MIAMI – Four players scored in double figures and the Widener University men's basketball team used a big first half run to propel the Pride to its third straight win, 84-59 against the Mount Saint Mary Knights at the HoopMia D3 Holiday Shootout on Tuesday afternoon.
 
For the second straight day, the Pride got off to a hot start from the field. After the Knights connected on the first shot of the game, Widener went on an 18-7 run, hitting seven of its first nine shots. Mount Saint Mary battled back, cutting the lead to 27-25 before a pair of three-pointers reestablished the Pride lead. The Blue and Gold continued to push the advantage while the Knights went cold, as Widener went into the locker room up 49-30.
 
The second half saw the Pride methodically build its lead to as many as 30 at 84-54. The biggest run in the mix was a 13-3 spurt that saw the Blue and Gold take a 69-43 lead with 12:02 remaining
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• Tyler Drews led all scorers with 21 points, his sixth game with netting 20 or more this season.
• Sardayah Sambo scored 16 and tied a career-high with eight assists.
• Sam Smith scored 13, all in the first half.
• Ryan McMahon tied his career-best with nine assists while also contributing 12 points and pulling in five rebounds.
• As a team, Widener had 24 assists on 32 made baskets.
• For a second straight day, the Pride had a season-best shooting percentage, connecting on 59.3 percent  (32-of-54) of its shots.

 
FIRST HALF NOTES

• The Pride connected on seven of its first nine shots from the floor, two of them coming from long distance by Smith, as it built an 18-9 lead just less than seven minutes into the game.
• The Saints came back, using a 15-8 spurt of their own, hitting a trio of treys to chop the advantage to 29-27.
• Widener responded with a 20-0 run in it hit three more triples while the Knights went 0-for-6 from deep during the span.
• Tyler Drews and Sam Smith led the way for the Pride with 13 points each in the frame, with Sambo scoring 10 and dishing six assists.
• For the second consecutive game, Widener shot 17-for-29 (58.6 percent) in the first half.

 
SECOND HALF NOTES

• The Pride shot a blistering 60.0 percent (15-for-25) in the second half as it extended the lead to as many as 30.
• Drews and McMahon each scored eight in the frame.

 
UP NEXT
Widener returns to action on Wednesday, Jan. 3 when it travels to Washington, D.C. to take on the Catholic Cardinals in a non-conference matchup. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.