Brandywine Claims Key PSUAC Victory In Overtime

LEMONT FURNACE, Pa. -- The Penn State Brandywine men's basketball team won a pivotal Penn State University Athletic Conference battle in overtime on Friday at Penn State Fayette, winning by a score of 74-70. The victory pushed Brandywine, which played its third overtime game in the last 11 days, back into a tie for first place in the conference.

Brandywine got out to a slow start, missing 12 of its first 13 shots from the field as the Lions fell behind 11-2 through nine minutes; however Terrence Brown's (Philadelphia, Pa./Communications Tech) layup sparked the offense, beginning an 11-2 spurt spanning 2:53 that put the Lions in front. Brandywine took its first lead of the game at 13-12 when Andrew Persaud (King of Prussia, Pa./Upper Merion) grabbed an offensive rebound and sank a lay in.

Quentin Beasley (Philadelphia, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) followed by burying a pair of three-pointers, but Brandywine was limited to one made field goal over the final five minutes, a Brown bucket with 3:37 to go before halftime, and the teams entered intermission all square at 23-23.

The Lions pushed in front by as many seven points on three occasions during the first eight minutes of the second half, but Fayette closed within three after Marvin Sidon sank two free throws at the 10:49 mark.

Brown countered with the game's next six points, handing Brandywine its largest lead of the game at 50-41 less than two minutes later. Fayette quickly erased the deficit, using an 11-0 surge over the next 1:59 to go in front by one.

The lead swapped hands over the ensuing six minutes before Atrayo Matthews gave Fayette a 61-58 edge with 1:35 to play after sinking two free throws. Dwayne Coleman (Philadelphia, Pa./Delaware Valley Charter) snagged an offensive rebound and set down a bucket to bring the Lions within one with 35 seconds remaining and after a Fayette turnover, Brown was fouled with two seconds remaining, making one-of-two free throws to send the game to overtime.

Donte Winfield's (Philadelphia, Pa./Simon Gratz) three-pointer with 3:06 remaining in overtime gave Brandywine the lead for good. Coleman followed with a basket to make the Lions' lead four points.

London Hoxie buried a triple to pull Fayette within one, but Winfield connected on two free throws and Isiah Cook (Reading, Pa./Reading) collected a steal and fast-break layup to make the margin five. Fayette knocked down another triple with under 10 seconds left to make the score 72-70, but Winfield iced the game by sinking two more shots from the charity stripe.

Brown led all players with a 22-point, 13-rebound double-double. Winfield added 13 points and five rebounds, while Ameer Staggs (Ridley, Pa./Ridley) collected 10 points and eight boards. Cook totaled 10 points and Coleman chipped in six points along with nine rebounds.

With the victory, coupled with losses by Penn State York and Penn State Greater Allegheny on Friday, Brandywine vaulted back into a tie for first place in the PSUAC with Penn State Wilkes Barre. Both teams own an 8-2 league mark, but Brandywine has the tiebreaker via a 109-100, double overtime triumph at Wilkes Barre on Jan. 15.

Brandywine (13-6, 8-2 PSUAC) has six regular-season games remaining, beginning with Saturday's matchup at Penn State New Kensington (1:00 pm).