SCRANTON, Pa. - Widener Men's Basketball opened the 2026-27 campaign with a 72-65 win over Scranton on day one of the Scranton Hilton Invitational.
The 72-65 win moves the Pride to 1-0 in the regular season.
BY THE NUMBERS
- First year forward Ahmeil McLaurin led the Pride with 15 points, shooting 4-of-7 from the floor and 7-of-8 from the free-throw line. He also grabbed five rebounds.
- Dylan Schlatter and TJ Bryson each finished with 11 points. Schlatter added five rebounds, two assists and two steals, while Bryson contributed four rebounds and two steals.
- Ethan Dodson provided 10 points off the bench, shooting a perfect 3-of-3 from the field and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line.
- Kori Segich paced the offense with six assists, while Jay-Nelly Reyes led the defensive effort with three steals.
- Widener shot 41.2% from the field, including 56.3% from beyond the arc, and converted 21 free throws. The Pride also forced 17 turnovers and scored 19 points off turnovers.
HOW IT HAPPENED
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Widener came out ready to compete, as Reyes opened the scoring with a fastbreak layup following a steal. Bryson added a jumper before knocking down a 3-pointer to give the Pride an early lead. Segich and Bryson connected from beyond the arc to extend the advantage to 15-7. Namisse Musonge added a pair of 3-pointers in the opening half, while McLaurin began finding his rhythm at the free-throw line. The Pride built a nine-point advantage before Scranton battled back to even the contest. The Royals closed the half with a basket in the final seconds to take a 33-31 lead into the break.
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The Pride responded immediately in the second half. Segich opened the scoring with a 3-pointer to reclaim the lead before Reyes converted a layup off a Segich steal. Schlatter followed with a triple, and Reyes knocked down another 3-pointer to push the Widener advantage to 42-37. Bryson added a layup before Schlatter connected from deep again, giving the Pride a 47-37 lead with just over 15 minutes remaining.
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Widener continued to maintain control as McLaurin finished a layup off a Reyes assist and Dodson added a pair of baskets inside. The Pride extended their advantage to 54-43 midway through the second half, with Dodson continuing to make an impact at the free-throw line.
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Scranton attempted to mount a late comeback, cutting the deficit to six with under four minutes remaining. Reyes answered with a jumper to restore some breathing room, while Schlatter converted two crucial free throws with 1:32 remaining to extend the lead to 66-60. McLaurin added a layup with 22 seconds left, and Schlatter knocked down two more free throws before McLaurin capped the scoring with a layup in the final seconds. Widener held on for the 72-65 season-opening victory.
UP NEXT
Widener remains in Scranton, Pa. on Saturday, November 7 for the second day of the Scranton Hilton Invitational. The Pride are set to face the 0-1 (0-0 MAC Freedom) Marywood Pacers at 2 p.m.
