MECHANICSBURG, Pa. – The Widener women's basketball team came up short against MAC Commonwealth opponent Messiah in a 52-67 loss on the road Saturday afternoon.

The Pride is now 5-13 on the season and 2-7 in MAC conference play.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Mia Robbins led the Pride with 12 points and six rebounds. Mary McFillin contributed nine points, tying her season high (vs. York 1/14)
• Jordan D'Ambrosio and Lindsey Kutz each had three assists
• Defensively, the Pride had three steals and two blocks.

HOW IT HAPPENED AGAINST MESSIAH

Pride got its offense moving right away when Messiah turned over the ball while D'Ambrosio turned it into two points off a driving layup twenty seconds into the game. Robbins extended that lead, adding two more points from the paint and drawing a foul to shoot the and-one, putting the Pride at an early 5-0 lead. Messiah answered as Chloe Milanesi got her team on the board with 8:19 on the clock. The Pride kept the lead with help from Rachel Ludwig but the Flacons tied the score 9-9 with 5:46 remaining in the first quarter from a three-pointer from Amber High. The Pride tied the score again three minutes later from a three pointer from Mary McFillin. The Pride shot 6-13 (46.2%) from the floor in the first and trailed by six points against the Falcons, 15-21.

The Pride struggled to get on the board coming into the second quarter and could not get a shot to sink until there was 5:47 remaining and McFillin fired off a three pointer. Widener gave the ball right back to McFillin who dropped in another two points. Robbins was able to close the gap within the last remaining seconds of the half, capitalizing off a foul, scoring one of the two attempts and then scoring in the paint with 0:34 seconds left off an assist from Ludwig. The Pride finish the half trailing Messiah 23-30.

Coming out of halftime, Kutz immediately added two to the Pride total with an assist from Robbins, putting the score at 25-20. Halfway into the quarter, Kutz added another point off a free throw. Shortly after D'Ambrosio completed a driving layup to tighten the gap to 13. The Pride scored eleven points to the Falcons fifteen going into the fourth and finished the quarter 36-50.

A jumper by Ludwig with an assist from D'Ambrosio got the Pride offense going in the fourth but they were unable to find that momentum. Six minutes remaining in the game, the Pride got hot after a good jumper from D'Ambrosio. Avalynn Baer and Robbins each found some points in the paint and with 1:36 remaining the Pride saw a new squad on the floor to finish the game. The Pride's last four points of the game came from four good free throw attempts but Aubrey Curley and Jada Allen. The Pride walked away with a 52-67 loss.

UP NEXT

The Pride return home to take on Alvernia in another MAC Conference game. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m., after the men's game.