Box Score

CHESTER, Pa. – Widener University jumped out to a 33-22 halftime lead and held off Lebanon Valley in the second half as the Pioneers picked up a 77-68 Commonwealth Conference victory Saturday afternoon at the Schwartz Athletic Center.

Lebanon Valley (6-8, 1-3 CC) lost its third game in a row and fell for the fourth time in its last five games.

Senior forward Markiese Merceir scored a game-high 23 for the hot-shooting Pioneers (5-8, 2-2 CC), who hit on 50.9 percent of their shots for the game and 62.5 percent in the first half.

Senior center Darren Pugh (Shippensburg, Pa./Shippensburg) scored a team-high 19 points and ripped down a game-high 13 rebounds for the Valley. Sophomore guard J.D. Byers (Westminster, Md./Westminser) scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half while junior guard Evan Harlor (Danville, Pa./Danville) added 11 points. Freshman forward Dave Kasyan (Toms River, N.J./Toms River) chipped in with 13 points on 3-of-4 three-point shooting.

Lebanon Valley held a decided 37-21 advantage in rebounds but suffered from poor ball-handling. The Flying Dutchmen turned the ball over 23 times while the Pioneers committed just three turnovers.

Merceir scored 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting in the opening half to lead all scorers. Widener took a 6-0 lead before the Valley answered with a 9-2 run to take their only lead of the game (9-8) after a Harlor jumper. The Dutchmen trailed just 18-15 after a pair of free throws from Kasyan before Widener went on a 12-2 run to open up its biggest lead of the half  (30-17) with 3:18 to go in the opening period.

The Pioneers held the Valley without a field goal over the final seven minutes of the opening stanza.

Lebanon Valley found its shooting touch at the start of the second half, outscoring Widener 8-2 over the opening 1:40 of the period to pull to within five (35-30). The Dutchmen used a 7-2 surge after a reverse lay-up from Byers to cut a nine-point deficit to four (43-39) with 13:53 left. But the Pioneers came right back with a decisive 13-4 run over the ensuing 5:15 to match their largest lead of the night (56-43) with 7:38 remaining. LVC was unable to cut the gap to less than eight the rest of the way.

The Dutchmen shot a season-best 90.9 percent (20-of-22) from the foul line and made all 11 of its free-throw attempts in the second half.

LVC returns to Commonwealth Conference play on Tuesday when it hosts Elizabethtown College at 8 p.m. in the second game of a men’s and women’s doubleheader in Lynch Gymnasium.

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