READING, Pa. (Feb. 18, 2017) – Junior Sardayah Sambo (Middletown, Del.) scored 20 points and senior Kendall Green (Mount Laurel, N.J.) registered a double-double as the Widener University men's basketball team rallied from 10 points down to defeat Alvernia by a 78-73 score on Saturday afternoon at Jack McCloskey Court.
 
Widener, which has won nine of its 10 games, improved to 16-9 overall and 10-6 in Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth play. With the victory, the Pride also clinched the second seed in the league's upcoming conference tournament and earned the right to host a semifinal game. Alvernia fell to 15-10 overall, including 9-7 in league action, and earned the fourth seed for postseason play.
 
After jumping out to a quick 6-0 lead, the Pride suddenly found themselves in a 28-18 hole in the waning minutes of the opening half. Marquis Marshall, who scored 15 points in the first frame, nailed a trifecta to break an 11-11 deadlock and give Alvernia its first lead before capping the hot stretch for the Crusaders by canning a shot from beyond the arc and converting a jumper.
 
Widener, which closed the gap and only trailed 35-30 at the break, seized the momentum early in the second half when Sambo grabbed an offensive board and finished with a dunk to open the scoring less than a minute into the frame. Sam Smith (Wyomissing, Pa.) then converted a steal into a fast break layup to tie the score at 46s and set up Green for a trey that put the visitors ahead for good at 49-46 with 11:23 left. The junior helped close the door minutes later by completing an old-fashioned 3-point play to spark a 10-0 run, and the Pride held off a late charge by the Crusaders to escape with their fifth straight win.
 
Sambo scored a team-leading 20 points by shooting 7-of-12 from the floor and 6-of-7 at the line for Widener, which converted a jaw-dropping 24 of its 26 free throw attempts to offset one of its more challenging afternoons from long range. The junior captain also grabbed nine boards. Green notched his first double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 boards, while Smith chipped in 11 points and senior John Fender (Wallingford, Pa.) contributed four steals.
 
Alvernia was paced by Marshall's double-double performance in the setback. He scored 27 points, corralled 16 rebounds and also filled the stat sheet by blocking three shots and recording two steals. Mike Miller poured in 22 points, and George Williams notched seven steals.
 
Widener will begin its quest for its 16th conference title and first since 2009 when it hosts Albright in the semifinal round of the MAC Commonwealth Tournament on Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m.