CHESTER, Pa. – Five players scored in double figures and the Widener University men's basketball team withstood a furious rally down the stretch as the Pride passed an early season test against a team that won 20 games a season ago, downing the Gwynedd Mercy Griffins 78-76 to win the Widener Tip-Off Tournament for Autism Awareness on Saturday afternoon.
 
Tyler Drews was named the Tournament MVP. Pat Holden and Jared Peters were each named to the All-Tournament Team.
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Drews scored 14 in the game and tied Ryan McMahon for team-high honors in rebounds with six.
• Peters led Widener with 15. Holden scored 13 off the bench, connecting on all four of his shots from beyond the arc.
• Elijah Boyd and Jalen Howard both posted stat lines of 11 points and five rebounds.
• The Pride had a season-best four blocks.
• WU was hot from distance, hitting 10-for-17 from three-point range while holding the Griffins to just 3-for-19. Five different players dropped a trey for the Blue and Gold.

 
FIRST HALF NOTES

• A tight battle early, Widener opened a 14-9 lead on a McMahon basket at the 13:03 mark. From there, the Gwynedd Mercy turned the tide, using an 11-1 run to go up 20-15 with 7:18 left in the frame.
• After a three by Peters cut into the lead, the Pride further chipped away and took the edge back at the line, scoring its next eight points at the stripe, taking a 26-20 lead in a matter of three minutes. The Griffins cut the edge back to one before a Holden triple closed the scoring in the half as Widener took a 32-28 lead into intermission.

 
SECOND HALF NOTES

• The Pride got the jump in the second half and opened its largest lead of the afternoon just more than six minutes in as a trey by Peters made it 52-40.
• Gwynedd Mercy pushed back, using seven minute run of its own where it outscored Widener 20-6, taking a two point lead.
• After trading the advantage for the next handful of possessions, Widener took the lead for good on a jumper by Drews in the paint. Holding a 75-70 edge with 1:07 left, the Blue and Gold maintained its lead at the line before surviving a couple of late chances, including a trio of attempts from beyond the arc in the final 30 seconds that would have tied the game.

 
UP NEXT
Widener returns to action on Tuesday when it travels up the Northeast Extension to take on the University of Scranton on November 20. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.