Strong Defensive Effort Lifts Brandywine To PSUAC Triumph

MEDIA, Pa. -- Penn State Brandywine forced 28 turnovers and held Penn State Beaver to 32 percent shooting en route to a 61-48 PSUAC men's basketball victory on Saturday evening.

Brandywine, which limited an opponent to fewer than 50 points for the first time in nearly three years, netted 19 points off Beaver miscues and received 23 points from its reserves. Beaver connected on just 16-of-50 shots from the field, including a 3-of-18 mark from beyond the arc.

The Lions jumped out to a 7-0 lead as Amir Johnson (Philadelphia, Pa./Community Academy) buried a three and sank two free throws and Cyrie Spencer (Sharon Hill, Pa./Academy Park) drained a layup before Beaver scored its first points over four minutes into the game.

Marcus Smith canned three-straight jumpers to help Beaver get within two, but Brandywine answered with an 11-0 run, capped off by a Spencer layup, to push the lead to 11.

Brandywine netted the final six points of the first half, including a buzzer-beater three from Christian Hauser-Dinkins (Philadelphia, Pa./Simon Gratz), and held Beaver off the scoreboard during the final 3:03 of the stanza, to capture a 16-point edge after 20 minutes.

The Lions' lead remained in double figures throughout the second half. After Beaver began to chip away, Anthony Costa (Aston, Pa./Sun Valley) put an end to Beaver's momentum with a three-pointer and later added a free throw as Brandywine led 54-38.

Beaver narrowed the gap as low as 12 before free throws from Spencer, Hauser-Dinkins and Kenneth Murphy (Philadelphia, Pa./George Washington Carver) and a break away layin by Marcus Turner (Claymont, Del./Chichester) iced the game for Brandywine.

Spencer led the team with 15 points and tied Johnson for the team lead with eight boards. Murphy collected nine points, while Johnson added eight and Hauser-Dinkins produced seven. Murphy also tallied six rebounds and four steals, while Naifes Smalls (Philadelphia, Pa./PE&T Charter) registered six points, five assists and four boards.

Brandywine (2-5, 1-1 PSUAC) looks for a 3-0 start at home on Sunday afternoon when it plays host to Penn State Schuylkill at 3:00 pm.