriweather	Alv	30	115	0	112	342	11.4		8. Pat Woods	Wes	25	48	127	.377
									9. Doug Billet	Mary	25	68	182	.373
									10. Scott Napkori	CM	26	32	86	.372
Rebounding		G	Off	Def		Rebs	Avg		Free Throw %		G	FT	FTA	Pct
1. Badou Gaye	GMC	25	104	171		275	11.0		1. Doug Billet	Mary	25	66	75	.880
2. Magen McNeil	Arc	25	97	151		248	9.9		2. Ray Strickland	Alv	22	71	90	.788
3. Tillman Sims	Alv	30	97	174		271	9.0		3. Larry Bryant	Wes	25	144	188	.765
4. Willie Chandler	CM	28	82	167		249	8.9		4. Melvin Hicks	GMC	15	44	59	.745
5. Omar Warthen	Neu	29	81	169		250	8.6		5. Tim Maddox	Cab	26	59	81	.728
6. Brad Merriweather	Alv	30	113	130		243	8.1		6. Willie Chandler	CM	28	135	186	.725
7. Brian Wood	Cab	26	88	102		190	7.3		7. Rahim Washington	Neu	28	74	102	.725
8. Larry Bryant	Wes	25	70	109		179	7.2		8. Brad Merriweather	Alv	30	112	155	.722
9. Solomon Harris	Neu	29	78	114		192	6.6		9. Jeff Lippincott	Arc	24	74	104	.711
10. Jeff Lippincott	Arc	24	37	119		156	6.5		10. Corey Copeland	Eas	26	61	86	.709
11. Jolon Davis	GMC	26	69	98		167	6.4
12. Gus Nadelhoffer	Eas	26	51	114		165	6.3		Assists		G		Asst	Avg
13. Reggie Bullock	Eas	18	32	80		112	6.2		1. Ty Wallace	Arc	25		114	4.6
14. Jeff Thomas	GMC	26	73	83		156	6.0		2. Isiah Walker	Mary	25		109	4.4
15. Ty Teasley	Cab	23	29	101		130	5.7		3. Randy Maultsby	Neu	29		119	4.1
16. Jason Perry	CM	28	46	101		147	5.3		4. Jolon Davis	GMC	26		95	3.6
17. Joe Colangelo	Mary	23	31	88		119	5.2		5. Brian Coyle	CM	28		94	3.4
18. John Cowan	Mary	25	42	82		124	5.0		6. Pat Woods	Wes	25		76	3.0
19. Isiah Walker	Mary	25	33	89		122	4.9		7. Corey Copeland	Eas	26		73	2.8
20. Robert Gordy	Wes	18	30	58		88	4.9		8. Melvin Hicks	GMC	15		42	2.8
									9. Jeff Thomas	GMC	26		67	2.6
									10. Jason Perry	CM	28		65	2.3
Blocks		G	Blks	Avg					Steals		G		Stls	Avg
1. Badou Gaye	GMC	25	77	3.1					1. Isiah Walker	Mary	25		100	4.0
2. John Cowan	Mary	25	53	2.1					2. Rahim Washington	Neu	28		75	2.7
3. Tillman Sims	Alv	30	55	1.8					3. Willie Chandler	CM	28		66	2.3
4. Omar Warthen	Neu	29	44	1.5					4. Larry Bryant	Wes	25		57	2.3
5. Brad Merriweather	Alv	30	45	1.5					5. Tillman Sims	Alv	30		63	2.1
6. Jeff Thomas	GMC	26	32	1.2					6. Ray Strickland	Alv	22		45	2.0
7. Reggie Bullock	Eas	18	22	1.2					7. Randy Maultsby	Neu	29		59	2.0
8. Brian Wood	Cab	26	31	1.2					8. Jeff Thomas	GMC	26		46	1.8
9. Brandon Millwood	Cab	26	28	1.1					9. Magen McNeil	Arc	25		44	1.8
10. Robert Gordy	Wes	18	19	1.1					10. Jolon Davis	GMC	26		44	1.7

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First Team
Willie Chandler, Misericordia University (Sr., G, Scranton, PA/Scranton)
Larry Bryant, Wesley College (Jr., G, Felton, DE/Lake Forest)
Badou Gaye, Gwynedd-Mercy College (So., C, Norristown, PA/Kennedy-Kenrick)
Rahim Washington, Neumann College (Sr., G, Philadelphia, PA/Overbrook)
Tim Maddox, Cabrini College(Sr., G, Philadelphia, PA/Overbrook)
Omar Warthen, Neumann College (Sr., F, Philadelphia, PA/Furness)
Tillman Sims, Alvernia College (Sr., F, Reading, PA/Reading)

Player of the Year: Willie Chandler, Misericordia University
Rookie of the Year: Magen McNeil, Arcadia University
Coach of the Year: Brian Nugent, Neumann College

Second Team
Ryan Tozer, Eastern University (So., G, Norwood, PA/Friends Central)
Jason Perry, Misericordia University (Sr., C, S. Williamsport, PA/S. Williamsport)
Brad Merriweather, Alvernia College (Sr., C, Reading, PA/Reading)
Magen McNeil, Arcadia University (Fr., F, Philadelphia, PA/University City)
Doug Billet, Marywood University (Sr., G, York, PA/York Suburban)

Honorable Mention
Jeff Siti, Arcadia University (Sr., F, Ridley Park, PA/Cardinal O’Hara)
Corey Copeland, Eastern University (Fr., G, Baltimore, MD/Mount St. Joseph)
Courtney Griffin, Gwynedd-Mercy College (Jr., F, Seaford, DE/Seaford)
Isiah Walker, Marywood (Jr., G, Wilkes-Barre, PA/GAR)

February 24

Rahim Washington, Neumann, SR, G, 5-8, Philadelphia, PA/Overbrook. Averaged 35.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals in a 2-0 PAC week as team clinched top seed in PAC playoffs (beat Gwynedd-Mercy, Misericordia).

Honor Roll
Tillman Sims, Alvernia, SR, F, 6-6, Reading, PA/Reading. Averaged 15.3 points, 13.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.3 steals in a 3-0 PAC week (beat Cabrini, Marywood and Arcadia).

Tim Maddox, Cabrini, SR, G, 6-2, Philadelphia, PA/Overbrook. Averaged 22.5 pts while shooting 50 percent (10-20) from three-point range in a 1-1 PAC week (lost to Alvernia, def. Eastern).

Tim Smallwood, Marywood, FR, G, 6-3, Greenwich, CT/Greenwich. Averaged 24 points, 3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal in a 1-1 PAC week (lost to Alvernia, beat Wesley).

Larry Bryant, Wesley, SR, G, 6-0, Felton, DE/Lake Forest. Averaged 27.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in a 1-1 PAC Week (beat Gwynedd, lost to Marywood).

February 17

Willie Chandler, Misericordia, SR, 6-5, Guard, Scranton, PA/Scranton. Averaged 30.7 ppg while moving into second place all-time in D-III scoring and added, 8.3 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.3 assists in a 2-1 PAC week (beat Arcadia, Marywood, lost to Eastern).

February 10

Jason Perry, Misericordia, SR, C, 6-7, S. Williamsport, PA/S. Williamsport. Averaged 17 points, including the 1,500th of his career, 5.7 rebounds and four assists in a 3-0 PAC week (beat Gwynedd-Mercy, Alvernia, Cabrini).

February 3

Jordan Henson, Wesey, 5-11, SR, Guard, Rockville, MD/Rockville. Averaged 20.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2 steals per game in a 1-2 week (beat Misericordia, lost to Gwynedd-Mercy and Washington (Md.)).

January 27

Willie Chandler, Misericordia, 6-5, SR, Guard, Scranton, PA/Scranton. Averaged 38.0 points, 10.7 rebounds and 2.1 steals while going over 2,500 points for his career in a 2-1 week (1-1 PAC). Beat King’s, Gwynedd-Mercy; lost to Marywood.

January 20

Willie Chandler, Misericordia, 6-5, SR, Guard, Scranton, PA/Scranton. Averaged 29.3 points, including 35 in a PAC win, 7.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.0 steals in a 1-2 week (1-1 PAC). Beat Eastern; lost to Lycoming, Arcadia.

January 13

Doug Billet, Marywood, 6-1, SR, Guard, York, PA/York Suburban. Became the third player in school history to score 1,000 career points in a 3-1 week averaging 19.5 points, 1.5 assists, 1.5 steal, and 2.7 rebounds per game (beat Swarthmore, Penn State-Altoona, Practical Bible, lost to Wilkes).

January 6

Omar Warthen, Neumann, 6-5, SR, Center, Philadelphia, PA/Furness. Averaged 15.3 points, 15.3 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.0 assists and was named to King's College All-Tournament Team in a 1-2 week. The Knights lost to Williams in Daytona, FL, and beat Susquehanna at the King's Tournament

December 16

Badou Gaye, Gwynedd-Mercy, So., Center, Senegal, Africa/Kennedy-Kenrick. Averaged 22.5 points, 15.5 rebounds and 4 blocks per game in wins over Arcadia and Albright in a 2-0 week (1-0 PAC).

December 9

Badou Gaye, Gwynedd-Mercy, So., Center, Senegal, Africa/Kennedy-Kenrick. Averaged 26 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game in wins over Widener and Eastern in a 2-0 week (1-0 PAC). Gaye was also named ECAC Division III Southern Player of the Week.

December 2

Omar Warthen, Neumann, SR, C, Philadelphia, PA/Furness. Averaged 17ppg, 11 Rpg, and 4 assists in a 2-0 week.

November 25

Willie Chandler, Misericordia, SR, G, Scranton, PA/Scranton. Averaged 29 points, 10 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.0 assists to earn MVP honors at the Laurel Line Tournament in a 2-0 week.

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Saturday, March 1, 2003- Championship

#3 Alvernia 80, #1 Neumann 73
Senior forward and Tournament MVP Tillman Sims scored a game-high 23 points and 10 rebounds to lead the third seeded Alvernia College men’s basketball team to an 80-73 win over top-seeded Neumann College Saturday afternoon in the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference Championship at Bruder Gymnasium.

Alvernia junior forward Ray Strickland scored 13 points, freshman reserve Mike Brock added 10, and senior center Brad Merriweather scored 14. Neumann senior Omar Warthen led the Knights (17-10) with 23 points going over 1,000 points for his career. Reserve forward Solomon Harris scored 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting, and sophomore Randy Maultsby added 11.

Sims let the first pass of the game slip through his hands, but settled into a groove scoring the first 10 points for the Crusaders (20-8) as they open up an early 10-4 lead. Neumann came back with 11 of the next 14 including five from Warthen. The teams traded buckets over the next two minutes before a Merriweather bucket sparked six straight by the Crusaders. Neumann cut the lead to two points over the next minute, but back-to-back buckets from Sims and Merricks pushed the lead back to six. Neumann answered again with five straight from Warthen, but Strickland stropped the run with a 3 from the elbow. Neumann followed that with a 5-1 run to close the half and the scored was locked at 32 at the half.

Alvernia asserted itself to start the second half opening up a 14-point lead with a 16-2 run sparked by a 3 and a fast break layup from freshman guard Lamar Brickus. Neumann twice trimmed that lead to eight over the next six minutes and got it down to five points at 58-53 with 5:37 to play following a Harris 3 from the left corner. Merriweather knocked down a post move on the next possession and Sims converted a steal into a layup to push the lead back to nine at 4:11. Stickland made the advantage 12 with a pair of free throws at 1:49, but Neumann cut the lead in half with back-to-back 3s over the following 17 seconds. Stickland hit two more free throws and Maultsby hit a layup to make it 71-65 with 1:32 to go. Brock hit two more free throws and the Neumann shots started to fall awry as the Crusaders hit seven more free throws in the final minute to seal the win.

Thursday, February 27, 2003-Semifinals

#1 Neumann 97, #4 Misericordia 65

Omar Warthen led five Neumann (17-9) players in double figures with 22 points and a game-high 11 rebounds to lead the Knight to a 97-65 win over Misericordia (16-10) in the PAC Semifinal in Aston. Neumann hosts Alvernia, a 67-63 winner over Cabrini on Saturday at 2:00 pm in the PAC Final. In addition to Warthen, Neumann was led by Rahim Washington with 18, Solomon Harris with 16, Randy Maultsby with 15 and Brian Smith with 11. All-America candidate Willie Chandler led Misericordia with 31 points and 10 rebounds.

This will be the Crusaders sixth appearance in the PAC Final, while Neumann is going for its second straight year. Alvernia is 1-4, while Neumann is 0-1. All of both teams losses were to Cabrini.

#3 Alvernia 67, #2 Cabrini 63

Ray Strickland and Tillman Sims scored 16 points apiece to lead Alvernia College (19-8) to a 67-63 win over Cabrini College (17-8) in a Pennsylvania Athletic Conference semifinal in Radnor. Tim Maddox led Cabrini with 15 points and Brian Wood added 12 points and 12 rebounds. This marks the Crusaders first win in six PAC Tournament games over the Cavaliers, also breaking a two-year streak.

Alvernia will travel to Neumann College (17-9) for the PAC Championship
Game on Saturday. This will be the Crusaders sixth appearance in the PAC Final, while Neumann is going for its second straight year. Alvernia is 1-4, while Neumann is 0-1. All of both teams losses were to Cabrini.

Tuesday, February 25, 2003- First Round

#3 Alvernia 83, #6 Eastern 56#3 Alvernia (18-8) advanced to the PAC Semifinal at second seed Cabrini on Thursday by defeating sixth seed Eastern (12-14) 83-56 in the first round of the PAC Tournament presented by Push the Rock Outfitters. The Crusaders led throughout the game and were helped by four players in double figures. Ray Strickland had a game-high 16 points, including four three-pointers, Brad Merriweather added 13 points and 12 a game-high rebounds, Tillman Sims contributed 12 points and 10 rebounds & Lamar Brickus had 11 points. The Crusaders led 40-20 at the half and shot 45.8 for the game and pulled down 47 boards. The Eagles were led by Ryan Tozer with 14 points and Reggie Bullock had 12 points. The Eagles shot 42.9% from the field, but took only 49 shots to 72 for the Crusaders.

Alvernia swept Cabrini, the defending PAC champs, during the regular season. The Crusaders won in Reading on January 25, 63-49 and in Radnor on February 19, 61-53. The Crusaders are 7-1 at home this season in the PAC, the lone blemish was Alvernia. The teams have met five previous times in the PAC Tournament with the Cavaliers winning all five times, including the last two years in a row.

#4 Misericordia 76, #5 Gwynedd-Mercy 74

#4 Misericordia (16-10) advanced to the PAC Semifinal at top seed Neumann on Thursday by edging fifth seed Gwynedd-Mercy (13-13) 76-74 in the first round of the PAC Tournament presented by Push the Rock Outfitters. All-America candidate Willie Chandler led the Cougars with a game-high 24 points and tied for game-high honors with GMC's Badou Gaye in rebounds with 10. Ed Corliss added 18 points and Kevin Driscoll had 11 points. Driscoll's free throws with 1:15 remaining, proved to be the difference. Gaye led the Griffins with 23 points, while Jeff Thomas had 16 points and Khalif Leek added 11 points. Gaye and Thomas fouled out late in the contest. Dan Stroud's last second three-point attempt was blocked by Chandler to preserve the win for Misericordia.

Misericordia and Neumann split the season series, winning on each other's home court (1/29- 67-62 in Aston & 2/22- 83-82 OT in Dallas). The Knights were 7-1 in PAC home games this season, the lone blemish was Misericordia. The teams met last year in the PAC Semifinal at Dallas with the Knights winning 86-76.

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Saturday, March 8, 2003- Second Round

Randolph-Macon (28-1) 72, Alvernia (21-9) 69 (OT)

Junior forward Kurt Bergmann hit a 3 from the right elbow with 2.3 seconds left in regulation to force overtime and senior Jared Mills scored nine of his game-high 26 points in the extra frame as the Randolph-Macon men's basketball team, ranked No. 1 by d3hoops.com, beat Alvernia College, 72-69 in overtime, in the NCAA Second Round at Crenshaw Gymnasium.

Bergmann also reached double-figures for the Yellow Jackets (28-1) with 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting including a season-saving 1-of-3 effort from the 3-point arc. Alvernia senior Tillman Sims led the Crusaders (21-9) with 23 points. Junior Ray Strickland scored 17 and senior Brad Merriweather was perfect on four attempts from the floor and five from the line for 13 points.

Sims and Mills, long-time rivals and a pair of Reading seniors traded buckets to open the game forging the first of four first-half ties. Alvernia freshman Zach Straining nailed a 3 and the Yellow Jackets worked the ball down low twice as both teams opened up shooting well as the lead changed hands four times in the opening five minutes before a pair of Merriweather free throws put Alvernia up 11-10 at 15:02. Sims followed that with a bucket and after another Mills post move, Merriweather and Sims converted back-to-back dunks that started an 11-3 Crusader run that had the guests up nine, 26-17, with 9:04 to go in the first. The run included three of the Crusaders' four first-half 3s including two from freshman reserve Mike Brock. RMC ran off four straight led by two of Mills' team-high eight first half points and Sims converted a steal into another dunk and Alvernia enjoyed a seven-point edge, 28-21, with 6:27 left on the clock. Justin Wansley scored four of the Jackets' next six as they cut it to 30-28 with 3:05 left and Tim Smith knocked down a triple from the right elbow giving RMC a 31-30 lead at the 1:46 mark, its first since it led 10-9. Strickland hit a free throw to tie the score at 31 and Wansley hit a pair from the stripe with 22 seconds left to close the first-half scoring with Macon up 33-31.

Strickland tied the score again with a layup to open the second half, but Macon followed with three straight layups to take its largest lead of the game at 39-33 with 17:17 to go in regulation. The Crusaders used their first timeout of the half and Sims came out with five straight to bring the guests back to within one. RMC knocked down a pair of free throws and a bucket from Mills to offset a Strickland hoop prior to a Merriweather three-point play that tied things up for the second time of the half, 43-all with 13:18 to go. Scoring was sparse over the next four minutes with RMC holding a slim one-point lead with eight to play, 46-45. Alvernia freshman Lamar Brickus got both hands in the passing lane on the next Jacket possession and converted the fast-break layup to give Alvernia its first lead of the second half, 47-46. Macon junior Jim Silcox scored the next eight for the hosts to just one Sims bucket for Alvernia and RMC held five, 52-47, with 5:29 to go. Merriweather hit his fourth bucket of the game and a pair of Sims free throws pulled Alvernia within one before Mills stopped the quick spurt with a short jumper. Down three, Strickland forced a turnover and was fouled in the lane, but managed to get the ball up over his head as he put together a three-point play to tie the score at 56 with 2:07 left. RMC failed to convert on their next possession and Straining dropped in a baseline runner for a two-point edge. Sims was fouled on a rebound following another Yellow Jacket miss and hit 1-of-2 free throws to put Alvernia up three with 12.3 to go. RMC called timeout to set up its final play and the Crusader defense seemed to have them scrambling until Bergmann hit a fading 22-footer with 2.3 on the clock to tie the score at 59. Alvernia got the ball in to Strickland at half court, but he couldn't get off a shot and the game was headed to overtime.

Inspired by a raucous crowd and building momentum, RMC started the extra frame with four straight points including two of Mills' five overtime free throws. Strickland stopped the run with his second 3 of the game and Sims hit the second of two free throws to tie the game at 63 with 2:26 to go. Macon came back with five straight from Mills to go up 68-63 with 1:33 to play. Strickland answered again with a pull-up 3 and 30 seconds later Brickus nailed a 3 from the left corner to put Alvernia back on top, 69-68, with 49 ticks left. Mills converted a spin move on the baseline and Straining was whistled for an offensive foul with 19 seconds erasing a short bank shot. The Crusaders fouled Ryan Stein who knocked down both free throws with 17 seconds to go. Brickus took the inbound, dribbled into the frontcourt and missed a 3 from about 25 feet. The carom found Brock just outside the lane and he promptly dribble out to the arc, but was unable to convert as the horn sounded with RMC advancing with the 72-69 win.

Thursday, March 6, 2003- First Round

Alvernia (21-8) 58, Mary Washington (24-5) 53

Junior forward Ray Strickland scored a game-high 20 points including four 3-pointers to lead the Alvernia College men's basketball team to a 58-53 win over Mary Washington Thursday evening in NCAA First Round action at the Physical Education Center. The Crusaders (21-8) remain undefeated at home in NCAA Tournament play, and advance to play at Randolph-Macon (27-1), ranked No. 1 in the nation by d3hoops.com, Saturday at 7:05 p.m.

Alvernia freshman Lamar Brickus scored a career-high 12 points and senior center Brad Merriweather racked up his ninth double-double of the season with 10 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Sophomore forward Jon Hurd paced the Eagles (24-5) with 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting and seniors Dan Dupras and Cris Hairston tallied 10 points apiece.

Scoring was sparse early, but nervous energy was in full supply as Sims picked up two fouls before the Crusaders had registered a point. Eagle freshman Ian Sumers hit a pair of free throws at 15:21 to give the guests the largest lead the first half would see at 6-2. Strickland knocked down a triple from the elbow for the Crusaders second bucket of the game at 15:04 and nailed a second 1:30 later to forge the second of 10 first-half ties. He sank his third 3 of the half following a steal and Alvernia had its largest lead of the half at 11-8 with 11:41 on the clock. Hairston dropped in a layup and Hurd capped five straight for the Eagles with the team's only 3 of the half to put MWC up two, 13-11 with 8:08 left in the half. The Crusaders answered that spurt with a pair of Merriweather free throws for the third tie of the half, and an exchange of buckets over the following seven minutes left the score tied at 27 with 37 second left in the half. Merriweather went back to the stripe at the eight second mark, but missed a pair and Hurd was fouled on the rebound. He sank the second of two at the other end and the Eagles held the slimmest of margins at the half, 28-27.

The Eagles opened the second half with back-to-back layups by Hairston and Hurd to establish their largest lead at five points, 32-27, with just 52 seconds gone by. Alvernia freshman Zack Straining eased fans a bit with a layup on the ensuing possession, and started a 13-1 run for the hosts capped by a Strickland to Merriweather alley-oop dunk. The spurt put the Crusaders up seven with 14:15 to play. They held the advantage for 1:30 before MWC ran off nine straight, led by four points from Hurd, to take back a two-point edge with 5:56 to play. Strickland picked the right time for his only 3 of the second half on the next trip to give the lead back to the Crusaders, at 47-46 with 5:31 to play. Brickus nailed a jumper in the lane to extend the lead to three and Hurd followed a Dupra, Sims exchange of buckets with a 3 to forge the second tie of the half at 51-all with 2:37 to go. The teams traded shots again, and Stickland knocked down a jumper, which Straining followed with a put-back to put Alvernia up four with 30 seconds to go. MWC had the backdoor cut open on their next possession, but couldn't connect and Brickus made a single free throw with nine seconds to go to close the scoring.

 

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Thursday, March 6, 2003- Semifinals

#1 Franklin & Marshall (24-5) 90, #5 Neumann (18-11) 66

Guard Jackiem Wright drained seven-of-12 from the field, including six-of-11 from beyond the three point arc, for 20 points to lead five Diplomats in double-figures as Franklin & Marshall College advanced to the title game of the ECAC South Region Tournament with a 90-66 victory over Neumann College.

Overall, F&M drained 14-of-26 from three-point range to reset the school record for most three-pointers in a game. The previous record was 12 treys on 25 attempts from a game versus Swarthmore College on November 18, 1990.

For the Diplomats, guard/forward Asaf Ganot converted five-of-five from the field, including four-of-four from long range, for 16 points, while guard Brandon Smith chipped in 12, center Steve Juskin added 11 and forward Bob Lynch dropped in 10 as the Diplomats built a 41-23 at halftime and never looked back.

For Neumann, Omar Warthen made nine-of-15 and six-of-seven at the foul line for 24 points while pulling down a game high 11 rebounds to lead the Knights. Randy Maultsby and Leon Dales added 12 and 11 points, respectively, as Neumann finishes the season at 18-11.

Leading 9-8 following a lay-up by Warthen, the Diplomats used a 12-0 run to open a 21-8 lead as the Knights never cut the lead to less than eight the rest of the way.

Wednesday, March 5, 2003- Quarterfinals

#5 Neumann (18-10) 75, #4 Grove City (18-9) 61

Host Grove City committed 21 turnovers Wednesday night as Pennsylvania Athletic Conference runner-up Neumann pulled out a 75-61 victory over the Wolverines (18-9) in the quarterfinals of the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Southern Championship at the Grove City College Arena. The Knights advance to the ECAC Semifinal on Saturday, March 8 at #1 Franklin & Marshall at 4:00 pm.

Neumann guard Randy Maultsby fired in a game-high 31 points, including 5-of-5 accuracy in three-point territory, to spark the Knights' effort.

Grove City, the Presidents' Athletic Conference champion, jumped out to a 13-8 lead seven minutes into the game on a driving basket from senior center Jeb Schreiber. But behind Maultsby's 20 first-half points, Neumann charged back. The 6-foot sophomore scored the Knights' final five points of the half, allowing Neumann to hold a 31-27 halftime lead.

Neumann then grabbed a 36-28 lead early in the second half before the Wolverines countered with a 12-3 run. Sophomore forward Nate Maurer buried a three from the corner while senior guard Andy Vlajkovich tied the game with a three. A two-handed dunk from junior forward Tanner Prosser put Grove city on top 40-39.

However, Neumann rebounded with a 21-5 spurt to take command of the game. Solomon Harris, who came off the bench to fire in 19 points, scored seven straight points to start the run. Neumann also sank 19 of 23 (83 percent) free throws in the second half to keep Grove City at bay.

Maurer and Phil Bushre both grabbed 10 rebounds but the Wolverines were out-rebounded 40-32. Harris had nine boards for the Knights.

#2 DeSales (22-6) 81, #7 Misericordia (16-12) 65

The DeSales University men's basketball team advanced to the ECAC South Region Tournament semifinals with an 81-65 win over Misericordia University on Wednesday evening in Billera Hall.

The Bulldogs (22-6 overall) will play Penn State-Behrend, who defeated Thiel College, 99-77, on Saturday at Franklin & Marshall College at 2:00 pm. The other semifinal will pit the #1 seeded and final four host Franklin & Marshall College against the #5 seed, Neumann College, at 4:00 pm.

The Bulldogs used a 15-0 run over a five minute stretch in the first half to stretch what was a three-point lead at 21-18 with 10:03 left into a 36-18 lead with 5:32 remaining in the opening half. Misericordia (16-12 overall) rallied over the last five minutes of the half, however, using an 11-2 run of its own to end the half and cutting the lead to nine points at 38-29 entering the locker rooms.

Senior Willie Chandler led the Cougars with 10 first half points, while the Bulldogs were paced by junior Jim Zinn who netted eight markers.

In the second half, DeSales scored the first nine points of the second half to retake an 18-point lead at 47-29. Sophomore David Bright threw down two dunks to start the half, sophomore Michael Venafra sank two charity tosses, and fellow sophomore Kyle Koch canned a trey to cap the Bulldog spurt.

The Cougars battled and eventually cut the lead to nine points at 55-46 with 12:39 remaining, but the Bulldogs used an 11-3 run to push the lead back up to 17 points.

Bright finished with a team-high 14 points on 6-for-7 shooting and Zinn added 12 tallies to lead the scoring attack for DeSales. Sophomore Kevin Welsh scored a career-high eight points on a perfect 3-for-3 night from the field, fellow sophomore David Spadt fell just short of his first career double-double with nine points and a career-high nine rebounds, and senior Joe Teprovich also totaled nine points off the bench.

Chandler totaled a game-high 21 points to end his career ranked second all-time on the NCAA Division III scoring list with 2,898 points. Senior Scott Napkori also added 12 points off the bench on 5-for-7 shooting.

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