READING, Pa. – Senior guard Omari Ringgold surpassed 1,000 career points early in the first half of the Albright men's basketball team's game against crosstown-rival Alvernia on Wednesday night. What followed was a classic between the Lions and Crusaders. Albright came out with a big 82-76 win in overtime.

It looked like Ringgold's two big shots late in the second half would give the Lions the victory in regulation. After DeLascio Dancy, Jr., scored to make it 64-63 Alvernia with 3:16 to play, the Lions came back on their next possession looking for a lead. Ringgold gathered in an offensive rebound and scored while being fouled. He completed the three-point play to give the Lions a 66-64 lead.

The score stayed there for more than a minute. An Albright possession meandered into the final seconds of the shot clock, but Ringgold grabbed a loose ball at the top of the key and drained the shot as the buzzer went off. That gave Albright a 68-64 lead with 1:24 to play. Alex Shippen brought Alvernia back, however, scoring four points in the final 30 seconds. His layup with 1.1 seconds to play tied the score at 68 and sent the game into overtime.

The lead in the extra frame initially went to Alvernia as it hit two three pointers sandwiched around a DeJuan Smith three-point play. Down 74-71, Albright scored eight straight points as it held Alvernia scoreless for more than three minutes. Smith scored four of the points on that run, and he had nine in overtime.

Two Alvernia free throws cut the lead to 79-76, but the Lions hit their final three free throws to seal the victory as Alvernia never had another possession with a chance to tie or take the lead.

Alvernia got off to a fast start in the first half as it took a 10-1 lead less than four minutes into play. The Lions clawed back into the game shortly thereafter. Ringgold's 1,000^th point came on the front part of a three-point play that cut the deficit to 15-13. Albright took its first lead of the game with 3:26 left in the half on a Jared Rappoport basket. He tied the score on the previous possession on a tip slam. Alvernia scored just before the intermission to take a 37-35 lead at the half.

Ringgold led the way with 21 points. Smith had 15 points and 12 rebounds. Rowles had 15 points and seven rebounds while Brandon Lindsay had 16 points.

Ringgold managed to reach the mark in just three years with the Lions. He is now the 36^th men's basketball player in Albright history to hit the 1,000-point mark.

Albright returns to action Saturday when it travels to Lycoming at 3 p.m.