WASHINGTON– The Gallaudet University women's basketball team dropped a heartbreaker Tuesday night, 51-50 to Penn State Brandywine in a United East Conference matchup despite three late opportunities to take the lead in the closing seconds.

Gallaudet (6-15, 4-8 United East) trailed by one point with 11 seconds remaining when first-year forward/center Kayla Debrow (Jacksonville, Fla.) missed a go-ahead layup. The Bison were then forced to foul Penn State Brandywine's Trinell Watson, who made one of two free throws to extend the lead to two.

With five seconds left, first-year forward/center Natalie Greene (Fresno, Texas) missed a jump shot, but Debrow secured another opportunity for Gallaudet and was fouled with 0.01 seconds remaining. Debrow had a chance to give the Bison the lead but made only one free throw, as Gallaudet fell in the one-point heartbreaker.

Even with the heartbreaking loss, Gallaudet received good news as the Bison clinched a spot in the 2026 United East Conference Tournament which begins Feb. 18.

The buff and blue battled throughout the tightly contested game, which featured eight lead changes and stayed within one possession most of the night. 

Gallaudet held an 11-8 lead after the first quarter despite cold shooting with just 27.8 percent from the court.

Penn State Brandywine (6-18, 5-7 United East) answered in the second quarter, shooting 57 percent from the field and knocking down three 3-pointers to take a 27-25 lead into halftime.

The Bison kept pace and tied the game twice, but the Lions finished the third quarter on a 6-1 run in the final 1:16 to take a 44-39 advantage into the fourth.

Gallaudet outscored Penn St.-Brandywine 11-7 in the fourth quarter but time ran out and three opportunities came close.

Greene finished the night with a game-high 14 points and grabbed 16 rebounds for the fifth time with double-doubles this season. Debrow added 13 points and 12 rebounds off the bench to recorded sixth double-double of the season. Debrow's defensive game was strong with three blocks and career-high four steals. Sophomore forward Sophia Wascher (Noblesville, Ind.) finished just one point and one rebound shy of joining Greene and Debrow with a double-double, recorded nine points and nine rebounds. Wascher also added five assists and two steals.

The Lions was paced by Trinell Watson's 12 points and eight rebounds in the loss.

BISON TRACKS

• Sophomore forward Mackenzie Schirg (Factoryville, Pa.) added six points and grabbed eight rebounds 
• Gallaudet are outrebounding Penn State Brandywine 52-35
• GU scored 34 points in the paint
• GU and Penn St.-Brandywine played each other for first time in history

BLACK HISTORY MONTH
The Gallaudet University Athletics Department and the basketball programs in conjunction with The Center for Black Deaf Studies celebrated Black History Month in the Field House on Tuesday evening and paid tribute to GU's first black men's basketball head coach Hubert Anderson Jr. (1976-80). Information and videos were shown on the video board during the pregame, timeouts and halftime of both contests. Anderson Jr. compiled a 22-69 record while guiding the Bison for four seasons. Coach Anderson had back-to-back seven-win seasons in 1976-77 and 1977-78.

UP NEXT
Gallaudet will wrap up the regular season this Saturday, Feb. 14, at 3 p.m. in the Field House against Penn College (18-6, 10-2 United East) on Senior Day.