Box Score

CHESTER, Pa. – After trailing 34-26 at halftime, Lebanon Valley was outscored 44-21 in the second half as LVC lost its Commonwealth Conference opener, falling 78-47 at Widener University Wednesday evening in women’s basketball action.

Widener (5-0, 1-0 CC), which won its fifth straight game to open the season, shot 49.2% from the field and had four players reach double figures in scoring. Celeste Baumgardner led the way with 19 points and six rebounds while Chelsea Luhta had 16 points and eight rebounds. Dominique Kidd and Lindsey Isler chipped in with 10 points apiece, with Kidd pulling down eight rebounds.

Junior forward Monica Johnson scored 14 points and grabbed a game- and career-high 14 rebounds for Lebanon Valley (1-3, 0-1 CC), which lost its third game in a row. Junior guard Allie Butler posted 12 points and four assists while freshman forward Megan Bish had 10 points and a season-high 10 rebounds.

The Pioneers took the lead for good after a Baumgardner lay-up that made it 6-5 with 16:10 left in the first half. It was a four-point game (30-26) with 1:49 remaining in the opening stanza following a lay-up from Bish, but Widener scored the final four points of the half to open up its eight-point lead at the break.

Widener came out on fire in the second half, outscoring LVC 14-2 over the opening 6:11 to assume a 20-point advantage (48-28). After a Johnson lay-up made it 48-30, Brittany Williams canned a three-pointer for Widener, and the Pioneers’ lead would not dip under 20 the rest of the way.

The Pioneers held the Valley to 17.5% shooting in the second half and 24.6% for the game.

Lebanon Valley returns to Commonwealth Conference action on Saturday, when it hosts Messiah College at 3 p.m. in the second game of a men’s and women’s doubleheader.

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