Widener 75, Lebanon Valley 73

LVC Starters
Light, Orr, Conrad, Boccanfuso, Mrozek

Widener Starters
Byrd, Nicholson, Sambo, Green, Jackson

How It Happened
Travis Conrad was unable to put back the potential game-tying layup following Andy Orr's missed jumper in the final seconds and Widener escaped with a 75-73 victory over Lebanon Valley on Wednesday night.

Orr scored the final five points for LVC (12-8, 6-5 MAC Commonwealth), including a clutch 3-pointer to draw the Dutchmen to within one at 74-73 with 26 seconds remaining, but the team expended a tremendous amount of energy trying to keep pace with the Pride (10-11, 5-7 MAC Commonwealth) following a crucial run midway through the second half.

Lebanon Valley held an eight-point advantage with 13 minutes remaining before Widener's press wreaked havoc on the Dutchmen backcourt. LVC committed five turnovers during the Pride's ensuing 16-2 run. The home team pulled ahead 61-55 with 7:55 left to play and never trailed again.

A 3-ball by Travis Conrad with 3:43 remaining cut the deficit to one, as did Orr's long ball with less than a minute remaining, but the Dutchmen couldn't complete the comeback.

LVC led by as many as 11 points in the first half when Collin Moore buried a 3-ball at the 5:36 mark. A Steven Shaffer triple kept the lead intact at 38-31 with 1:25 left before the break but the Pride finished the half on a 5-2 run to cut the deficit to 40-36 at halftime.

Turning Point
The Dutchmen led 53-45 with 13:01 left to play but Widener's press defense caused all sorts of trouble for LVC and led to a game-changing 16-2 Pride run. Lebanon Valley came close to taking the lead on several occasions down the stretch but Andy Orr's jumper in the final seconds and Travis Conrad's put-back attempt at the buzzer fell short.

Top Performer
Sam Light – The sophomore guard did all he could to keep LVC within striking distance in crunch time, netting 14 of his game-high 22 points in the second half. He shot 50 percent from the floor after the break and buried five triples on the night.

Inside the Numbers
- LVC had trouble converting looks from point-blank range, managing just 12 points in the paint compared to 36 by the Pride.
- Andy Orr and Zach Mrozek joined Sam Light (22 points) as double-digit scorers, with the big man netting 16 and Mrozek adding 11. Orr added six boards, four assists, and three blocks.
- Travis Conrad pulled in a team-high seven rebounds for Lebanon Valley to go along with his nine tallies.
- Eight Dutchmen scored on Wednesday night as Collin Moore, Kyler Burke, and Steven Shaffer joined starters Light, Orr, Mrozek, Conrad, and Will Boccanfuso in converting field goals.
- Turnovers hurt LVC, especially in the second half. The Dutchmen turned it over 20 times on the night.
- Widener swiped 13 steals and scored 26 points off Lebanon Valley turnovers.
- LVC outshot the Pride from the floor (44.6 percent to 41.9 percent) but Widener was aided by 21 second half free throw attempts compared to just nine by the Dutchmen during that timeframe.
- Laron Byrd and Kendall Green scored 20 points apiece for the Pride. Sardayah Sambo grabbed a team-high eight rebounds and added a game-high five blocks.
- Lebanon Valley split the season series with the Pride after earning a 78-69 victory at Sorrentino Gymnasium three weeks ago.

Playoff Positioning
The Dutchmen find themselves in a three-way tie with Arcadia and Stevenson for third place in the MAC Commonwealth standings. LVC currently holds the tiebreaker over both squads thanks to wins over each team earlier this season.

Who's Next?
The Dutchmen return to Sorrentino Gymnasium to host the MAC Commonwealth leaders from Alvernia on Saturday afternoon. It's also Hot Dog Frank Day. Jim and MaryEllen Monos will be honored with the 2016 Hot Dog Frank Athletic Service Award at halftime and free hot dogs will be available for all fans following the game.