Box Score Box Score
CHESTER, Pa. – Senior Will Kelly (Williamsport, Pa./Loyalsock Township) capped off his collegiate career with a 27-point, nine-rebound game, including hitting four game-prolonging free throws late in regulation and the first overtime, but Widener University took control in the second overtime to eek out a 93-83 win on Saturday, Feb. 19.
“I’m very proud of the seniors and will be very sad to see them go,” Lycoming College head coach Guy Rancourt said. “This was a young group. They gave us everything we had. We had some peaks and valleys. I am very proud of how they worked to get where they were today.”
With the win, Widener (13-12 overall, 8-6 Commonwealth) clinched the No. 3 seed in the conference playoffs, narrowly avoiding a four-way tie for third in the conference, and will face Lebanon Valley in the opening round. Messiah took the No. 4 seed with a 63-62 win over Albright.
In a game marked by furious comebacks by the Warriors (15-10 overall, 5-9 Commonwealth), the team made its biggest one after a pair of free throws from Bob Makor gave Widener a 67-60 lead with 4:03 left. Sophomore John Ryan Wolff (Morrisville, Pa./Pennsbury) got the Warriors back into the game with a pair of steals that turned into a pair of easy fastbreak layups.
A pair of free throws got the Pride to take a five-point lead, but sophomore Ihsaan Davis (Jamaica, N.Y./Christ the King) hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to two points with 1:56 left. After each team failed to connect on a possession, Kelly was fouled with 16 seconds left and he hit both to tie the game at 67. A 3-pointer by the Pride was blocked by freshman Kevin Anthony (Atlanta, Ga./Bridgton Academy) to ensure overtime.
In the first overtime, the Warriors were forced to come-from-behind again after taking a 76-73 lead off a layup from Davis with 2:09. The Pride took over, hitting five free throws in the next minute and a half, but a miss by the Pride gave the Warriors the ball back with 21 seconds left and again, Kelly was fouled, this time with 0.9 seconds left and he hit both free throws to tie the game at 78 and force a second extra period.
The Pride finally took control in the second overtime, as four Warriors fouled out of the game, opening the half on a 9-1 run capped by a dunk from Jack Brennan. The Warriors couldn’t draw
Down by nine points early in the second half after a layup from Jack Brennan, the Warriors started on a run with a 3-pointer from Kelly to get the team on a 13-2 run to take a 43-40 lead after a fastbreak layup from Kelly on a dish from Davis. The Warriors got the lead to five points midway through the half, with a jumper from Kelly helping the Warriors take a 57-52 lead, but the Pride went on a 15-2 run to set up the dramatic conclusion of the half.
In the first half, the teams fought evenly in the first half with a jumper from Davis giving the Warriors a 14-12 lead with 10:39 left before a 3-pointer from Chris McDevitt started a 15-4 run that lasted three minutes and gave the Pride a nine-point lead, which they never let drop below four points during the final six minutes, taking an eight-point lead into the half at 36-28.
Four Warriors finished in double figures, led by Kelly’s 27 points, as he also added a career-high five 3-pointers and three assists. Davis posted 15 points, hitting three treys, to go with a career-high tying five assists and five rebounds. Both senior Sebastian Sabella (Bayisde, N.Y./Episcopal School) and junior Mike Bradley (Philadelphia, Pa./St. Joseph’s Prep) each added 10 points. Sabella posted eight rebounds in the last game of his career.
Wolff finished with career highs of seven points, seven rebounds and three steals to go with four assists and sophomore Jerald Williams (Riverdale, Md./Bladensburg) added six points, five dimes and three steals. Anthony posted six points, six rebounds, two blocks and three assists. Lycoming held a 46-36 advantage on the glass and held an 18-9 advantage in second-chance points.
Brennan posted 20 points and five rebounds to lead the Pride and Perry Wright notched 17 points and four steals. Makor finished with 16 points, six rebounds, four steals and three steals and Radomicki added 13 points and four assists. Chris McDevitt added 11 points and five rebounds and Jarrell Nelson added eight assists and four blocks.
Kelly finished his career in the blue and gold with 1,147 points, 21st in school history, and 553 career rebounds, tied for 16th. He also notched 134 3-pointers, 11th in the program’s history, while the senior trio of Kelly, Sabella and Ethan Lee (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg) finished at the top of the Commonwealth Conference standings twice in their four years and earned one NCAA Tournament title while posting a career record of 66-40 (.623).
