Owings Mills, Md. (February 21) – On Senior Day inside Owings Mills Gymnasium, the Stevenson Mustangs battled until the final possession in a tightly contested MAC Commonwealth match up but came up just short against Widener University, 60–58.
Widener opened the contest with an early three-pointer to take a 3–0 lead, but Stevenson quickly settled in. After forcing a turnover,
Kendall Seguignol knocked down a second-chance three to put the Mustangs on the board. The Pride extended their advantage midway through the first half, but Stevenson answered behind aggressive play in the paint from
David Pridgen and
Jelani Lee.
Trailing 28–24 late in the opening period, Seguignol sparked a late surge. The junior buried a three-pointer with just over a minute remaining before throwing down a dunk off a turnover to give Stevenson a 29–28 edge. Widener responded with a three in the closing seconds, sending the Mustangs into halftime narrowly trailing, 31–29.
Stevenson opened the second half with renewed energy.
Kyle Luddy converted a second-chance three to give the Mustangs a 32–31 lead, and the teams continued to trade baskets through the opening minutes. After Widener reclaimed a slim advantage, Stevenson pieced together its best run of the afternoon.
Noah Ihezue's put-back gave the Mustangs a 38–37 edge, and moments later Luddy attacked the rim for a layup to put Stevenson back in front.
Kole Beaman then caught fire, scoring seven straight points, including a three-pointer from the wing, to cap a 10–2 run and give Stevenson its largest lead of the game at 48–39 with 9:25 to play.
Widener, however, chipped away at the deficit behind second-chance opportunities and timely shooting. The Pride cut the margin to single digits and eventually evened the score at 39 earlier in the half before continuing their late push. Stevenson maintained its composure, working inside for key baskets from Beaman and Pridgen, but Widener capitalized on key possessions in the closing minutes.
In the final stretch, the Mustangs had opportunities to reclaim the lead, forcing turnovers and battling on the glass, but were unable to convert in the closing seconds as Widener escaped with the two-point decision.
Stevenson ended the season 11-14 overall and 3-11 in the MAC Commonwealth.
