CHESTER, Pa. – Devan Rimmer scored a game-high 32 points as the Widener University women's basketball team held on for a 71-70 win against the Stevenson Mustangs in a MAC Commonwealth matchup on Saturday afternoon in front of more than 700 fans at the Schwartz Center on Senior Day.
 
With the win and a loss by Albright at Messiah, the Pride clinched its first postseason berth since the 2012-13 season. Game dates, opponents, and times will be determined following the conclusion of regular season play on February 16.
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Rimmer topped the 30-point mark for the second time this season against Stevenson on the strength of 13-for-23 shooting overall, connecting on 5-of-9 shots from beyond the arc. She posted 35 points in Owings Mills earlier this season.
• Erin Phelan also scored in double figures with 11. Mackenzie McCracken and Kyra Schenk each had eight. Schenk led Widener with seven rebounds on the day.
• Madison Ireland had a strong overall game with six points, eight assists, three rebounds and two steals.
• The Blue and Gold shot 50.0 percent for the game (30-for-60), including 56.5 percent (26-for-46) from the second quarter onward.
• Rimmer's third three-pointer of the game was the 100th of her career, making her the seventh player in program history to reach the milestone.
• The 18 wins are the most for women's basketball since a 24-6 record in 2012-13.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The two teams traded buckets early as the Pride opened a 6-4 lead before a +10 Stevenson run opened a 18-10 Mustangs lead towards the end of the first period.
• SU extended its edge to 21-12 on its first basket of the second quarter before Widener started its comeback. A 9-0 spurt for the Blue and Gold, capped by a pair of Phelan free throws knotted the score at 21-21.
• Not done at that point, Widener continued to push the tempo and eventually took a 28-27 lead on the milestone trey of the game by Rimmer. Finishing the half strong, the Pride extended its advantage, using a buzzer beater to take a 38-32 lead into the locker room.
• The pace of the third quarter slowed as both defenses picked up their effort. The Mustangs chipped into the lead, cutting the gap to 46-43 on a three-pointer by Brandi Hall with just more than three minutes remaining. WU recovered, scoring six of the last eight points of the frame, going up 52-45 heading into the final period.
• Keeping the momentum, Widener pushed the lead to its largest margin of the night at 58-45 with 8:28 remaining in the game. Stevenson responded, slicing the advantage to 60-55 in a matter of just two minutes.
• A trey by Rimmer, her fifth of the contest, put the Pride up 70-60 with 2:40 to play. Stevenson had one last gasp, pulling to 71-67 with 8.5 seconds left. A Mustangs' three got them to within a point, but with 0.3 seconds remaining, Widener executed the inbound successfully to secure the victory.

 
UP NEXT
Widener returns to action on Tuesday, February 12 when it travels to Arcadia for a MAC Commonwealth contest. Tipoff from the Jean Lenox West Gymnasium in Glenside, Pa. is slated for 6:00 p.m.