CHESTER, Pa. – Connor Laverty scored a team-high 16 points, but the Widener University men's basketball team dropped its MAC Commonwealth opener, 73-62 to the Messiah Falcons on Wednesday night.
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Laverty also tied for the top spot on the Pride with seven rebounds. He was joined in that category by Stephen Armstrong.
• Elijah Boyd reached double figures with 11, his third straight game with 10 or more against the Falcons.
• The Blue and Gold got 26 points off the bench in the game including six from Armstrong and five each from Kenny Lewis and Luke Patel.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The two teams played evenly through the first several minutes with the Pride taking an 11-10 lead on a Boyd free throw at the 14:31 mark.
• Messiah pulled away in the next 10 minutes, outscoring Widener 27-9 during the span, eventually taking a 41-24 lead into halftime.
• The Falcons maintained their lead throughout the second half. WU pulled to 10 on a Laverty jumper just past the midway point before Messiah regained its edge.

 
UP NEXT
Widener travels to Reading, Pa. for a MAC Commonwealth contest against Alvernia on Saturday, December 1. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.