A pair of local products, Connor Laverty of Ocean City and Patrick Holden of Lower Cape May, were instrumental in the Division III Widener University men’s basketball team’s victory in the championship game of the Widener Tip-Off Tournament for Autism Awareness.
Laverty, senior, was named the tournament MVP after posting 12 points and eight rebounds in the Pride’s 72-62 victory over Kean in Saturday’s title game. Laverty played a team-high 37 minutes in the contest.
Holden, a sophomore, was also named to the all-tournament team after posting 13 points, four rebounds and three assists. He made four of his seven three-point attempts.
In Friday’s tournament opener, a 78-51 win over Bryn Athyn, Holden sank 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting and Laverty added 10 points and five rebounds. Wildwood High graduate Will Long, a freshman, also saw his first action of the season for Widener in that contest, playing six minutes.
Widener, coached by Ocean City native Chris Carideo, improved to 4-0 on the season after the win over Kean. The team is next scheduled to play Wednesday at home against Catholic University. Later this season, Widener is scheduled to play an exhibition game against Division I Penn at the famed Palestra on Saturday, Dec. 21.
Holden is averaging 13.5 points through four games. Laverty is averaging 9.8. He has also collected a team-high 20 rebounds.