WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (Jan. 30, 2016) – Sophomore Nikki Petri (Congers, N.Y.) scored a career-high 12 points on perfect shooting, but her efforts were overshadowed by a late Warrior rally as the Widener University women's basketball team fell to Lycoming by a 71-65 score on Saturday afternoon at Lamade Gymnasium.
 
Widener scored the first six points of the game and never looked back. Sophomore Allison Gallagher (Souderton, Pa.) finished a pass from classmate Brianna Cullen (Lansdale, Pa.) to make it 11-4 at the midway point of the opening quarter, and Julia Venturelli (Bridgewater, N.J.) canned a trifecta with 31 seconds on the clock to create a 17-9 score at the end of the first.
 
The Pride, who held the Warriors to just 27.3 shooting from the floor over the first 10 minutes of action, stayed ahead throughout the second quarter despite failing to convert a field goal until Petri completed a three-point play the old-fashioned way at the 3:18 mark. She finished a pass from senior Ally Ferrucci (Vineland, N.J.) and sank the ensuing free throw to make it 24-13. Lycoming, however, ended the half on a 6-0 run thanks to getting two baskets from Haley Sipple and brought it down to 26-21 at recess.
 
Chelsea Henderson opened the scoring in the second half and made it a one-possession game for the first time since the beginning stages of the game, but Widener's Brianna Wylie (Mount Laurel, N.J.) immediately answered on the other end to hold off a potential comeback. The Pride continued to keep the Warriors at bay in the stanza and got 3-point field goals from Petri and Venturelli to take a 49-43 lead heading into the final quarter.
 
Lycoming (12-7, MAC Commonwealth 7-3) came out with a vengeance in the fourth and brought the deficit down to just two points at 51-49 when Henderson stole the ball from Ferrucci and converted a layup at the other end with 7:54 left. Shelby Mueller then tied the game at 53s with a layup at the midway point, and Olivia Manges gave the Warriors their first lead of the game at 56-53 by canning a trey with 4:47 on the clock. The Pride could not convert a field goal over a seven-minute stretch and eventually fell by a six-point margin.
 
Petri led Widener with a career-best 12 points  by shooting 5-of-5 from the floor and 1-of-1 at the line. She also grabbed two rebounds. Gallagher contributed 11 points, seven rebounds, three blocks and three steals, while Venturelli netted 10 and Ferrucci dished out another seven assists.
 
Lycoming was paced by Sipple, who exploded for 24 points by shooting 6-of-9 from the field and 11-of-11 from the stripe. Mueller added 15 points, six rebounds and two blocks.
 
Widener (12-8, MAC Commonwealth 5-6) returns home to face Lebanon Valley in what will be a pivotal league contest on Wednesday, Feb. 3 at 6:00 p.m.