CHESTER, Pa. – In a game that lived up to its billing between two of the top teams in the region who had combined for a 36-6 record coming into the contest, the Widener University women's basketball team turned in its biggest win yet in a magical season as the Pride downed No. 15 Albright 69-68 at the Schwartz Center on Wednesday evening.
 
PERSPECTIVE

• The win was the second for the Pride against a ranked opponent this season. Earlier this year, Widener beat No. 24 Messiah 75-62.
• With the victory, Widener clinches a spot in the MAC Commonwealth Championship. The win, combined with a Stevenson loss, also secured a First Round bye for the Blue and Gold.
• By garnering a postseason spot, it is first time since the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons that Widener will play in the postseason in consecutive years.
• Widener has now defeated three teams with winning percentages of .800 or better this season (Messiah, Albright, Rowan), and downed the No. 1 and 5 teams in the East according to the initial regional rankings that were announced earlier on Wednesday.

 
GAME NOTES

• Madison Ireland led the Pride with a season-high tying 17 points, including nine in a row during a crucial stretch of the third quarter that helped Widener turn a halftime deficit into a six-point lead. She also added seven rebounds and five assists.
• Jordan D'Ambrosio posted career-highs with 15 points and seven rebounds while tying a personal best with three assists.
• Mackenzie McCracken added 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting, her second game in double figures this year.
• As a team, the Blue and Gold committed just seven turnovers, its lowest total in more than 15 years and just the ninth game with single-digit miscues in since 2005-06.
• Widener went 10-for-24 from distance in the game, getting three each from Ireland and D'Ambrosio as well as two apiece from McCracken and Helena Salmon. It is the second time this year Widener downed 10+ three-pointers in a game.
• The game featured 10 ties and 12 lead changes while neither side held more than a nine-point lead the entire contest.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Widener opened strong as after Albright scored the first basket, the Pride rattled off eight in a row, taking an 8-2 lead less than three minutes in. A Lions' layup at the 7:24 mark sparked a 12-2 run for the visitors. The Blue and Gold battled back, but a late layup gave Albright an 18-15 lead after 10 minutes. The Lions seemed to start taking control in the second period as a three-pointer with 2:42 left capped an 11-0 run that put Albright up 32-23. Fighting back, triples by Salmon and D'Ambrosio sandwiched a layup from Kyra Schenk as Widener closed the half on an 8-2 spurt and trailed just 34-31 at the break.
 
A close battle began to brew early in the third quarter. Down by two, Ireland hit a free throw with 5:42 remaining in the frame. It was the start of nine points in a row for the senior, who was playing in her 100th career game, and ignited an 11-2 push that put Widener up 49-43 in a matter of three minutes. The Lions closed the period well, slicing the edge to 49-48 heading into the final quarter.
 
In the fourth, Albright took the early lead and held the advantage past the midway mark when a pair of free throws by D'Ambrosio tied the score a 59-59 with 4:56 left. D'Ambrosio and Ireland went on to score the next 12 points for the Pride who inched ahead 69-63 with 1:31 to go. Albright clawed back and was down 69-67 with seven seconds left and had the ball off a Widener miss. After calling timeout, the Lions got the ball down low to Dejah Terrell who was fouled with 0.6 seconds remaining. She calmly made the first, but her second shot rattled off the back rim before falling off the front iron, preserving the win for Widener.
 
UP NEXT
The Pride plays its final regular season home game when it hosts Alvernia for Senior Day on Saturday, February 15. Tipoff from the Schwartz Center is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.