(box score)

Widener could not complete the rally in the second half and suffered a 75-71 Commonwealth Conference loss at Alvernia in Reading, PA.

Widener (11-11, 4-7 CC), which trailed by as many as nine points in the second half, got a critical three-point play from senior Bobby Edmunds (Linwood, NJ) for a 70-69 deficit with 1:18 remaining.

But Alvernia (15-7, 6-5) had an answer on the other end.  Nick Rivera caught the ball in the post and spun toward the basket for a layup with 53 seconds left and a 72-69 cushion.

The Pride looked to counter on the other end, but junior Chris McDevitt (Doylestown, PA) had his shot deflected by Rivera.  Tad Gillis grabbed the rebound and made 1-of-2 from the line with 28 seconds remaining for a 73-69 game.

After sophomore Perry Wright (Severn, MD) missed a 3-pointer, Seth Cornell drilled 2-of-4 from the stripe in the last 8.4 seconds for the final.

Edmunds finished with 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting with McDevitt adding 12.  Junior Jarrell Nelson (Waldorf, MD) had 10 points and eight rebounds with sophomore Onyi Ezeala (Piscataway, NJ) contributing 10 points.

Cornell poured in 20 points to lead five Crusaders in double figures and was 10-for-17 from the charity stripe.  Gillis had 14 points, nine assists and seven rebounds with Rivera netting 13 points.

Brian Kerney had 12 points and nine rebounds with Stefan Thompson adding 11 points for Alvernia, which entered ranked eighth in the Middle Atlantic Region.

Widener on Saturday hosts Elizabethtown on Senior Day at 3:00 pm.