CHESTER, Pa. – Three players scored in double figures to lead the Widener University women's basketball team to a comeback victory against the Neumann University Knights on Tuesday evening at the Schwartz Center.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Allison Gallagher led the offense with 18 points, six rebounds and four assists
- Devan Rimmer tallied 16 points and pulled down four boards.
- Madison Ireland was just shy of a triple-double with 11 points, nine rebounds and eight assists
HOW IT HAPPENED
After recovering from a slow start, Rimmer hit a 3-pointer with 7:55 remaining to give Widener a one point lead. The teams played a tight quarter with two lead changes and two ties.
Emily Hardy put the Pride ahead by two with a jumper, however, the visitors responded with a fast-break layup to tie the game before entering the second quarter.
Neumann got off to a strong start in the second quarter and went ahead with a 9-2 run. The Pride began to close the gap with a 3-pointer from Gallagher, but the Knights answered back with two shots of their own to pad the lead.
Despite trailing 29-23 at the break, the Pride came back and slashed the deficit down to one when Ireland drove in for a layup to make it 35-34 with 4:10 remaining in the third quarter. The Pride regained the lead less than a minute later when Ireland found Gallagher for a bucket to ignite an 8-1 run to give them an eight point edge heading into the fourth quarter.
The Pride's momentum carried over into the fourth, outscoring Neumann 27-8 while shooting 68 percent from the floor on 11-out-of-16 shots. Ireland opened the scoring in the frame for the Pride before Gallagher extended the advantage up to 20 at 62-42 by sinking a trifecta with 3:56 left. Neumann attempted to chip away when Kristen Denoncour connected on a layup at the 3:27 mark, but Widener quickly responded by embarking on a 9-0 run and not allowing its opponent to convert a field goal for the remainder of regulation. Rimmer triggered the run with a 3-pointer and led the quarter with 11 points on 5-out-of-7 shots.
UP NEXT
Widener will open conference play on Wednesday, Nov. 29 when they take on the Lebanon Valley Dutchmen. Game time is slated for 8:00 p.m. at the Schwartz Center.
