MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Widener women's basketball finished the 2023 part of their schedule with a sweep of the Cruzin' Classic in Miami Gardens, Fla. They beat the Eastern Connecticut State University Warriors 61-50 on Monday.
 
The Pride are 10-1 on the season. Their first MAC game is on Wednesday, Jan. 3 at Hood.
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Jordan D'Ambrosio led the way with 17 points for the Pride.
• Out of 37 total Widener rebounds, 11 of them (29.7%) were on the offensive glass.
• The Pride recorded four blocks and two steals.

HOW IT HAPPENED AGAINST EASTERN CONNECTICUT STATE

• Eastern Connecticut State began the game on a 9-2 run. The Pride would make up some ground on a Lia Samuels triple and a free throw from Lindsay Kutz. Even though the Warriors were finding success with shots in the paint, Widener continued to chip away at their deficit. The final bucket of the quarter came from a D'Ambrosio layup with seconds remaining. Eastern Connecticut State led 15-10 after one.
• After an Eastern Connecticut State layup, D'Ambrosio answered back with a three to cut the Warriors' lead to four. It was part of a 7-0 run by D'Ambrosio herself, as she would make four of four free-throw attempts in the span of a minute. The two sides each took a one-point lead for a couple of possessions before a triple from Eastern Connecticut State put them back up by four points. The Warriors ended the half on a 9-0, which gave them a 30-22 advantage at halftime.
• The third quarter was the difference for Widener, as they outscored their opponent 23-10. A 10-0 outburst by the Pride following a Warriors' layup knotted the score at 32. Kimberly Casiello and Mary McFillin each hit a three-pointer in that stretch. Each side exchanged buckets in quick succession before they both earned points at the foul line. A McFillin three at 3:18 put the Pride ahead, and they would not surrender the lead for the remainder of the game. A 7-0 Pride run to end the third set of 10 minutes put them up 45-40.
• Although Eastern Connecticut State would trim the deficit to one a few minutes into the fourth quarter, the Pride kept them at a distance. Widener would go up by as much as 10 midway through the quarter before the Warriors scored again. The Pride had their way in the paint to build on their lead. Eastern Connecticut State ended the game with free throws, but Widener won the game 61-50.

UP NEXT
The Pride have two weeks off for the holidays before beginning their conference games in January. They will finish their four-game road trip on Wednesday, Jan. 3 at 6 p.m. They will take on the Hood College Blazers.