CHESTER, Pa. – Four players scored in double figures and the Widener University men's basketball team used a big second half run as the Pride won its fourth game in a row, downing Stevenson 85-65 on Saturday afternoon.
 
Widener methodically built a first half lead as the Blue and Gold went up by as many as 10 at 31-21 with 4:15 to go before the visitors cut the lead to three in the waning moments. The Pride recovered and eventually took a 38-33 lead into halftime.
 
The Blue and Gold opened the second half on a 10-3 run, pushing the lead to 48-36 just more than four minutes in. Stevenson never came closer than seven the remainder of the contest. Leading 60-52 at the midway mark of the stanza, Widener put the game away, closing the contest on a 25-13 spurt.
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• Sam Smith led all scorers with 19 points in the game and added five rebounds.
• Sardayah Sambo fell just shy of a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds. He also blocked three shots.
• Ryan McMahon flirted with his second triple-double of the year, scoring 11 while registering eight each in rebounds and assists.
• Elijah Boyd tallied 15 for the Pride.
• The Pride hit on 33-of-64 field goal attempts (51.6 percent), the fourth time in the last five games the team has connected on more than half of its shots.

 
FIRST HALF NOTES

• Widener jumped out to an early 7-0 lead with defense leading the way as Stevenson went 0-for-2 from the field and turned the ball over four times in its first six possessions.
• The Pride built the lead slowly during the half before a Mustangs' run late, cut the advantage to 33-30. A three-pointer by Tyler Drews and layup by Sambo extended the lead back to eight before a trey by Keith Moody closed the half for Stevenson.
• Boyd led the Blue and Gold with eight points while Sambo had seven points and five rebounds.

 
SECOND HALF NOTES

• The Pride jumped out of the second half gate, scoring 10 of the first 13 points to push the lead back into double digits.
• Leading by eight as the clock crossed the midway point, the Pride closed on a 25-13 run, hitting nine of its final 12 shots from the floor while going 5-for-5 from the line.
• Smith scored 14 of his points in the final 20 minutes, shooting 6-for-8.

 
UP NEXT
Widener has a tough task, traveling to Messiah on Wednesday, Feb. 7. Tipoff from Brubaker Auditorium is set for 8:00 p.m.