Game Info: Thursday, February 11, 2021 - 7:00 p.m.
Location: John Long Center - Scranton, Pa.
Social Media: @WidenerSports |
@WUWBB
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Opening Tip
Taking to the court for the first time since the NCAA Tournament last March, the Widener University women's basketball team opens its 2020-21 season hosting the Stevenson Mustangs on Thursday, February 11, 2021.
A Much Different Look (Part I)
On January 26, 2021, the Middle Atlantic Conference announced men's and women's basketball would return to play under a modified schedule that has teams play 10 games, all against MAC opponents. Games will play on Thursday and Friday in home-and-home series. March 15-21 is reserved for a conference championship week with the format to be determined.
A Much Different Look (Part II)
When the Pride takes the floor against Stevenson on February 11, it will be the first time in four years it does so without
Devan Rimmer and
Madison Ireland in the starting lineup. The pair accounted for more than 2,500 career points and nearly 800 assists in their careers, with both starting more than 100 contests.
But Not Completely New
Widener returns significant firepower on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. The Pride boasts the last two MAC Commonwealth Rookies of the Year in
Erin Phelan and
Jordan D'Ambrosio. Phelan is the active scoring leader for the Pride, entering her junior season with 684 points and has started all 55 games in her career. D'Ambrosio appeared in all 27 games last season, averaging 7.7 points, tallying 10 or more in five of the last six contests. Senior
Kyra Schenk returns after nearly doubling her scoring output last season, posting 10.0 PPG to go along with 8.4 rebounds an outing. She is second all-time for the Blue and Gold with 105 blocks, ranking seventh in the conference last year with 1.7 per game. Junior
Nicole Barnes is back as well and looks to continue her ascent in the record books after coming away with 53 steals in each of her first two seasons.
Helena Salmon,
Jasmine Franklin, Mack McCracken, and
Brooke Bachtle each look to extend their roles from last season while
Charlotte Stern,
Olivia Pennypacker, and
Izzy Hamlin are set to provide depth.
Last Time Out - Charmed Season For @WUWBB Concludes In NCAA Tournament
A magical season for the Widener University women's basketball team came to a close on Friday, March 6, 2020 with an 82-66 loss to the #24/20 Christopher Newport Captains in the First Round of the 2020 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship.
Historical Perspective
- Widener closed the season at 21-6 and competed in its fifth NCAA tournament.
- It is the second most wins in the 48-year history of Widener women's basketball and the first time ever the Pride had won 20 or more games in consecutive seasons.
- Devan Rimmer finished her career with 1,637 points, the third highest total in program history. Her 176 made three-pointers are second.
- Madison Ireland ended with 584 career assists, the most ever for a Widener women's basketball player.
By The Numbers
- Rimmer led the Pride with 27 points, connecting on four treys in the contest. She also dished four assists and had five steals.
- Erin Phelan dropped 13 points, keeping Widener in the game during the opening minutes. She also led the Blue and Gold with eight rebounds.
- Jordan D'Ambrosio came on strong in the second half, totaling 10 points in the contest.
How It Happened
The Captains used the offensive glass to get out and maintain an early lead, posting 12 second chance points in the opening 10 minutes. Phelan helped keep the Pride in shouting distance through the first six minutes, scoring eight points, connecting on four elbow jumpers. Down by 12 in the waning moments of the period, Rimmer went for a pump fake, got her defender in the air, and calmly drained a three, pulling it to 25-16 at the end of the frame.
An early 9-2 spurt in the second period saw Christopher Newport expand the lead to 16 before the Blue and Gold chipped away, using a 10-4 run of its own, capped by a Phelan layup, cutting the lead to 40-30 with 1:23 left in the half. CNU recovered to score six of the last eight in the stanza as Widener went into the locker room down 46-32.
As the second half progressed, the Captains started to pull away, outscoring Widener by six in the third. The fourth was evenly contested with Widener making a late push, creating the final score.
Scouting Report
Stevenson posted a 15-14 record last season and won a game in both the MAC Commonwealth tournament and the ECAC Championship.
Leading the way for the Mustangs is the tandem of Brandi Hall and Olivia Coleman. Hall has improved her scoring output in each year of her career, averaging 10.9 PPG last season. A tenacious defender, she was fourth in the MAC Commonwealth in steals in 2019-20 with 64. Coleman nearly averaged a double-double a year ago with 10.3 points and 9.6 rebounds a contest. She is one of the premier shot blockers in the conference, posting 186 swipes in 81 career contests.
Jackie Boswell enter her 10th season at the helm of Stevenson with a record of 137-109. She guided the Mustangs to winning records in each of the last six years including a high-water mark of 24-4 in 2014-15 when SU won the Commonwealth Conference Championship and advanced to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.
Last Time Against Stevenson
Madison Ireland became the all-time assist leader in Widener women's basketball history and the Pride turned in one of its top defensive halves in recent memory, holding Stevenson to 12 points in the opening 20 minutes, downing the Mustangs 59-36 on February 1, 2020.
Ireland set the record with her sixth dime of the first half, giving her 544 in her career, passing Ally Ferrucci (2011-16) on the all-time list.
Erin Phelan led the way with 17 points and
Kyra Schenk added a career-best 16 rebounds.
Nicole Barnes set a personal best with eight steals. As a team, the Blue and Gold held Stevenson to 21.0 percent from the floor.
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. She finished last season with a flourish, coming up with 27 blocks in the final 11 contests of the year.
For Three?
Widener has some tough shoes to fill in shooting from deep as the previously mentioned combo of Rimmer and Ireland accounted for 271 career three-pointers, including 96 last year. The active leader for the Pride in makes from beyond the arc is
Helena Salmon with 25.
Out On The Break
A big part of Widener's offense has always been the transition game, grabbing the rebound and getting out on the fastbreak. The Pride tallied 11.46 points per game on the run last year. Opponents averaged less than half that at just 5.38 fastbreak points per contest.
We'll Take That, Thanks!
A lot of the fastbreak points for the Blue and Gold came off turnovers as Widener averaged 17.23 points per game off its foes' miscues. Teams netted 12.04 points off Pride turnovers in 2019-20.
Smooth Criminal
Of the 17.6 turnovers per game WU forced, more than half came from steals, coming away with 8.9 picks an outing.
Nicole Barnes led the way, coming away with 53 steals on the year, ranking sixth in the MAC Commonwealth. In two seasons, Barnes has 106 swipes in two seasons and needs 34 more to move into the career top-10.
Score...
Widener was 16-2 last season when it scored 70 or more points in a game.
...And Score Early
The Pride also held a 18-1 record when it was either leading or tied at halftime.
Up Next
Widener has its second game of the home-and-home series with Stevenson, traveling to Owings Mills Md. on Friday, February 12. Tipoff from Owings Mills Gymnasium is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
