GWYNEDD VALLEY, Pa. – The Ursinus women's basketball team battled throughout but was unable to overcome an early deficit, falling 82-67 to Widener University on Friday evening at the Gwynedd Mercy Tip-Off Tournament.
 
 
With the loss, Ursinus opens the season 0-1, while the Pride improved to 1-0. Senior Madison Smith paced the Bears' offense with 19 points and nine rebounds, while junior Colleen Blackman added 13 points and two rebounds. Senior guard Ava Possenti nearly set a career high with eight steals, just shy of her career-best 10 against Washington College last season.
 
 
Widener jumped out to an early 6-0 lead through the first two minutes of play behind three consecutive layups. The Pride's defense forced a pair of turnovers over the next two minutes and extended its lead to 13-1 with 6:08 remaining in the first quarter. The Bears began to battle back as Smith and sophomore Delaney McCaffery combined for the next six points to cut the Ursinus deficit to six. Both defenses stepped up and held the opposing offenses off balance for the next few minutes, but Widener still held an 18-8 lead with 1:57 left in the quarter. Ursinus closed out the period on a 7-0 run as Smith connected on a three-pointer, and sophomore Emily McDonald and first-year Olivia Nardi each recorded a layup to make it 18-15 at the end of the first.
 
 
Through the first three minutes of the second quarter, each team traded baskets, with Widener holding a 25-21 edge with 7:22 to play in the half. The Pride extended its advantage to 33-23 behind an 8-2 run and maintained a 10-point lead with 3:56 remaining. Ursinus tallied five points from the free-throw line to close the quarter but faced a 38-28 halftime deficit.
 
 
Ursinus cut its deficit to five early in the second half as junior Emma Afflerbach scored on a layup and Blackman connected on a three-pointer. At the 7:40 mark, Smith's layup off an offensive rebound brought the Bears within three, 40-37. Widener answered to go back up 44-37, but another Blackman three-pointer cut the deficit to four. Both teams traded baskets as Ursinus closed within four on multiple occasions before a 7-0 Widener run made it 56-45 with 1:01 remaining in the third. Smith knocked down a pair of free throws, and Blackman hit another three-pointer to close the quarter with the Bears trailing 58-50. Widener opened the final stanza with consecutive baskets, and Ursinus could not overcome the double-digit deficit, eventually falling 82-67.
 
 
Ursinus shot 29.2% (19-of-65) from the floor, 14.8% (4-of-27) from three-point range, and 65.8% (25-of-38) at the free-throw line. Meanwhile, the Pride connected on 50.8% (30-of-59) from the field, 11.1% (1-of-9) from beyond the arc, and 75% (21-of-28) at the line. Widener's Lindsay Kutz and Mia Robbins led the Pride with 15 points apiece.
 
 
The Bears will return to action Saturday, taking on Gwynedd Mercy University in the consolation game at 2 p.m.