(boxscore)
Senior Barbara Fleming (Philadelphia, PA) poured in 22 points and Widener held off a late rally for a 59-57 Commonwealth Conference victory at Lebanon Valley in Annville, PA.
The Pride (12-7, 3-3 CC), who led by as many as 11 early in the second half, netted five straight points for a 57-51 margin with 2:06 left. Fleming and junior Becky Tyler (Wynnewood, PA) each had a layup in that span.
Megan Bish made 1-of-2 from the stripe for the Dutchmen (11-6, 4-2) with 1:28 to go, making it 57-52. Fleming followed suit 18 seconds later to restore the six-point margin.
Things got really dicey with Andrea Hoover burying a 3-pointer as Lebanon Valley closed to 58-55 with 57 seconds left. Following a turnover, Hoover hit a jumper with 12 seconds to play for a one-point contest.
Junior Rayne Reber (Pottstown, PA) nailed 1-of-2 from the line for Widener with nine seconds to go for a 59-57 game. Lebanon Valley on its last possession looked to the red-hot hand of Hoover, who scored 10 points in the second half, but that number held as she missed a jumper at the buzzer.
Fleming shot 9-of-17 from the field for her fourth 20-plus point game of the season. Tyler netted 13 with senior Beth Dessart Mager (Newtown Square, PA) adding eight and six rebounds for Widener, which shot 43 percent (21-of-49) overall.
Bish scored 14 points, Hoover poured in 12 and Eryn Schultz contributed 11 for the Dutchmen, who were held to 35 percent shooting (17-of-48) despite hitting eight 3-pointers.
Widener sits in a third-place tie with Albright and Elizabethtown.
Widener next Tuesday visits Arcadia as part of a doubleheader with the men's team. The women's game begins at 6:00 pm, followed by the men's contest at 8:00 pm.
