CHESTER, Pa. – The Widener University men's basketball team shot 55.6 percent from the field in the second half and owned a 44-31 advantage on the glass en route to a 74-70 win versus Cabrini on Monday night. Senior forward Dom Farrello scored a game and season-high 21 points for the Cavaliers in the loss.
Farrello led four scorers for the Blue & White in double figures, also grabbing six rebounds and recorded six blocked shots. Junior guard John Boyd scored 13 points on 4-for-8 shooting overall, all coming in the second half.
Sophomore guard A.J. Williams notched his first career double-double, pairing 10 points with a career-high 10 assists. Freshman forward Fran Rafferty chipped in 11 points, on a 4-for-8 shooting clip, and four rebounds.
Sophomore center Goran Dulac played 24 minutes off the bench, scoring seven points and corralling seven rebounds. Dulac had missed the season's first two games due to an injury suffered in the preseason.
Freshman center Jon Miller earned his first career start and scored four points. Senior guard Lamar Fisher also contributed four points in 15 minutes played as a reserve.
Behind a 13-point effort from Farrello, the Cavaliers staked claim to a 31-27 lead at the intermission. Farrello shot 6-for-11 from the field in the opening 20 minutes. Rafferty downed seven points on 3-for-5 shooting.
The Blue & White raced out of the gates to start the second period, beginning the half on an 11-6 run en route to a 42-33 cushion at the 17:58 mark. A triple from Rafferty capped the spurt and forced the Pride into a timeout.
Widener answered the Cabrini surge with a 10-2 run of its own over the next three minutes, pulling back to within one point, 44-43, at the 14:33 mark.
The Cavaliers pushed its lead to five points on four different occasions in the second half down the stretch, including a 64-59 edge with 4:23 remaining after a Farrello lay-in.
However, the Pride completed its rally with a 3-point field goal from Chris McDevitt at the 1:54 mark. Widener led by six points, 72-66, with 25 ticks left.
Jack Brennan led the Pride with 20 points, on 7-for-12 shooting, and nine rebounds. McDevitt added 17 points, shooting 5-for-7 from 3-point range.
Tonight's contest marked the first between Cabrini and Widener since the 2007-08 season.
Cabrini (2-1) begins its Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) title defense at home on Thursday, Dec. 2 versus league rival Gwynedd-Mercy College. Game time against the Griffins is set for approximately 8 p.m.