Box Score Women's Basketball
Widener 69, #16 Lebanon Valley 59

CHESTER, Pa. - Widener controlled the game from start to finish as it upset #16 Lebanon Valley, 69-59, as part of a topsy-turvy night in Commonwealth Conference women's basketball.

While the Pride (14-4, 9-2 CC) beat the Dutchmen (15-3, 9-2 CC) to split their season series, Elizabethtown upset #5 Messiah on the road to throw the top of the stands in disarray with Messiah (10-1 CC) now a game up on both LVC and Widener with games against both still to play,

LVC received strong nights from Renee Fritz (19 points, 8 rebounds), Tierney Hiltz (14 points, 6 assists), and Kiely Chaklos (11 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists), but Widener topped them with dominating post play by Kate Dellinger, who had a 13-13 game, and 30 points off the bench led by Jennifer Egee's 12 and Courtney Colella's 10.

The Pride slowly built a first-half lead, going up by as much as 14 points late in the half before LVC pared it back with consecutive buckets from Fritz and Taylor Umbrell to go into the locker room down a manageable 38-30.

Fritz scored the first two baskets of the second half, but Widener quickly embarked on a 14-2 run while holding LVC scoreless over a 4:12 span, taking a controlling 16-point lead in the process. The Dutchmen never settled into an offensive groove from there, only cutting the lead under 10 on an Umbrell three-pointer in the final minutes.

LVC shot 41.8 percent for the game but struggled at the line with a 10-for-19 night; Widener shot 43.9% while coverting less than half, 6-of-13, of their foul shots. Turnovers hurt both teams, with LVC giving away 21 and the Pride 16.

The Dutchmen will visit Elizabethtown Saturday.