(box score)
Widener struggled early and trailed at halftime for its second straight contest but exploded in the second half to earn another come-from-behind victory, 75-62 at Swarthmore.
After Widener took a 6-4 lead just short of two and a half minutes into the game, Swarthmore went on a 19-0 run which covered nearly nine minutes. The hosts went 8-of-13 from the field over that span, forcing six Widener turnovers and 11 missed field goals.
Swarthmore held its largest lead of the game, 36-17, with 4:26 left in the first half. That is when Widener began its initial charge. The Pride (2-0) cut the lead to nine by the break, closing the period on a 14-4 run sparked by seven points from freshman Joanna Persiano (Ventnor, NJ).
The Garnet (0-1) shot 18-of-30 from the field in the first half and held Widener to just 37 percent (11-of-30).
Having dramatically shifted the momentum by the end of the first 20 minutes, Widener picked up right where it left off. The Pride made eight of their first 11 shots in the second stanza, igniting a 16-7 spurt to tie the game at 47-47 just over six minutes into the period.
Freshman Jennifer Egee (Ridley Park, PA), who went 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, hit a 3-pointer with 11:37 left to give Widener a 52-49 lead that it would never relinquish.
Swarthmore cut the lead to one on three occasions in just over the next three minutes, but could not stop Widener's lethal shooting. The Pride finished the contest on an 18-6 run over the last eight minutes.
Widener made 52 percent (16-of-31) of its field goals in the second half, including 5-of-10 from 3-point range, and limited Swarthmore to 27 percent (10-of-37) shooting.
Widener's bench was the story, outscoring Swarthmore's 48-21 and finishing with three in double figures. Persiano closed with a game-high 19 points and added six rebounds and five assists. Sophomore Mary Lorenz (Mays Landing, NJ) had 12 points and eight boards, including four off the offensive glass, and senior Laura Carson (Downingtown, PA) shot 6-of-10 from the field for 12 points. The trio shot a combined 16-of-34 from the field.
Kathryn Stockbower finished with 18 points on 8-of-15 shooting for Swarthmore. She also hauled in 14 rebounds, including eight offensive. Ceylan Bodur shot 7-of-14 for 15 points.
It was a bit of déjà vu for the two teams. Widener trailed Swarthmore by 11 with less than 13 minutes to play in a contest at Schwartz Center on December 10 of last year, but stormed back for a 55-48 victory.
The “320 Challenge” is tied at 5-5.
Widener on Friday travels to Westminster, MD to face Juniata in the McDaniel Tip-Off Tournament. The game is slated for 8:00 pm.
