CHESTER, Pa. – Nina Mazzarelli's 18 points led four Albright women's basketball players in double figures as the Lions defeated Widener, 69-45, on Saturday afternoon to move to 14-4 overall and 9-0 in MAC Commonwealth play. Alysha Lofton finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds for her eighth double-double of the season and third in her last four outings.

The decisive period came in the third quarter. Albright carried a 36-28 lead into halftime, expanding upon its three-point lead after the first quarter. In the first 5:25 of the third quarter, the Albright defense held Widener to just one field goal and one free throw. The Lions seized the opportunity at the offensive end, scoring 13 points in that time to push its lead to 49-32 after a MiKayla Lea layup on a feed by Jane Joyce. Lea finished with 13 points and seven rebounds. Joyce had eight points, seven rebounds and five assists.

Widener ended the run with a three pointer, but it would only add one more free throw in the quarter. That strong defense helped the Lions keep its lead intact despite going more than three minutes late in the period without scoring. Devan Horka bookended that drought with layups. The second one came just before the buzzer to give Albright a 57-36 lead after three periods. Horka finished with 10 points and nine rebounds.

The lead expanded to as many as 28 in the fourth quarter as Albright allowed just four points to Widener through nearly nine minutes of play in the final quarter. Albright outrebounded Widener, 53-40, and held a 19-5 advantage in second chance points. The Lions also dominated the paint, outscoring Widener, 46-14, in the key.

Albright returns home for a pair of home games next week. Arcadia is first with a matchup Wednesday at 6 p.m.