Brandywine Edges Mont Alto; Improves To 5-0 In PSUAC

MONT ALTO, Pa. -- Less than 24 hours after a conference road victory at Penn State DuBois, the Penn State Brandywine women's basketball team earned another Penn State University Athletic Conference victory on Saturday by a score of 67-55 at Penn State Mont Alto.

With the victory, Brandywine remained the only unbeaten team in the league with a 5-0 mark, while Mont Alto is winless in five PSUAC contests.

Despite shooting just 2-of-18 during the first 10 minutes, Brandywine trailed by just one at 10-9 after one quarter. The Lions dominated on the offensive boards, scoring all nine of their points on second chances, including seven tallies from Brandi James (Glenolden, Pa./Interboro).

Brandywine's first lead of the game came at the 9:23 mark of the second quarter when James sank a pair of free throws. Four minutes later, Nikki Velez (Gloucester, N.J./Gloucester City) caught fire, netting eight points during a 53-second span to help Brandywine swell the lead to 25-19.

Mont Alto scored the game's next four points, but two free throws from Crystal Miller (Pleasant Valley, N.Y./Arlington) and a three-pointer by Nicolette Napoleon (Springfield, Pa./Penn Charter) sent the Lions' lead to seven points. Mont Alto narrowed the gap to two points at halftime after scoring the final five points of the stanza.

The hosts took a one-point lead two minutes into the third quarter, but two triples from Chrissy Gledhill (Secane, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara), a three-pointer by Alyssa Abbonizio (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) and jumper by Velez were part of an 11-4 spurt that put Brandywine back in front by six. The Lions took a three-point edge into the final quarter.

Brandywine began to pull away by scoring the first seven points of the final period as Gledhill's third triple of the game made the score 54-44 with 7:57 to play. Mont Alto answered with the next six points, but James ended a three-minute scoring drought for the Lions with a layup that pushed the margin to 56-50.

James' layup marked the first two of 10-straight Brandywine points as the Lions ran away for good during the final five minutes. A triple by Velez with 2:39 remaining opened up the largest lead of the game at 64-50.

James produced a 20-point, 11-rebound double-double, her fifth of the season, while Velez poured in 15 points and added five rebounds and Gledhill notched 14 points and six boards. Napoleon topped the team by hauling in 12 rebounds, while Madison D'Ambrosio (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) grabbed 11 boards.

Brandywine was held to 33 percent shooting, but pulled down 25 offensive boards and held a 56-49 rebounding edge overall. The Lions produced 20 second-chance points.

Brandywine (9-5, 5-0 PSUAC) will play its final game of a six-game road trip with its third contest in four days on Monday at Penn State Wilkes Barre (6:00 pm).