(box score)
Widener built a 28-point lead and was warded off a furious rally by Messiah for an 80-72 Commonwealth Conference victory at Schwartz Center.
Things looked real good for the Pride (5-2, 2-0 CC) as it built a 47-27 halftime lead. Junior Jack Brennan (Stratford, NJ) scored 16 points in that span for Widener, which shot 61 percent (19-of-31) from the field and held Messiah to just 42 percent (10-of-24).
The margin ballooned to 63-35 with 14:21 left, courtesy of a 14-4 run in which senior Chris McDevitt (Doylestown, PA) and junior BJ Smith (Baltimore, MD) each netted five points.
The Falcons (4-2, 1-1) refused to go away, incredibly using a 15-2 run over five minutes to close to 70-56 with 6:24 left. Taylor Groff and Brad Bolen each scored five points in that burst.
Senior Jarrell Nelson (Waldorf, MD) hit a pair of layups to give Widener a 74-56 lead with 5:21 remaining. But Messiah again wanted the fans to stay in their seats. The visitors went on a 14-2 burst to move to 76-70 with 2:06 left, thanks to six points from David Fernandez.
McDevitt hit two free throws with 1:22 to go for a 78-70 Widener lead, but Trey Ritzman made a layup with 1:00 left to bring Messiah within 78-72. But that was as close as the Falcons would get as Smith canned two free throws in the last 26 seconds for the final.
Brennan tied his season high with 20 points, Smith scored 14 with McDevitt and Nelson adding 12 apiece for Widener, which has won four straight and five of its last six. Nelson added nine rebounds for the Pride, who gained a 40-26 edge and shot 59 percent (32-of-54) from the floor.
Fernandez scored 12 points with Chris Yoder adding 11 for the Falcons, who shot 50 percent from the field after intermission to outscore the Pride 45-33.
Despite Messiah's best effort, Widener won its fifth straight home game in the series and has taken eight of the last nine overall.
Widener afterward held its annual alumni game, featuring many of its all-conference players and All-Americans. These athletes represent a great tradition for the Pride, who have won 15 Middle Atlantic/Commonwealth conference titles and competed in 17 NCAA Tournaments. The most recent run saw the 2006-09 teams play in four straight NCAA Tournaments.
Widener on Wednesday visits Immaculata for a 7:00 pm start.
