WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Shooting 61 percent from the floor, its highest percentage in more than a decade, the Lycoming College opened up a 23-point halftime lead and never looked back, posting an important 91-63 MAC Commonwealth win against Widener University on Saturday afternoon, Jan. 28, at Lamade Gym.
 
The rout helped fourth-place Lycoming (12-7 overall, 6-5 MAC Commonwealth) moved 2.5 games in front of sixth-place Widener (6-13 overall, 3-7 MAC Commonwealth) with five games remaining for the Warriors and cutting the team's magic number to reach the MAC Commonwealth Championship for the fourth time in five years to four.
 
While Lycoming enjoyed its highest shooting percentage in more than a decade (37-of-61, 60.7 percent), the defense clamped down to pick up 13 steals and hold Widener to just 29 percent (18-of-62) from the floor. Lycoming dominated in the paint, scoring 46 points while holding Widener to eight, and added a 21-14 advantage in points off turnover and 18-8 in points in transition.
 
Four Warriors finished in double figures, led by 20 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two blocks from junior Shelby Mueller (Collegeville, Pa./Spring-Ford). Freshman Morgan Mader (Cresco, Pa./Pocono Mountain East) finished with a career-best 16 points as she canned five 3-pointers, freshman Akilah McFadden (Lewisburg, Pa./Lewisburg Area) added 14 points, six assists, five rebounds and four steals and sophomore Jenn Grove (Chambersburg, Pa./Chambersburg Area) added 12 points.
 
It all added up to Lycoming crossing the 90-point threshold for the first time since a 90-56 win over Penn State Hazleton on Feb. 9, 2009.
 
The Warriors shot 65 percent (20-of-31) from the field in the first half, including an impossibly hot 88 percent (7-of-8) from 3-point range.  Lycoming took a 9-6 lead when freshman Kayla Kline (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg) hit a 3-pointer with 6:55 left, starting a 9-1 run that gave the team the lead for good. Late in the first quarter, a 12-0 run, spurred by back-to-back 3-pointers from Mader helped Lycoming take a 29-14 lead into the second stanza.
 
The Warriors continued to pressure and built a 16-point lead into a 25-point advantage by the midway point of the half with three straight 3-pointers, two from McFadden and one from Mader. Widener cut the lead to 20 multiple times, but Lycoming took a 53-29 lead into the break.
 
In the second half, Lycoming built the lead to as many as 36 points in the fourth quarter with 2:47 left before the Pride scored the game's last eight points.
 
Kline finished with nine points, a career-high five assists and five rebounds and senior Nicole Calella (Sandyston, N.J./Kittatinny Regional) added eight points, four assists and three steals. Junior Haley Sipple (Boothwyn, Pa./Chichester) added six points, seven rebounds and three assists.
 
Widener was led by 16 points and three 3-pointers from Allison Gallagher while Nikki Petri added 14 points and two assists. Devan Rimmer also posted seven points and Madison Ireland posted five assists.
 
The Warriors get back on the court on Wednesday, Feb. 1, when they head to Alvernia for a 6 p.m. MAC Commonwealth game as part of a conference doubleheader as the men tip at 8 p.m.