Chester, Pa. (January 24) — The Stevenson Mustangs turned in a strong offensive effort Saturday afternoon but came up short in an 83–74 MAC Commonwealth road decision at Widener.
Stevenson jumped out quickly in the opening minutes, using an aggressive pace on both ends to take an early lead.
Kole Beaman sparked the Mustangs with a pair of baskets inside, while
Jelani Lee added energy off the bench with a quick five-point stretch to keep Stevenson in front. The Mustangs built their largest advantage of the half midway through the period behind second-chance points and strong ball movement. Widener answered late in the quarter with a scoring run, but Stevenson continued to trade baskets and closed the opening frame trailing by seven, 38–31.
The Mustangs opened the second half with renewed momentum, trimming the deficit with back-to-back finishes from Beaman and a timely three-pointer from
Myles Jackson. Stevenson continued to chip away as Beaman converted at the line and
Kendall Seguignol added points in the paint to pull the Mustangs within one possession. Widener briefly pushed the margin back to multiple possessions, but Stevenson stayed composed and answered with key stops and transition baskets to keep the game within reach heading into the break.
Coming out of halftime, Stevenson kept pressure on the Pride. Beaman knocked down a second-chance three and followed with a pair of free throws to pull the Mustangs within three. The teams traded baskets over the next several minutes as Stevenson continued to attack the rim and generate quality looks. Despite the steady offensive rhythm, Widener capitalized on a late run to regain separation and carried a 59–49 advantage into the final stretch.
In the closing minutes, Stevenson continued to push the tempo and fight back.
Andre Brooks converted in transition, and Beaman added another bucket inside to cut into the deficit. The Mustangs forced turnovers and created second-chance opportunities, but Widener was able to convert at the free-throw line down the stretch to hold off the late surge.
Stevenson will look to bounce back in its next contest, hosting Albright on Wednesday, January 28, at 6:00 p.m for MAC Commonwealth action.
