CHESTER, Pa. – Down nine with 1:42 remaining, the ninth-ranked Lycoming College men's basketball team stormed back and had a chance to tie the game with 2.7 seconds remaining, but a missed free throw and a falling away 3-pointer at the buzzer fell off the rim as Widener University held on, 66-65, in a MAC Commonwealth game on Saturday afternoon, Jan. 27, at the Schwartz Athletic Center.
 
It's just the Warriors' second loss of the season, as they fall to 18-2 overall and 8-2 in the MAC Commonwealth. They still hold a one-game lead over Lebanon Valley for first in the MAC Commonwealth.
 
After falling behind by nine with 1:32 remaining in the game, junior T.J. Duckett (Severna Park, Md./Calvert Hall) hit a 3-pointer, and then nine seconds after that, senior Chris Wallace's (Randallstown, Md./Calvert Hall) steal and layup got the deficit down to four with 1:23 remaining. Widener came back with two made free throws and sophomore Ronald Jefferson (Brooklyn, N.Y./Christ the King) made a layup with 49 seconds left. Widener missed the front end of a 1-and-1 and Wallace's tip-in got the Warriors within two with 11 seconds remaining. After another missed 1-and-1, Jefferson grabbed the rebound and in seconds was at the rim being fouled with 2.7 seconds remaining. He made his first to make it a one-point game. Senior Alex Newbold (Bowie, Md./DeMatha Catholic) grabbed the rebound, but his desperation falling away 3-pointer at the buzzer just bounced off the rim as time expired.
 
After falling behind 24-14 with 7:41 left in the first half, the Warriors were able to go into the half tied at 33. Lycoming then started the second half on a 9-0 run, with five straight points from freshman Darius Dangerfield (Abingdon, Md./Hartford Tech), to take a 42-33 lead. But then Widener went on a 27-9 run to go up 62-53 with 3:05 left in the game.
 
Wallace led the Warriors with 13 points, 11 of which came in the second half, five rebounds and two steals. Junior Darius James (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Loughlin) and Dangerfield each scored 10, as James grabbed four rebounds and had two steals. Duckett hit 3-of-4 3-pointers for nine points, three rebounds and two steals.
 
Lycoming held a 23-13 points off turnovers and 28-18 points in the paint advantage. The Warriors forced 19 turnovers and had 11 steals.
 
Tyler Drews led Widener with 13 points and five rebounds, Sardayah Sambo notched 11 points, seven blocks and five rebounds while Connor Laverty added 12 points and seven rebounds off the bench.
 
The Warriors return to action on Wednesday, Jan. 31, at 8 p.m. when they host Alvernia University at Lamade Gym in a MAC Commonwealth game.