Box Score

CHESTER, Pa. - Widener held off a late Lebanon Valley charge and used some good defense in the final moments to defeat LVC, 70-68, in a Commonwealth Conference women's basketball game Tuesday night.

The Dutchmen (15-8, 8-4 CC), who were already assured of a playoff spot, are now done with conference play will now need some help in order to get the #2 seed and a home playoff game.

Both Widener and Albright can tie LVC at 8-4 in conference play with wins on Saturday; LVC will need to hope for Messiah to defeat Widener, which would give LVC the #2 seed. Any tie with Albright would go in LVC's favor since the Dutchmen swept the season series. A three-way tie or tie with just Widener would deny LVC of a home game. (Read more playoff analysis on the GoDutchmen.com Blog)

The Pride (16-8, 7-4 CC) swept the season series from LVC, shooting 7-for-13 from beyond the arc and 48.1 percent overall. LVC committed a season-low six turnovers but shot just 37 percent, including 5-for-20 for three.

Suzie Noyes came off the bench and turned in a career night with 20 points and 15 rebounds, both career highs, and Eryn Schultz drained 19 points to go with six boards. Andrea Hoover added 10 points and five assists.

Barbara Fleming and Beth Dessart Mager paced Widener with 16 and 15 points, respectively.

Neither team managed a field goal over the final 2:10 of the game, but Widener kept a three-point margin for most of the final minute and forced LVC into foul shots before the Dutchmen could try a game-tying three-pointer.

Widener led for most of the first half, extending the lead to as much as 10 late in the half. Out of the break, the two teams traded three-pointers as LVC went on an 11-5 run to cut Widener's lead to two.

The game turned into a dogfight from there, but LVC couldn't grab a lead despite tying the game three times down the stretch. The final tie came with 5:17 left as Noyes hit a pair of foul shots to make it 63-63, but consecutive buckets by Fleming and Rayne Reber retook the lead for Widener.

Noyes converted a three-point play with 2:10 left to cut the Pride lead to 67-66, but it would be LVC's final field goal as the Dutchmen missed three baskets and went 2-for-4 at the line over the final 1:28.

Meanwhile, Mager and Reber combined to go 3-for-4 at the line to hold the lead at three and let Widener deny LVC a shot.

LVC will finish the regular season Friday night at Wilkes.