(box score)
Junior BJ Smith (Baltimore, MD) notched career highs of 31 points and five 3-pointers as well as tying a personal best with nine rebounds in Widener's 91-79 victory at Neumann in Aston, PA.
Smith was unconscious early, scoring 15 of Widener's first 17 points in just over seven minutes to give the visitors a 17-5 lead. He nailed three 3-pointers in that stretch and helped the Pride limit the Knights to only two baskets over the first eight minutes.
Widener (6-3) further asserted itself with an 8-0 run in just under 2 1/2 minutes for a 35-17 lead with 6:40 left in the opening half. Junior Jack Brennan (Stratford, NJ) scored four points in that span.
Smith shattered his career-best scoring mark in the first half, netting 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting and drilling all four of his 3-point attempts to give the Pride a 45-35 lead. This helped Widener connect on 58 percent (18-of-31) from the field in the opening half, 5-of-10 from beyond the arc and limit Neumann to only 39 percent shooting (14-of-36) from the field.
The Knights (3-5) were hanging around down 74-61 with 7:16 to play before the Pride went on a 13-6 run for an 87-67 cushion with 4:25 remaining. Freshman Bob Makor (Philadelphia, PA) scored six points in that span.
Smith shot 10-of-16 from the floor and 5-of-7 from 3-point range, helping the Pride hit a blistering 54 percent (33-of-61) from the field and 8-of-18 from beyond the arc. He easily broke his career high of 14 points, which he reached for the fourth time last Saturday against Messiah, and his rebounds matched that versus Swarthmore on December 7, 2009.
Smith's 31 points are the most for a Widener player since Malcolm Thomas poured in 33 at Albright on February 7, 2007.
Senior Jarrell Nelson (Waldorf, MD) had 12 points and 11 rebounds for his second straight double-double, junior Perry Wright (Severn, MD) also netted 12 points and Makor poured in 10 for Widener (6-3), which has won five of its last six.
Marquise Boggs poured in 27 points on 11-of-20 shooting and Mark Blount scored 11 for the Knights, who shot 44 percent (31-of-71) from the floor, 3-of-10 from 3-point range and a dismal 14-for-25 from the line. Neumann suffered its first loss in four home games this season.
Widener is off until December 20, when it hosts Gwynedd-Mercy for a 7:00 pm tipoff.
