Widener Hands Brandywine First Setback

CHESTER, Pa. -- Widener received 29 points from Brianna Wylie and the Pride pulled away late, dealing the Penn State Brandywine women's basketball team its first loss of the season by a 77-58 score on Saturday afternoon.

Wylie was the only player to score in double figures for the Pride, who improved to 3-1, while Brandywine saw its record drop to 2-1.

Lauren Munro (Glenolden, Pa./Interboro) filled the stat sheet for the Lions, netting a team-best 17 points, while also pacing Brandywine with nine rebounds and seven assists. Munro made 8-of-10 shots from the field in 31 minutes of action.

Olivia Encarnacion (Glenolden, Pa./Interboro) and Melanie Kempf (Oxford, Pa./Oxford) both added 10 points. Encarnacion also tallied four boards and a pair of assists.

Munro's three-pointer at the 5:59 mark of the first quarter brought Brandywine within one at 8-7, but that would be the Lions' last field goal over the next 4:30 as Widener opened up an 11-point lead.

The Pride, who led by seven after one period, pushed the lead back to double figures following Wylie's three-point play early during the second quarter. Brandywine clawed back, pulling within six as Jilly Gledhill (Secane, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) buried a triple with 93 seconds left in the half. After Widener sank three free throws, Nicolette Napoleon (Springfield, Pa./Penn Charter) beat the buzzer with a layup to make the score 38-31 at halftime.

Alyssa Abbonizio (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) connected on a jumper at the midway point of the third quarter as Brandywine again climbed within six; however, Widener answered with 12 of the game's next 14 points to balloon its lead to 16.

Munro sank a layup with just over eight minutes to play, making the score 58-46, but Wylie made sure Brandywine did not get any closer, scoring 11 points in a four-minute span to help ice the game for the Pride.

The Lions 42 percent from the floor and held Widener to 34 percent shooting, but the Pride made 43 trips to the free throw line, sinking 31. Brandywine connected on just 9-of-16 free throws.

Brandywine hosts Trinity (DC) in its home opener Tuesday night at 7:00 pm.