(boxscore)
Widener scored the first 14 points of the second half to seize momentum and clinched the top seed in the Commonwealth Conference Tournament with a 70-55 victory over Lycoming at Schwartz Center.
Down 29-24 at halftime, Widener (18-5, 8-2 CC) exploded to grab a 38-29 lead with 14:29 left. Senior Nyere Miller (Washington, DC) scored five points in that span, capping it with a 3-pointer, and junior Jamarr Johnson (Pittsgrove, NJ) added four.
The lead ballooned to 63-45 with 3:14 remaining, courtesy of a 12-2 spurt in which senior Charles Jones (Philadelphia, PA) scored four points. Widener shot 64 percent (14-of-22) from the field in the second half and limited Lycoming (11-11, 4-6) to just 38 percent (9-of-24).
Johnson ended with 13 points and 10 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. Jones poured in 15 points, Miller netted 14 and senior Matt Sosna (Stratford, NJ) added 11 for the Pride, who hit 46 percent (23-of-50) overall from the floor.
Greg Sye scored 10 points and Will Kelly added nine for the Warriors, who hit only 40 percent (19-of-48) overall and were 5-of-17 from beyond the arc.
Widener's win, coupled with Messiah's loss at Albright, nails down its first regular-season title since 2006. The Pride, who have won two straight conference titles with two road victories in each tournament, will host a semifinal on Wednesday, February 25.
Widener on Tuesday hosts Lebanon Valley as part of a doubleheader with the women's team. The women's game starts at 6:00 pm, followed by the men's contest at 8:00 pm.
