CHESTER, Pa. – Elijah Boyd led all scorers with 20 points as the Widener University men's basketball team opened MAC Commonwealth play with an 88-58 victory against the Lebanon Valley Dutchmen on Wednesday evening.
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• Joining Boyd in double figures was Connor Laverty, who filled the stat sheet with 17 points, seven rebounds, five assists, a block, and a steal.
• Kenny Lewis posted 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting.
• As a team, the Pride forced 20 turnovers and committed just 13 of its own.
• The Blue and Gold had a season-best seven blocks, including two each from Steven Matlack and A.J. Sawyers.
• Widener held LVC to 3-for-16 (18.8 percent) from distance.
• Nine different players scored at least five points for the Pride.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED
After both teams misfired on a pair of shots to open the game, WU found its legs and ripped off 10 points in a row in less than two minutes. The Dutchmen pulled back to 12-9, but Widener extended to a six-to-eight point lead for the next several minutes before a trey by Laverty and a jumper by Boyd ignited an 18-7 run in the final four minutes of the frame as the Pride took a 44-31 lead into halftime.
 
In the second half, Widener methodically extended its lead, eventually leading by as many as 31 on a Lewis free throw with 4:36 remaining. The bench got involved in the act late as Anthony Alston, Jr. posted a career-best five points, hitting a pull-up jumper in the lane and a three-pointer in the final few moments.
 
UP NEXT
Widener travels to Alvernia for a MAC Commonwealth matchup on Saturday, December 7. Tipoff from Reading, Pa. is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.