GLENSIDE, Pa. - The Arcadia University men's basketball team rallied from a 16-point deficit with 8:58 left in the second half to defeat Alvernia University Wednesday night, 71-68 at Alumni Gymnasium.

The Knights improved to 4-3 overall and 2-0 in Commonwealth Conference play with the win, and in the process snapped a 26-game losing streak to the Crusaders. The last win came on February 16, 2000, when Arcadia defeated Alvernia 65-62 in Glenside. With the loss, the Crusaders fell to 4-3 overall and 0-2 in the Commonwealth Conference.

With 8:58 remaining in the game, Alvernia senior guard Kirby Turner converted a layup to give the Crusaders a 64-48 lead. Knights took control of the game from that point on, with Arcadia outscoring Alvernia 23-4 the rest of the way, culminating with freshman guard Sean Mayberry finding a wide-open senior forward Joe Brown for a layup with 16 seconds left on the clock to give the Knights their first lead since 3:43 into the game at 69-68. Mayberry later hit two free throws with 4.1 second on the clock to give Arcadia a 71-68 lead and a huge win in conference play.

The Crusaders had one last shot to tie the game. The ball was inbounded to senior center Harrison Deyo, who carried it up the left sideline and got off a good look at a potential game-tying three, but his shot was off the mark as the final buzzer sounded.

The Knights were led by senior guard Travis Saltus, who had 18 points, four rebounds, and two assists. Brown scored 16 points with seven rebounds, while senior guard Torrell Candelaria added 12 points, three rebounds, and two steals. Mayberry finished the game with 12 points, seven rebounds and two assists, and senior forward/center Jose Figueroa scored nine points with a team-high eight rebounds.

The Crusaders were led by junior guard Charles Cooper's game-high 23 points, with six rebounds and two assists. Freshman guard Mike Miller added 15 points, and Turner contributed 10 points and four rebounds. Deyo scored nine points, with a game-high 10 rebounds and four blocks.

Arcadia had a 17-8 advantage on points in the paint, and a decisive 19-2 edge on second-chance scoring.

The Knights return to action on Saturday when they host preseason Commonwealth Conference favorite Stevenson University for a 3 p.m. tip-off.