MEDIA, Pa. – After a slow start the Rosemont women's basketball team (5-9) came on strong and held to their lead for the entire second half as they defeated the host Penn State Brandywine Nittany Lions (9-5) this afternoon by a final score of 80-70 in a non-conference game.
PSU-Brandywine scored the first seven points of the game as the Ravens were missing from the field and turning the ball over early. A timeout called from Head Coach Rayne Reber seemed to settle the team, as after that timeout they put a 10-2 run together over the next five minutes to put the Ravens in front for the first time, 10-9 when Coyne completed a three-point play.
Rosemont kept the pressure on, putting together another surge, doubling up the hosts 18-9 to make the score 28-18 in Rosemont's favor with 7 ½ to go in the first. The Ravens would open up their largest lead of the game, ahead 43-26 after a Nadirah Anderson free throw with 39 seconds left before the break in which the Ravens would take a 15-point lead, 43-28.
A block from Leilani Naone-Carter would start off the 2nd half well for the Ravens as Liz Coyne would convert a layup off of the missed shot to put Rosemont in front by 17 points. Naone-Carter would score off of a PSU-Brandywine turnover on the next possession to give the Ravens a 19-point lead, 47-28, but there was a huge amount of time left on the clock (19:20).
The Nittany Lions' Stacey Macarthur tried to light a fire under her team with a trey, but Dominique Sellers answered immediately with a three-ball to keep the Ravens in front 50-31. The Ravens continued to control the game, but the home side started to nibble away at Rosemont's lead. Brandywine moved within 10 points at 68-58 with 7 ½ left, and they were able to get the deficit down to within nine points, but on this day the Ravens had the answers to hold off the Nittany Lions down the stretch.
Although the Ravens committed only one fewer turnover than the Nittany Lions, Rosemont scored 27 points off of the opportunities while PSU-Brandywine was able to cash in with only 14 points. The Ravens' 65-43 advantage in rebounds also helped as they scored a whopping 36 points in the paint, twice as many points as the home side scored in close.
The 80 points were the most the Ravens had scored in a game since their 87-52 win over Notre Dame (MD) on 11/25/2014 and the win is their 2nd straight.
Liz Coyne had another outstanding effort, notching her 8th double-double of the season with 28 points and a whopping 17 rebounds. Leilani Naone-Carter had arguably her best game of the season. She also had a double-double (10 points, 13 rebounds). Dominique Sellers scored 18 with nine rebounds and seven steals in another solid effort by the senior. Jasmyn Parker scored 13 points off of the bench for the Ravens.
The Nittany Lions placed four players in double-figures: Stacey MacArthur (18), Olivia Encarnacion (17), Lauren Munro (10) and Cashae Hinton (10).
The Ravens return to conference play on Monday when they host the Baptist Bible Defenders in the first game of a doubleheader. The game is scheduled for a 6:00pm tip.
