Middletown, CT - The University of Valley Forge women's basketball team continued tournament play at Wesleyan University versus the Owls of the University of Maine, Presque Isle. Valley Forge came away victorious with a decisive 86-63 win over their Owl opponents.
 
The Patriots came into their contest against the Owls looking to break a four-game losing streak. Not only did they break it, but they snapped it in half and threw it away, as a motivated Patriots squad came out fast and never let up on the gas. After a fast break from senior Bailey Mayforth to get the offense going, Valley Forge leveraged a heavy dose of Jhanel Brown, with the sunior connecting on three straight lay-ups in what would prove to be a theme throughout the game. Natalie Cortez capitalized on an Owl turnover, capping off the 10-2 run with a lay-up of her own. After two Owl free-throws, Valley Forge continued to gain momentum, with an 11-2 run that saw four different Patriots score.
 
Entering the second quarter with a big 23-8 lead, freshman Amaya Brown stole the show, scoring half of the team's points in a span of four cumulative minutes. Despite a strong second quarter push, the Patriots were able to hold steady with the Owls, matching their 16 total points with 16 of their own, entering half-time with a comfortable 39-24 lead.
 
It was the third quarter where Jhanel Brown would shine, helping the Patriots pull away from a feisty Presque Isle squad. With the Owls coming within 10 points of the Patriots, two good free-throws by Mayforth would spark a 17-3 Patriots run, leaving Maine in the dust. Featured in the impressive Patriots push, Jhanel Brown scored 10 points, utilizing her superior size advantage to bully her defenders. Taniyah Faison and Alea Flowers would both add points to the total tally, converting on three free-throw attempts. With another nine Mayforth points coming in the fourth quarter, Valley Forge put the Owls on ice, claiming their 86-63 victory, improving to 2-4 on the season.
 
A Look At The Numbers
Jhanel Brown led the Patriots in scoring, registering 23 points while also bringing down eight rebounds. Valley Forge had three additional players reach double-digit scoring totals, with Bailey Mayforth scoring 20, and Amaya Brown and Natalie Cortez notching 12 each. Also of note were Lindsay LeSueur's seven rebounds and Alea Flower's five steals on the game. Valley Forge shot 50.7% from the field, while holing Presque Isle to just 36%.
 
A big congratulations goes out to Jhanel Brown, who was named to the Wesleyan All-Tournament Team. Over two games, the junior from Westmoreland, VA shot 70%, scoring 44 points while bringing in 29 rebounds. Brown has been a key contributor this season and figures to continue carving out a big role on offense for the Patriots.
 
Up Next
The University of Valley Forge women's basketball team continues its December play with a match-up against Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday the 5^th.