(box score) / (BJ Smith's game-winning shot on YouTube)
In a game Widener absolutely had to have, someone forgot to tell sophomore BJ Smith (Baltimore, MD) the team had lost two straight road games against Lebanon Valley and three of the last five.
Even if he was clued in, it might not have mattered with the amount of ice water in his veins. The end result saw Smith drill a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Pride a dramatic 66-65 Commonwealth Conference victory in Annville, PA.
The Dutchmen (6-8, 2-3 CC) took their final lead, 64-63, with 1:42 left when Sean MacIntosh canned two free throws. Each team missed a shot before Widener sophomore Jack Brennan (Stratford, NJ) could not hit a layup with 24 seconds remaining.
Joe Meehan grabbed the rebound and hit 1-of-2 from the line to give LVC a 65-63 cushion. Widener (9-6, 2-3) called time out to set up a play, but all looked lost when junior Chris McDevitt (Doylestown, PA) missed a 3-pointer and Danny Brooks grabbed the rebound with 3.7 seconds to go.
Brooks missed the first free throw and the Dutchmen elected to call time out. Whatever defense LVC called in the huddle, it did not work as Brooks drew iron on the second to set up the clincher.
Junior Jarrell Nelson (Waldorf, MD) grabbed the rebound and fired an outlet pass to Smith, who buried a 35-footer for the game’s 15th lead change and biggest basket of his career.
Smith scored all 14 of his points in the second half to tie a career best and drilled three 3-pointers over 22 minutes. Brennan had 17 points and 14 rebounds for his second straight double-double and Nelson closed with 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting for Widener, which tied a season low with only 10 turnovers.
Meehan scored 26 points, Anthony Trautman netted 10 and Dan Dunkelberger grabbed 12 rebounds for the Dutchmen.
Widener will have less than 48 hours to celebrate as the squad is home Monday against Brooklyn College, beginning at 2:00 pm. It will be the Pride’s sixth game this season against an NCAA Tournament team from last year.