(boxscore)
3/7/08 – Junior Nyere Miller (Washington, DC) scored 15 of his game-high 21 points in the second half, when Widener pulled away and then held off a late rally for an 87-78 victory over Averett in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Greensboro, NC.
Miller could not be stopped in the second half, shooting 4-of-8 from the floor and 2-of-6 from 3-point range. The MVP of the Commonwealth Conference Tournament finished 6-of-13 from the field overall and 4-of-10 from beyond the arc.
The Pride (23-5) gained command with a 23-5 run spanning eight minutes for a 69-50 lead with 6:39 left. Miller provided the highlights, pouring in 10 points during that span with a pair of 3-pointers and two layups.
Widener's defense again made its presence felt, holding Averett to just one field goal during a nine-minute span of the second half.
The Cougars (14-15) made things interesting as Jonathan Rumley nailed a 3-pointer with 43 seconds left for an 82-75 contest. But junior Charles Jones (Philadelphia, PA) hit two free throws with 38 seconds to go for an 84-75 game and sophomore Bobby Edmunds (Linwood, NJ) added one with 24 seconds remaining for an 85-78 margin.
Junior Matt Sosna (Stratford, NJ) had 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting with nine rebounds and was 7-for-7 from the line for Widener, which saw all of its starters reach double figures. Edmunds poured in 14 points, sophomore Jamarr Johnson (Pittsgrove, NJ) netted 13 and Jones contributed 12.
Widener shot 52 percent (15-of-29) from the floor in the second half and converted 16-for-18 from the line. The squad overall shot 46 percent (28-of-61) from the field and 24-of-28 from the stripe.
Jones finished 6-for-6 from the line and Miller was 5-for-5.
Rumley scored 16 points and Brandon Malone netted 14 off the bench for the Cougars, who shot 50 percent (28-of-56) from the floor but were 7-of-25 from 3-point range.
The Pride, back-to-back league champions for the first time in seven years, advance to the second round on Saturday at 7:00 pm against St. Mary's. The Seahawks (18-11) stunned No. 8 and homestanding Guilford, 89-77, in the session's other first-round game.
Widener, playing in the NCAA Tournament for the 16th time in school history, has won a game in this tournament three straight years for the first time in school history. The Pride are competing in their third consecutive tournament for the first time since making four straight appearances from 1975-78.
Widener, which owned a 39-36 halftime lead, opened with an 18-8 run over the first six minutes. Edmunds scored seven points in that span and Sosna added four.
Edmunds closed the first half with 11 points and Sosna netted 10 for the Pride, who shot 41 percent (13-of-32) from the field and nailed five 3-pointers. The Cougars shot 52 percent (14-of-27), but was just 3-of-10 from beyond the arc.
