(box score)
Widener gave a valiant effort and led for much of the first half, but just could not hold off a tough Messiah squad and dropped a 74-63 Commonwealth Conference Semifinal in Grantham, PA.
After allowing the game's first bucket and missing its first two field goals, Widener reeled off seven straight points and made six of its next seven from the floor. Freshman Joanna Persiano (Ventnor, NJ) scored five points in the first four minutes, sparking a 14-6 Widener run over the first 6:20.
The Pride held an eight-point lead, its largest of the game, at three different times in the first half. Sophomore Vanessa Hejnas (Delran, NJ) made a lay-up to put Widener up 22-14 with 8:31 left in the period.
The hosts rallied with a 13-3 run in just over the next seven minutes, capped by six in a row from Kira Maier. This gave Messiah a 27-25 lead, its first in over 17 minutes, but Widener closed the half making 5-of-6 from the free throw line to forge a 30-30 tie at the break.
Messiah scored the first six points of the second half and never looked back from there. Sophomore Lil Carney (Narberth, PA) twice cut the Messiah lead down to two near the midway point of the second half, but the Pride were unable to draw even again.
Sophomore Kate Dellinger (Wrightsville, PA) drilled a 3-pointer to bring the Pride to 60-57 with just 3:14 to play, but Messiah hit 11-of-14 from the free throw line over the final 2:14 to seal the victory.
After shooting 48 percent (11-of-23) in the first half, Widener shot just 36 percent (11-of-31) in the second and allowed the Falcons (19-6) to shoot 48 percent (21-of-44) for the game. Messiah's free throw shooting also loomed large in the second half, converting on 24-of-28 from the charity stripe in the period compared to only 9-of-17 for Widener.
Dellinger dropped 18 points on 5-of-11 shooting for Widener, including 3-of-3 from long distance. Carney finished with 12 points, eight assists and five steals with Hejnas going 5-of-5 from the field to finish with 10 points.
Messiah closed with four in double figures. Maier totaled a game-high 20 points and shot 9-of-10 from the free throw line. Taylor Miller chipped in 19, shooting 6-of-9 from the field.
The contest marked the fourth straight season the two teams met in the conference semifinals and the sixth in nine years with Messiah earning its fourth victory.
The Pride (19-7, 10-4 CC) completed one of the best seasons in school history, tying the record for wins in a season competing in the conference tournament for the eighth time in nine years.
