Lions Top Hazleton To Close Out Season; Set Program Wins Record

UNIONTOWN, Pa. – Twelve days after raining in 15 three-pointers against Penn State Hazleton in the PSUAC Championship game, Penn State Brandywine knocked down 14 triples in a 76-69 consolation game victory over Hazleton at the USCAA Women's Basketball Tournament on Friday afternoon. With the victory, Brandywine established a new single-season program record with its 22^nd triumph of the year.

The previous school record of 21 victories came during the 2010-11 season, the last time prior to 2016-17 that Brandywine had won the conference crown.

Senior Chelsea Dent (Yeadon, Pa./Penn Wood) played her final game in a Lions' uniform, scoring 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting, along with five assists, while Nikki Velez (Gloucester, N.J./Gloucester City) capped a standout freshman season with five three-pointers, scoring a team-high 17 points.

Chrissy Gledhill (Secane, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) and Alyssa Abbonizio (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) each connected on a trio of three-pointers and scored 13 points overall. Abbonizio added eight rebounds, while Gledhill handed out five assists. Madison D'Ambrosio (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) chipped in eight points and 11 boards.

Brandywine faced a 36-35 deficit at the half, but three Gledhill triples during the first 2:53 of the third quarter helped put the Lions in front by five. The Lions' edge reached 10 points near the end of the stanza following back-to-back trifectas from D'Ambrosio and Dent.

Kendra Stanford (Philadelphia, Pa./William Bodine) capped a run of eight-straight Brandywine points as the Lions' lead swelled to its largest mark, a 71-53 advantage with 4:44 left to play. Hazleton would not get closer than 10 points until the final seconds of the contest.

Thirty-eight of Brandywine's 72 shots from the field came from beyond the arc. The Lions shot 36 percent from three-point territory and 37 percent overall. Hazleton connected on 36 percent of its shots and held a slight, 49-46 edge on the boards.

McKenzie Prutsman topped Hazleton with 22 points.

Brandywine finished the 2016-17 season with a record of 21-8 and advanced to the USCAA Tournament for the fourth time in its history, while winning the PSUAC title for the third time during Head Coach Larry Johnson's 11-year tenure.