Box Score

SWARTHMORE, Pa. – Despite bringing a 19-point deficit in the second half down to three, the Swarthmore College men's basketball team dropped a non-conference game to Widener by a 70-65 score on Wednesday, Dec. 10 at Tarble Pavilion.
 
Sophomore Sam Lebryk and freshman Zack Yonda each scored all 10 in the final frame and led a valiant comeback effort for the Garnet that would come up just short. Lebryk and senior Karl Barkley each hit a 3-pointer after halftime to make it 45-30 with 17:53 remaining before Widener would soon go up by 19 on a layup by Kendall Green.
 
The Pride appeared to be in cruise control when Sardayah Sambo dunked the ball to make it 58-39 with 11:30 left, but Barkley answered by converting a rare four-point play to ignite the hosts and begin an attempted rally. Trailing by 15 at the midway point, Swarthmore embarked on a 20-8 run and brought it down to 68-65 when Zack Yonda converted a 3-point play by putting back a Lebryk miss and making the ensuing free throw. But after the team burned two timeouts, David Nicholson hit two charity shots at the other end to give the Pride the win.
 
Widener (8-1), which is among the teams receiving votes in the national poll, scored the first four points of the game and never surrendered the lead the rest of the way. The Pride went ahead by twin figures on a trifecta from Jermaine Kamara that made it 18-7 at the 11:56 mark and ballooned its advantage to 19 when Carlos Taylor sank a pair of free throws to create a 30-11 score with 7:40 left in the half. Swarthmore came as close as 12 before the recess on a pair of shots at the stripe from Sean Taxter and trailed 39-24 at the break.
 
Sambo led Widener with 16 points and six rebounds in the winning effort. Mark Pryzbylkowski and Greg Lawson netted 12 points apiece, while Nicholson contributed 11 points and four steals.
 
Sophomore Chris Bourne and Yonda paced the Garnet with 14 points apiece in the loss. Yonda was also a perfect 10-for-10 from the line, and Bourne just missed a double-double by grabbing nine boards. Freshman Robbie Walsh added nine points, eight boards and a career-high four blocks.
 
Swarthmore (3-5) concludes its homestand when it hosts Bryn Athyn on Saturday, Dec. 20 at 3 p.m.