Brandywine Downs DuBois 65-52; Heads To Bryce Jordan Center For Title Matchup With Beaver

MEDIA, Pa. -- A 20-2 surge to start the second half was the difference as the top-seeded Penn State Brandywine women's basketball team knocked off No. 3 Penn State DuBois 65-52 in the semifinal round of the Penn State University Athletic Conference Tournament Friday night.

The victory sends Brandywine to the championship game for the eighth time in 14 years under Head Coach Larry Johnson. The Lions, winners of four titles during Johnson's tenure, will face West Division No. 1 Penn State Beaver Sunday at 4:00 pm for the championship inside the Bryce Jordan Center.

Dairayonna Stewart-Harold (New Castle, Del./William Penn) capped a game-opening 12-2 run, aided by seven points from Nikki Velez (Gloucester, N.J./Gloucester City), with a layup at the 4:47 mark. DuBois brought its deficit as small as four points before baskets by Velez and Stewart-Harold during the final two minutes sent Brandywine in front 18-13 after one quarter.

Ally Giannakarios (Brookhaven, Pa./Sun Valley) tacked on a bucket to begin the second period, making the count 20-13, but the Lions would be held without a basket for nearly six minutes, allowing DuBois knot the score at 22-22. Velez ended the drought with a three-pointer and Amanda Floyd (Glenolden, Pa./Interboro) followed with a triple two possessions later, helping Brandywine retake the lead, which it would hold heading into the break.

Holding a five-point margin, Brandywine ran away with the game early in the third quarter, outscoring the visitors 20-2 during the first 6:23 of the stanza. Giannakarios got the run started with a layup and after a Floyd triple, added another bucket. Following DuBois' first points of the half, Madison D'Ambrosio (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) canned a three-pointer and Velez followed with the final seven points, capping the surge with a layup that made the count 52-29.

The Lions held a 56-37 edge with 10 minutes to play and despite a late DuBois run, would cruise into the finals.

Velez paced all scorers with 23 points and pulled down six rebounds during the final home game of her career, while Giannakarios knocked down 7-of-11 shots, scoring a career-high tying 14 points.

D'Ambrosio, also playing for the final time in front of the Brandywine home crowd, contributed nine points, six rebounds and five assists, while Floyd filled the stat sheet with eight points, nine boards and six helpers. Stewart-Harold collected eight points and three steals.

Brandywine forced 23 DuBois turnovers, turning those miscues into 18 points, and committed just 11 turnovers.

The Lions, winners of 20 games for the fifth time in team history, will aim to capture the program's seventh conference championship Sunday evening. Brandywine and Beaver have combined to win 11 of the last 13 PSUAC crowns.