Brandywine Slips Past GA With Kelly’s Late Three

MCKEESPORT, Pa. – Jaden Kelly (Philadelphia, Pa./GAMP) delivered a long, go-ahead three-pointer with 75 seconds to play and the Penn State Brandywine men's basketball team held on to defeat Penn State Greater Allegheny by a score of 87-86 on Saturday afternoon.

Kelly's triple, his third of the game, broke an 84-84 stalemate and delivered the final points of the day for the Lions, who shot better than 50 percent (32-63) from the field.

Greater Allegheny sank two free throws with 58 seconds left to get within one and had possession of the ball in the final seconds with an opportunity for the win, but Christopher Killings launched an air ball that was pulled in by Johnta Dunson (Philadelphia, Pa./Freire Charter) and Brandywine ran out the clock.

The hosts owned a seven-point lead with 7:39 to go in the first half, but Brandywine needed less than three minutes to erase the deficit, tying the score following back-to-back layups from Colin Hockenbrock (Wilmington, Del./St. Elizabeth) and Bryce Barrouk (Glen Mills, Pa./Rustin). GA answered with the next eight points before Brandywine narrowed the margin to 46-41 at the half.

Greater Allegheny owned a 54-48 lead early in the second period, but a 10-0 Brandywine run, capped by a lay-in from Jordan Graves (Media, Pa./Strath Haven), put the Lions on top. Brandywine's lead was short-lived as the hosts erupted for 11-straight points and eventually led by as many as seven points midway through the half.

Triples from Olayinka Itabiyi (Brookhaven, Pa./Chester), Kelly and Graves on consecutive possessions quickly erased the Lions' deficit and the teams went back-and-forth until Kelly's late long-range shot put the visitors on top for good.

Kelly finished 4-of-6 from the field and netted 12 points, while Itabiyi canned all three of hit triple tries for nine points. Barrouk paced the Lions in scoring with 22 points and just missed a double-double after hauling in nine rebounds. Hockenbrock produced a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double and Dunson contributed 13 points, along with six assists.

Brandywine (4-5, 3-2 PSUAC) will look for a third-straight win Friday night when the Lions host Penn State Fayette at 8:00 PM.