Game Info: Thursday, February 25, 2021 - 7:00 p.m.
Location: Schwartz Athletic Center - Chester, Pa.

Game Info: Friday, February 26, 2021 - 7:00 p.m.
Location: Sorrentino Gym - Annville, Pa.

Social Media: @WidenerSports | @WUWBB
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Opening Tip
The Widener University women's basketball team looks to continue its hot start to the season, hosting the Lebanon Valley Dutchmen on Thursday, February 25. Tipoff from the Schwartz Athletic Center is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

Last Time Out - Salmon, Samuels Dial From Deep As @WUWBB Wins Fourth Straight
Helena Salmon and Gianna Samuels come next to each other alphabetically on the Widener women's basketball roster. They also were right next to each other in made three-pointers as the duo connected for nine treys in a 90-69 victory for the Pride against Albright on Saturday afternoon.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Three players posted career-high scoring totals for the Blue and Gold, led by Samuels who had 18, hitting 4-of-8 from distance.
• Salmon dropped 17 in the contest, going 5-of-7 from three-point range. Her previous best was 11, against St. Mary's (Md.) in the opening game of last season.
• Jordan D'Ambrosio also tallied 17, besting her previous high mark, also set against Albright.
• Erin Phelan had 13. Kyra Schenk posted 12 and pulled in 10 rebounds for her third straight double-double. Schenk also added four assists, three blocks, and a steal.
• Nicole Barnes filled the stat sheet seven points, seven assists, five rebounds, and two steals.
• It was the first time this season Widener had five players score in double figures and was the first time the Pride scored 90 points in a non-overtime game since January 26, 2019 against Hood.
• WU topped 50 percent shooting from the floor for the second consecutive night and outrebounded Albright 44-26.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Widener used an early 11-2 run to jump on top 18-8 on a layup by D'Ambrosio midway through the first quarter. The Lions battled back, connecting on a trey of their own with 30 seconds left in the first quarter, pulling back to 23-21. Trading baskets throughout the second period, Widener held a slim 36-34 lead with 2:36 remaining before half. At that point, Salmon caught fire, hitting triples on three consecutive possessions and then came up with a steal that led to a Schenk basket, widening the lead to 47-34 just before the break.
 
Staked to a 12-point advantage with 5:29 left in the third, Samuels picked up the scoring, tallying five in a row and seven points total in a 17-7 spurt to close the frame, giving Widener a 74-52 lead heading into the final stanza. In the fourth, Salmon capped her afternoon with a couple more threes as the Pride maintained its lead throughout the frame.

Scouting Report
Lebanon Valley enters play 2-2 on the season. After dropping a pair to Messiah to open the year, the Dutchmen took both games in their series against Eastern last weekend.

Emily Mealey leads LVC in scoring at 14.0 points per game with a season-high of 22 on Friday against the Eagles. She has been a force for Lebanon Valley throughout her career, currently ranking eighth in school history with 1,168 points. She also leads the team in rebounding and is tied with Kyra Schenk for the top spot in the MAC Commonwealth at 10.5 boards a contest. Kennedy Kuffa and Daelyn Stabler also contribute double figure scoring for LVC, tallying 12.2 and 10.0 per game respectively. 

As has often been the case in previous years, defense keys the way for LVC, which is holding opponents to 60.5 points per game. One thing this season that has bucked the normal trends for the Dutchmen is rebounding. Lebanon Valley is last in the MAC Commonwealth at 35.8 rebounds per game and is -3.5 in rebounding margin. In 2019-20, the team pulled in 40.8 boards an outing and was +3.1 in margin. 

Amy Sokaitis is in her seventh season as the head coach of the Dutchmen with an overall record of 90-77 in Annville. She guided LVC to the MAC Commonwealth postseason in each of her first five years, including a 21-9 record in 2014-15.

Props
Thanks to consecutive double-doubles, averaging 14.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and blocking four total shots, Kyra Schenk was named to the D3hoops.com Team of the Week for the week ending February 21. It is the first Team of the Week honor for Widener since Madison Ireland was named to the squad on February 18, 2020. She is the fifth player in program history to receive the honor, joining Ireland, Lauren Potchak (2/2/2000), Nikki Carden (3/2/2004), and Chelsea Luhta (1/10/2005). 

Triple Your Fun
Schenk's performance on Saturday against Albright was her third straight double-double, extending her mark as the first Widener player to record consecutive double-doubles since Brianna Wylie had 16 points and 12 boards against TCNJ followed by 17 points and 14 rebounds versus Swarthmore on November 11 and 18, 2015. 

And One More About Kyra...
Overall for the season, the Pottsville, Pa. native performing at an All-Conference level. She is tied for the MAC Commonwealth lead in rebounding and is 25th nationally with 10.5 boards per game. Her 13.5 points a contest are sixth in the league. She also ranks in the top-6 in the MACC in field goal percentage (52.5 - 5th), free throw percentage (85.7 - 2nd), assists per game (3.3 - 6th),and blocks per game (1.5 - 5th). 

But She's Not The Only One
As a team, the Blue and Gold is putting up some impressive numbers from a national perspective. Jordan D'Ambrosio tops NCAAD3 in assist-to-turnover radio at 7.67. She is 14th in Division III in assists per game (5.8), 15th in free throw percentage (92.9), and 18th in field goal percentage (58.8), leading the MAC Commonwealth in each category. Gianna Samuels is eighth in the country in three-pointers made per contest (3.0) and 10th in three-point percentage (57.1).

Combined, the Pride leads the country in three-point percentage at 46.3, is sixth in overall field goal percentage at 47.5, and is one of just 23 teams in the nation with a positive assist-to-turnover ratio, coming in 12th at 1.15. Widener hasn't been sending teams to the line either, sitting ninth in NCAAD3 at 12.5 personal fouls per game. Opponents have attempted just 45 free throws this season. 

One And Done
One more note on the national rankings. WU leads the conference and 30.0 defensive rebounds per contest. Stevenson and Albright combined to score just 37 second chance points in four games.

Putting On A Show
Helena Salmon developed a reputation as a strong shooter off the bench for Widener during her career, justified by the fact that she is the team's active career leader in treys. Saturday was something special, however, as she drained five three-pointers and set a career-high with 17 points. Her previous scoring best was 11 and she had dropped a trio of triples on three previous occasions. 

Third Time's The Charm? (Part I)
With a sweep this week, Widener will start 6-0 for the third consecutive season. Last year, the Pride set the program record with 11 wins in a row to open the slate. 

Third Time's The Charm? (Part II)
Widener hasn't had the greatest history against Lebanon Valley with a 19-38 all-time record, but has a chance to do something it has only done twice previously against the Dutchmen — win three games in a row in the series. The Pride took three straight from LVC from February 15, 2006 through January 31, 2006 and then swept the 2008-09 season series, capped by an epic Commonwealth Conference Championship, won by Widener, 75-72 in double overtime.

Score...
Widener is 31-3 in its last 34 games when it scored 70 or more points.

...And Score Early
The Pride is 26-1 in its last 27 games where it was either leading or tied at the half, dating to a 71-70 win against Stevenson on February 9, 2019. 

Home Is Where The Wins Are
The Blue and Gold is 24-4 in the last 28 games at the Schwartz Athletic Center. Of the four losses, three of them came to ranked opponents; No. 11 Messiah (November 28, 2018), No. 6 Amherst (January 4, 2020), and No. 21 Albright (February 26, 2020).

Continuing To Impress
Moving to the starting lineup hasn't fazed Gianna Samuels, who averaged 16.0 points per game against Albright, including a career-best 18 on Saturday. Those games came on the heels of her collegiate debut against Stevenson on February 11 when she scored 16 points, and hit all four of her shots from beyond the arc. It is the highest point total for Widener by a player in her first game since Devan Rimmer had 22 against Wesley on November 15, 2016. The four treys are the most in a collegiate debut for the Blue and Gold since Rayne Reber connected on 4-of-9 against the University of Maine - Presque Isle on November 17, 2006. Overall, Samuels is averaging 14.0 points per game, going 12-of-21 from distance.

Swiping Left
Kyra Schenk has her name etched in the Widener record books in several places, but none more prominently than the blocked shot career list. Her rejection in the NCAA Tournament First Round against Christopher Newport was her 105th, moving into second place all-time for the Blue and Gold. Dating to last season, she has 33 blocks in her last 15 games. In 84 career games, the senior currently has 111 swats. 

Up Next
Widener and Lebanon Valley play the concluding game  of the series on Friday, February 26. Tipoff from Sorrentino Gymnasium in Annville, Pa. is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.