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WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Led by the Commonwealth Conference Tournament Most Outstanding Player Zac Shaeffer, the Lions (21-5) downed Lycoming College (21-6) by the final score of 87-74 to claim the 2010 Commonwealth Conference Title Saturday afternoon in Lamade Gymnasium.

The win secures the Lions a place in this year's NCAA Division III Tournament, and could very well give the red and white a home court advantage through the first and second rounds of the tournament.

The conference championship is the 8th in program history and this year's trip to the NCAA tournament will be the Lions 9th overall.

On the day Shaeffer was sensational from all over the court, and scored a game high 24 points, 12 of which were at the free throw line. From the field the Lampeter native was 5-for-15 and behind the arc he was 2-for-8. Also having a solid afternoon was Matt Ashcroft who scored 22 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the field, which included four three-pointers. At the line he was a perfect 4-for-4.

Truly the afternoon's standout performance belonged to Derek Hall who tallied a 14 point 14 rebound double-double. The sophomore was dynamic when it came to pulling down missed chances, and played an extremely physical game against Lycoming's big-man Mike Bradley.

Hall could not miss from behind the arc going 2-for-2 and at the free throw line shooting 4-for-4. From the field he shot 50% and had two blocks and two steals.

For the host Warriors their season may not be over with a possible at-large bid coming their way on Monday. Lycoming totaled four players in double-figures with Will Kelly leading the team with 18 points, followed by Eric Anthony's 14 points, Ihsaan Davis' 12 points, and Jerald Williams 11.

Proving to be the biggest factor for Albright through the first half of play was Shane Irwin who came off the bench to score 12 points in only eight minutes of action. Irwin then returned to the game in the second half, and helped the red and white shutdown all of Lycoming's biggest threats.

As a team, Albright's ball possession was outstanding only turning the ball over eight times. Their team defense forced 13 Lycoming turnovers, and recorded six blocks and five steals. Offensively the Lions shot a combined 44.8% from the field, 34.8% from three-point range, and 87.1% from the line.

Throughout the course of Saturday's match-up there was a combined 15 lead changes, and six ties. The first half saw the two squad's battle back-and-forth showcasing solid play on both sides of the court. In the second half, the Lions completely controlled the pace of the game limiting Lycoming opportunities, while taking advantage of their own.

Albright will now wait to see who they will be facing next weekend, with the official announcement of the tournament field coming on Monday. Fans can check back to AlbrightAthletics.com at approximately 10:30 a.m. to see this year's bracket and Albright's first opponent.