Game Info: Thursday, March 11 - 7:00 p.m.
Location: Schwartz Center - Chester, Pa.
Game Info: Friday, March 12 - 7:00 p.m.
Location: Alumni Gymnasium - Glenside, Pa.
Social Media: @WidenerSports |
@WidenerMBB
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Opening Tip
Widener closes out the regular season with a back-to-back series against former MAC Commonwealth foe Arcadia. The Pride takes on the Knights at the Schwartz Center on Thursday, March 11, and travels to Glenside on Friday, March 12. Both games are set to tip off at 7 p.m.
Thursday vs. Messiah- @WidenerMBB Battles Messiah In Final Conference Home Game
The Widener University men's basketball team was dealt a 79-72 setback against Messiah on Thursday evening.
GAME NOTES
- First year Luke Mazur netted a career-high 14 points and dished three assists.
- Jared Peters recorded his sixth double-digit scoring game of the season with 12 points.
- Anthony Pompilii saw his collegiate debut, getting a steal and a rebound.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Defense dominated the first half as both teams were held to under 35 percent shooting from the field. A Widener foul and two made free throws by Messiah at the one-minute mark put the Falcons up three entering halftime.
A
Luke Mazur three gave the Blue and Gold a five-point lead at the midpoint of the second act. However, an ensuing 21-5 scoring run by the Falcons allowed them to regain control as they cemented the final score.
Friday at Messiah - Strong Three Point Shooting Lifts @WidenerMBB Over Messiah
The Widener University men's basketball team downed the Messiah Falcons 77-61 to finish 4-4 in conference play this season.
GAME NOTES
- One week after recording his first double-double, first year Matt Daulerio turned in another impressive performance, netting a team-high 17 points and grabbing eight rebounds.
- Steven Matlack delivered six rebounds and 11 points, including three three-pointers.
- Jared Peters tallied nine in the scoring column and got nine rebounds.
- The Pride went 12-of-23 on three-point attempts (52.2 percent). The last time the team shot better than 50 percent from beyond the arc was also against Messiah in a 87-81 win on February 7, 2020.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Widener got off to a hot start, going up 9-1 after six minutes of play. Strong three-point shooting and 10 first half points from Daulerio allowed it to extend the advantage and enter halftime with a commanding 15 point lead.
The second act was much of the same for the Blue and Gold as it went on shoot 60% from deep in the half while holding the Falcons to just 31.6 percent from the field. The Pride never let Messiah catch back up, going up by as many as 21 as it closed out the game and secured its fourth victory of the season.
Scouting Report
Arcadia enters the matchup 4-4 overall and in conference play coming off an 89-61 win over Lycoming last Friday. The Knights are playing their first season in the MAC Freedom after spending the previous 12 in the MAC Commonwealth.
Leading the offense for Arcadia is the 2019 MAC Commonwealth Player of the Year Da'Kquan Davis. Davis is averaging a whopping 25.4 points per game, a mark good for first in the MAC Freedom and eighth in the nation. He is also dishing a team-high 3.8 assists per matchup and pulling in 4.5 rebounds a contest. Also averaging double-digit scoring are sophomores Justin Money and Jalen Watkins with 10.8 and 10.1 points per game, respectively. Junior DJ Gardner provides some range to the backcourt, knocking down 56.5 percent of his three-points attempts so far this season.
In addition to its 47.1 percent shooting from the field, Arcadia has managed to get to the line and make its free throws this season, leading its conference with 54 made FTs on 63 attempts (74.0 percent).
Adam Van Zelst is in his second year at the helm for Arcadia. In 2019-20, he led the Knights to a 16-11 record and a trip to the MAC Commonwealth Championship Game.
The Last Dance
The team's sole senior
Jared Peters has put together an impressive final campaign this season. He leads the Pride with 13.1 points per matchup and has scored in double-digits in six games. He has also knocked down a team high 85.7 percent of his free-throws.
Ball Bandits
Widener has forced 17.3 turnovers per matchup this year including 8 steals per game. Sophomore
Steven Matlack is responsible for 1.6 of those per outing, ranking him eigth in the conference in swipes a contest.
Free Basketball
After going two straight seasons without an overtime game, the Blue and Gold has taken two matches to extra periods so far this season - an 81-79 win over Albright and a 92-90 double-OT loss to Lebanon Valley. The last overtime game for the Pride prior to this year came on December 2, 2017 when it defeated Stevenson 78-75.
Jared Peters is the only current player on the roster to have played in that game.
Double Dipping
Two Pride players recorded their first career double-doubles this season.
Steven Matlack got his when he posted 11 points and 13 rebounds at Lebanon Valley. In the following game at home against Lebanon Valley, first year
Matt Daulerio reached the milestone when he netted 14 points and grabbed 17 boards. The last time a Pride player had 17 or more rebounds in a game was on February 8, 2014 when Greg Lawson pulled in 23 against Hood. The last first year to record a double-double was
Kenny Lewis in 2019.
Tricentennial
With a 83-67 win over Stevenson in the season opener, head coach
Chris Carideo earned his 300th career victory. He currently sits at 217 wins with Widener, making him the second winningest coach in program history behind just C. Alan Rowe who coached Carideo from 1991-95.
Up Next
The Pride will play a crossover postseason game against the team from the MAC Freedom that finishes the standings in the same spot as it. Date and opponent are to be determined.
