Game Info: Thursday, February 18 - 7:00 p.m.
Location: George C. Bollman Center - Reading, Pa.
Game Info: Friday, February 19 - 7:00 p.m.
Location: Schwartz Center - Chester, Pa.
Social Media: @WidenerSports |
@WidenerMBB
| |
Opening Tip
The Pride takes on the Albright Lions in another back-to-back series, traveling to Reading on Thursday, February 18, and returning to the Schwartz Center on Friday, February 19. Both games are set to tip off at 7 p.m.
Thursday vs. Stevenson - Carideo Notches 300th Career Win
Widener head men's basketball coach
Chris Carideo grabbed his 300th career win as the Pride defeated the Stevenson Mustangs 83-67. The victory marks his 214th with Widener, making him the second winningest coach in program history.
GAME NOTES
- Jared Peters led the Blue and Gold with 15 points on 4-of-8 shooting.
- Pat Holden and Kolbey Woodard also reached double-digits with 14 and 11 points, respectively.
- Two first years rounded out the five Widener players with 10+ points. Luke Mazur put up 13 in the scoring column on 4-of 6 shooting while Matt Daulerio added another 10 points.
- First year Kevin Schenk led the Blue and Gold in rebounding with 10 boards and posted 5 points.
- Widener shot the ball extremely well, delivering a 48.4 percent field goal percentage and knocking down 41.7 percent from beyond the arc.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After both teams spent the first five minutes exchanging baskets, Widener went on a 9-2 run to take an 18-11 lead midway through the first. The Pride was able to hang onto that lead behind 52.9 percent shooting in the first and entered halftime up 49-42.
The Blue and Gold came out firing in the second half, knocking down four of its first five shots to grab its first double-digit lead of the night. Defense made the difference throughout the remainder of the night as Widener held the Mustangs to just 37.8 shooting and 26.7 percent from deep in the second half and pulled away to cement the final score.
Friday vs. Stevenson - @WidenerMBB Grabs Second Win of Back-to-Back Series
The Widener University men's basketball team picked up another victory in its home opener, downing the Stevenson Mustangs 66-57 behind a defense that held its opponent to just 37.3 percent shooting on the night. With the win, the Pride advances to 2-0 for the second straight season.
GAME NOTES
- Kenny Lewis led the Blue and Gold in scoring with 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds.
- Steven Matlack posted 11 points and eight boards. He also recorded two steals and a block.
- First year players continue to contribute for the Pride. Cortland Johnson delivered seven in the scoring column while Kevin Schenk pulled in five rebounds.
- The win marks Widener's fifth straight against Stevenson.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Mustangs grabbed the early advantage, going up 7-2 after five minutes of play. A three-pointer by
Pat Holden sparked a 13-3 Widener run that gave it a five point lead by the midpoint of the half. The Pride hung onto that margin and entered halftime leading 31-25.
The Blue and Gold came into the second act hot, outscoring Stevenson 9-2 in the opening minutes to go up by double digits for the first time. The Mustangs were able to make a late push and slashed the lead to as few as three. A deep ball from
Steven Matlack with five minutes to play opened up another Widener scoring run as it pulled away to secure the win.
Scouting Report
The Albright Lions finished the 2019-20 season 16-12 overall and 10-6 in the MAC Commonwealth, putting them second in the final regular season standings just behind Widener. They eventually fell 93-89 in overtime to Arcadia in the conference tournament semifinals.
Albright gets back its top scorer from last year in Samuel Majekodunmi who was good for 19.5 points a contest and led the conference with 1.71 steals per game. The Lions also return senior center Isaiah Harris. Harris pulled in a team-high 5.8 rebounds to go with 11.5 points a contest. Senior guard Sidney Brown provides some range and chipped in with 77 buckets from deep on 40.3 percent shooting in 2019-20.
When it came to defense last season, Albright ranked as one of the top teams in the MAC Commonwealth. A huge area of strength for it was its rebounding, ranking first in the conference in total rebounds per game (38.5) including 10.1 on the offensive glass. The Lions also topped the MAC Commonwealth in steals per game (9.4) and turnovers forced per matchup (17.4).
Rick Ferry enters his 20th season at the helm for Albright. During his tenure, he has led the Lions to 13 MAC Commonwealth Tournaments, two conference titles, and three NCAA Tournament appearances.
Tricentennial
With a 83-67 win over Stevenson to open the season, head coach
Chris Carideo earned his 300th career victory. He currently sits at 215 wins with Widener, making him the second winningest coach in program history behind C. Alan Rowe who coached Carideo from 1991-95.
Another Hot Start
For the second straight year, the Pride opens the season 2-0. It is the sixth such start for Carideo at Widener, the first coming in the 2007-08 season when the Blue and Gold went on to advance to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.
Board Meeting
Rebounding has proven to be one of the Pride's strongest areas through two games. It has outrebounded its opponent by a margin of +10.5 and pulled in 46 boards per matchup, good for first in the conference and 10th in the nation.
Defense Wins Championships
Both of Widener's first two wins came behind strong defensive efforts as it allowed just 62 points per game. The Pride also held its opponent to just 36.8 percent shooting from the field and 26.2 percent from beyond the arc.
Day One Contributors
First year players have continued to contribute for the Blue and Gold. In the season opener at Stevenson,
Luke Mazur and
Matt Daulerio both scored double-digits, posting 13 and 10 points, respectively.
Kevin Schenk also pulled in a team-high 10 rebounds. In the following game at home against he Mustangs,
Cortland Johnson led all first years with seven points and grabbed three boards.
Up Next
In another back-to-back series, Widener battles the Lebanon Valley Dutchmen, traveling to Annville on Thursday, February 25, and returning to play at the Schwartz Center on Friday, February 26. Both games are set to tip off at 7 p.m.
