CHESTER, Pa. – The Widener University women's basketball team honored two of its biggest standouts in recent history prior to the game before the Pride overcame a slow start to beat the Alvernia Golden Wolves 77-65 during Senior Day on Saturday afternoon.
 
OF NOTE

• Widener is now 19-4 on the season, continuing to match the 2012-13 team for the best record through this point in a season in program history.
• WU remains tied for second place in the MAC Commonwealth with Albright. Both teams have an 11-3 record in conference play.
• The Blue and Gold picked up its eighth win in a row against Alvernia.
• Devan Rimmer and Madison Ireland were recognized in a pregame ceremony for their efforts during the past four years. Both have earned All-Conference accolades and rank in the top-five in Widener women's basketball history in multiple career categories.

 
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Rimmer led four players in double figures with 16 in the game.
• Ireland flirted with a triple-double, scoring seven with nine rebounds and nine assists.
• Jordan D'Ambrosio was in double digits for the second consecutive game and sixth time this season, netting 13.
• Erin Phelan and Nicole Barnes each posted 12 in the contest. For Barnes, the point total tied a career-high and her three made three-pointers were a personal best. She also had three steals, giving her 26 in the last eight games and 50 for the season.
• Natalie Galle came off the bench for Widener and drained a pair of threes in nine minutes of action.
• The 14-for-15 performance at the line was the best for WU since going 17-of-18 against Wilson in the First Round of the ECAC Championship last year.
• Every single player on the Pride roster logged at least two minutes in the game, the fifth time this season, each player has made an appearance in a game.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED
After the Blue and Gold scored the first basket of the game on a layup by Kyra Schenk less than 10 seconds into the contest, Widener went cold from for the field, missing its next five shots. Alvernia never was able to pull too far ahead, but had a response off a press break each time Widener scored. The Golden Wolves went up by six on an and-one with 2:58 to go in the first before WU scored the final five points of the frame, slicing the lead to one after the opening 10 minutes.
 
Starting the second quarter, the AU posted the first points on a trey. Down by four 58 seconds into the frame, D'Ambrosio connected on her first three of the day. That ignited an 11-0 run, capped by back-to-back triples from Galle, to go up 28-21 in less than two minutes. A pair of buckets by the Golden Wolves chopped the lead back to two midway through the period, but Widener responded, outscoring Alvernia 15-5 into halftime, taking a 43-31 lead into the break.
 
In the second half, Widener's lead dipped into single digits just once, on the first basket of the third quarter as AU connected on a three. After that the Blue and Gold swelled the lead to as many as 20 when D'Ambrosio hit her second trey of the afternoon, making it 59-39 when just more than three minutes remained in the third. A late push by the Golden Wolves against the Pride bench in the fourth pulled things closer, but did not impact the outcome of the contest.
 
UP NEXT
Widener now has its final two regular season games on the road, starting with a trip to Glenside, taking on Arcadia on Tuesday, February 18. Tipoff from Alumni Gymnasium is scheduled for 8:00 p.m.