UPPER CHICHESTER, Pa. (Interstat) — Marywood will visit Widener for a women’s NCAA Division III basketball game Friday at Schwartz Athletic Center in Upper Chichester, Pa. The Pacers are the visiting team, and the Pride will play at home. Both programs enter at 0-0, giving the matchup a fresh-start feel before either side settles into its schedule. The game is an early opportunity for each program to establish rotations and set a tone for the season.

Marywood’s most recent result was a 74-49 loss to Immaculata, when the Pacers were the visiting team. Marywood will look to build a more consistent offensive rhythm and tighten its defense as it begins a new campaign. The Pacers’ early schedule includes road tests at Keystone and Cedar Crest before a home game against Bryn Mawr. Marywood also is set to face Penn State-Harrisburg and Pennsylvania College during its opening stretch, a run that will test its depth and ability to adjust away from home. The Pacers will need to handle pressure and limit turnovers to stay close in a road setting.

Widener’s most recent outing ended with Messiah edging the Pride 76-72. The Pride will open their schedule with home games against Immaculata and Ursinus around a road trip to Montclair State. Widener also is scheduled to visit Rowan and Eastern in the coming weeks. The Pride will rely on a balanced approach and home-court comfort as they begin the season at Schwartz Athletic Center. Widener’s early slate includes several tests that should reveal its depth and defensive identity.

The matchup pairs two teams seeking early momentum. Marywood’s trip to Delaware County gives the Pacers an opportunity to establish tempo and defensive pressure on the road. Widener’s home setting offers the Pride a chance to control the paint and manage possessions in front of its own crowd. Both teams are 0-0, so the contest will serve as an early measuring point rather than a settled indicator. The meeting gives both sides a chance to set an early tone before their schedules deepen.

Marywood’s schedule continues with a busy stretch that includes games against Bryn Mawr, William Paterson, DeSales, Stevens Tech, Delaware Valley and Houghton. Widener’s upcoming slate features Ursinus, Rowan, Eastern, Stevenson, Hood, Elizabethtown, Christopher Newport and Messiah. Those games will give both programs a broader view of their rotations and conference readiness, but the focus Friday remains on the opening tip and the first test of the season.

Interstat’s game simulator is projecting a final score of Widener 62, Marywood 52.