CHESTER, Pa. – Ryan McMahon recorded the first triple-double in the MAC in three years and the Widener University men's basketball team placed five players in double figures as the Pride downed the Messiah Falcons 83-75 on Saturday afternoon in a MAC Commonwealth contest.
 
McMahon tallied 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. The last triple-double by a MAC men's basketball player came from David Fernandez-Bravo who accomplished the feat on Feb. 21, 2015 for Messiah at Hood.
 
The game was close throughout the first eight minutes before a 19-4 run by the Falcons put them up 35-25 with just less than six minutes remaining in the first half. Widener responded, using a 20-2 run of its own in a span of just 4:18, connecting on all eight of its shots, to take a 45-39 lead into halftime.
 
Neither team held more than a six-point lead through the majority of the second 20 minutes. With the score tied at 65-65 after an old-fashioned three-point play for Messiah, the Blue and Gold reeled off 13 of the next 18 points, taking a 78-70 lead with 2:32 left. The Falcons had one last push, slicing the deficit to three with just more than a minute to go, but the Pride connected on 5-of-6 shots at the line in the final 43 seconds to seal the win.
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• Sardayah Sambo had a season-high 17 points while recording his second double-double of the season with 11 rebounds. He also rejected four shots.
• Elijah Boyd, Jared Peters, and Sam Smith each netted 14 in the game. For Peters, the tally nearly doubled his previous career-high. He also set a personal best with seven rebounds.
• McMahon set career-highs in rebounds and assists.
• For the fourth time in five games, the Pride shot better than 50 percent from the floor in the first half.
• It was the first time this season Widener has placed five players in double figures.

 
FIRST HALF NOTES

• Neither team went up by more than five in the first eight minutes when a three-pointer by Boyd off an assist from McMahon put Widener on top 21-16 at the 12:43 mark.
• Messiah went on a 19-4 run during the next 7:40, keyed by nine points from Neil Murren to take a 35-25 advantage with five minutes to go in the period.
• Undaunted, the Pride responded ferociously, connecting on its next eight shots to score 20 out of 22 points, seven each by Peters and Sambo, taking a 45-37 lead with 45 seconds left in the frame before going into halftime up by six.
• Smith led Widener with 12 points in the frame. He has now scored 45 of his 62 points (72.6 percent) in the opening 20 minutes of games.
• McMahon had four points, six rebounds, and six assists.
• Widener shot 19-for-34 (55.4 percent) for the stanza.

 
SECOND HALF NOTES

• The Blue and Gold kept Messiah arm's length, through the midway mark, holding the lead until a Murren trey tied the score at 62-62 with 9:18 left.
• With the score knotted at 67-67, Widener went on a 13-5 run in a span of 5:27 to take a 78-70 lead on a McMahon layup with 2:32 to go. It was his 10th point of the night. Seven seconds later, he pulled in his 10th rebound of the night off a missed free throw to secure the triple-double.
• Messiah cut the game down to 78-75 with under a minute left, but the Pride hit 5-of-6 at the line down the stretch to seal the game.
• Boyd topped Widener with 11 points after the break.
• Peters notched seven points and six rebounds in the second half.

 
UP NEXT
Widener heads to Reading, Pa. to face Alvernia in a MAC Commonwealth matchup. Tipoff from Jack McCloskey Court is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.