GRANTHAM, Pa. – With a 68-62 win over the #1 seed Messiah University Falcons, Widener women's basketball won the MAC Commonwealth Championship for the first time since 2009. Jordan D'Ambrosio was named the MAC Commonwealth Championship MVP.

The Pride are 23-4 on the season. They were 11-3 in MAC play.

Widener head coach Alisa Kintner said even though the first half was a defensive struggle, the Pride played at their tempo in the second half and played with determination.

"The first half was a little tough. We struggled defensively," Kintner said. "In the second half…I thought in the third quarter, we came out and really pushed the tempo in a way that we've been playing all year. That helped us to be able to score quick and get back in the game. The first five minutes really showed a lot of determination by the girls. So, I thought the second half, we really pushed it, and the tempo made the game a different type of game."

Kintner emphasized that this victory was not one to be taken lightly.

"We beat a hard-fought Messiah team," she said.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Mia Robbins had a team-best 23 points on 10 of 12 shooting.
• D'Ambrosio had 16 points, as well as team-highs with three assists, two steals, and two blocks.
• The Pride shot a season-high 56.5% on field goals.

HOW IT HAPPENED AGAINST MESSIAH

• Robbins opened the game with a jumper. The Pride kept the Falcons behind them early on until Messiah's Chloe Milanesi hit her second triple of the quarter. D'Ambrosio chipped in a few buckets to keep Widener within single digits, but Messiah led 18-14 after one.
• Lindsay Kutz scored first for Widener after a quick 4-0 run by the Falcons in the second quarter. The Falcons began to build a double-digit lead in this quarter off multiple Pride turnovers. With the deficit at 12, both teams traded buckets at the end of the quarter. Widener trailed 32-22 going into the locker room.
• After trailing in the second quarter by as much as 12, the Pride used an aggressive 11-2 run to get within one point. Despite the Falcons holding the lead, the Pride would not allow them to get too far ahead. Gianna Samuels hit two huge threes in the back half of the quarter to tie the game. Even with some Messiah free throws, Robbins hit a jumper to end the quarter. The score was tied at 46 through three.
• For a few possessions to open the fourth quarter, both teams took turns taking a one-point lead. Samuels once again tied the game on a jump shot with under six minutes to go. Widener made solid defensive plays to keep Messiah in check, as neither side wanted to trail by more than two points. With two minutes remaining, the Falcons went to the free throw line multiple times to try to put the game away. However, Gianna and Lia Samuels, as well as D'Ambrosio, each answered with a shot. A huge offensive rebound by Kutz with 21 seconds left all but made sure Widener would hold onto their lead. Widener won 68-62.

UP NEXT
The Pride will now wait for the NCAA Selection Show to see who their first opponent is, and where the game will be played, in the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA Selection Show will be broadcast on Monday, Feb. 26 at 2:30 p.m. on ncaa.com.