Brandywine Knocks Off Hazleton; Advances In PSUAC Tournament

MEDIA, Pa. -- No. 5 Penn State Brandywine bested No. 4 Penn State Hazleton by a score of 72-62 during the opening round of the Penn State University Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Tournament on Saturday afternoon to advance to the quarterfinals.

Brandywine trailed by double figures during the first quarter, but rallied during the second quarter, outscoring Hazleton 27-11. Amanda Floyd (Glenolden, Pa./Interboro) put Brandywine on top for the first time since the game's opening minute when she knocked down a three-pointer at the 7:10 mark of the second period. Floyd's triple came in the midst of a 16-0 run that surged Brandywine in front 29-18.

Amelia Brooks (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) upped her first-half point total to 11 with a layup with 47 seconds left and Jenaya Smith (Cohoes, N.Y./Cohoes) added a triple as the Lions opened up a 40-27 halftime edge.

Floyd netted Brandywine's first seven points of the second half to help the Lions maintain their double-figure lead. Hazleton trimmed the deficit as low as nine points, but baskets by Smith and Erin Michael (Brookhaven, Pa./Sun Valley) and a Floyd free throw during the period's final two minutes ballooned the Lions' margin to 14 points through 30 minutes.

Hope Coacher's (Ardmore, Pa./Haverford) layup at the 4:30 mark of the final stanza made the score 63-50; however, Hazleton made one final charge. The hosts produced back-to-back baskets to complete a 12-5 spurt that brought Hazleton within five with 1:13 to play, but Floyd, Cheyenne Rivas (Thorndale, Pa./Collegium Charter) and Anaiyah Allen (Lutz, Fla./Steinbrenner) combined to make five free throws during the final 26 seconds to ice the game for the Lions.

Floyd produced 20 points, six assists and matched Allen for the team lead in rebounding with nine boards. Allen added 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, while Brooks set a career high with 13 points and pulled in eight rebounds.

Coacher tallied eight points, while Kaitlyn Johnson (Clifton Heights, Pa./Upper Darby) grabbed five steals for the Lions, who shot 41 percent from the field and recorded assists on 20-of-26 made baskets.

Hazleton received 28 points and 15 rebounds from Azaria Johnson, while Justine Bernazeau dished out 13 assists.

Brandywine (13-17) will likely faced top-seeded Penn State Schuylkill at 6:00 pm Monday night in the quarterfinal round pending the outcome of Saturday's additional first-round games.