(box score)

Freshman Lil Carney (Narbeth, PA) scored 16 of her game-high 20 points in the opening half for Widener, which won its fifth straight game with a 72-53 Commonwealth Conference victory at Arcadia in Glenside, PA.

Widener came out smoking to the tune of a 17-2 lead within the first eight minutes.  Carney poured in six points in that span with senior Becky Tyler (Wynnewood, PA) and sophomore Casey Pritz (Abington, PA) netting four apiece.

The lead ballooned to 41-22 at halftime, courtesy of the Pride shooting 44 percent (16-of-36) from the field versus the Knights hitting only 31 percent (9-of-29).  In addition to Carney's exploits, Tyler, Pritz and freshman Vanessa Hejnas (Delran, NJ) netted six points apiece in the stanza.

Carney shot 8-of-16 from the field overall and also had seven rebounds.  Tyler scored 14 points to match her season high and freshman Kate Dellinger (Wrightsville, PA) hauled in nine rebounds.

Jackie Law and Corrine Geiger netted 13 points apiece with Kim Milligan adding 12 for the Knights (5-18, 0-13 CC).

Widener (14-10, 10-3) remains one-half game behind No. 16 Messiah (10-2) for second place in the conference.  The Pride with the win assured they can not be lower than a number three seed for the four-team conference tournament, which begins next Wednesday.

The victory was the 100th for seventh-year coach Alisa DiBonaventura.  The program's second all-time winningest coach, she is 100-84 for her career.

Widener on Saturday closes the regular season at Lycoming with a 1:00 pm tip-off.