Freshmen Lead Brandywine Past Scranton

SCRANTON, Pa. -- Penn State Brandywine freshmen combined to score 45 of the team's 70 points as the Lions' women's basketball team collected a 70-59 victory at Penn State Scranton on Friday night.

Nikki Velez (Gloucester, N.J./Gloucester City) made all six of her free throw attempts and 6-of-13 field goals for 21 points to lead the Lions, while Kendra Stanford (Philadelphia, Pa./William Bodine) tallied 11 points and matched a team best with five rebounds. Ali Wilson (Philadelphia, Pa./St. Hubert's) chipped in a season-best nine points.

Velez and Brandi James (Glenolden, Pa./Interboro) combined for nine of Brandywine 13 first quarter points and the Lions owned a one-point edge after 10 minutes.

Scranton took a two-point lead midway through the second period behind a 10-2 run, but Brandywine answered with the final eight points of the half as Stanford drained a pair of jumpers and Velez and James each sank two free throws during the final minutes to give the Lions a 34-28 edge at the break.

Scranton got its deficit as close as three points with 6:58 left in the third quarter, but Brandywine answered with eight of the game's next 10 points, including a Velez triple that pushed the lead to nine.

Brandywine used a 9-0, fourth-quarter surge to put the game away, leading by as many as 17 points following a Wilson three-pointer with 5:11 to play.

James added 12 points and five rebounds for Brandywine, which turned the ball over a season-low six times. The Lions held Scranton to 36 percent shooting, including a 3-22 mark from three-point range, and forced 16 turnovers.

Brandywine (4-4, 2-1 PSUAC) returns to its home court on Thursday, Dec. 29 for the first game of its holiday tournament against SUNY-Canton at 4:00 pm.