(box score)

Widener unbelievably whittled a 19-point second-half deficit to three, only to come up short in a 75-63 Commonwealth Conference setback to Albright at Schwartz Center.

Albright (12-2, 3-1 CC) owned a 40-25 halftime lead by shooting 41 percent (14-of-34) from the floor and nailing seven 3-pointers.  Adam Van Zelst and Jeff Sparrow poured in nine points apiece in the half.

Things looked all but over when the Lions grabbed a 53-34 cushion with 10:01 remaining, but nobody told the Pride (8-6, 1-3).  The home team stormed to an 18-4 run to close to 57-52 with 4:46 left.  Sophomore Onyi Ezeala (Piscataway, NJ) scored seven points in that run and had the crowd in a frenzy by capping it on a three-point play.

Sophomore Jack Brennan (Stratford, NJ) converted another old-fashioned three-point play to move Widener to a 61-58 deficit with 3:17 to play.  But the Lions ended the game on a 14-5 run, shooting 8-for-10 from the line with Zac Shaeffer going 4-for-4.

Brennan finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out for his second double-double of the year.  Ezeala played great with a career-high 17 points and senior Bobby Edmunds (Linwood, NJ) poured in 16 for Widener.

Matt Ashcroft scored 15 points, Shaeffer netted 12 and Justin Plummer grabbed 11 rebounds for Albright.

Widener on Saturday visits Lebanon Valley for a 4:00 pm start in Annville, PA.