SWARTHMORE, Pa. - The Swarthmore College women's basketball team picked up its first victory of the season with a 78-35 win over Penn State Brandywine in its home opener on Tuesday night. 

The Garnet overpowered the Nittany Lions, posting four players with double-digit points. Vianna Kanyamiheto-Watson paced the squad with 20 points, four rebounds, four assists and five steals. Lily Czub followed with 16 points, while Carly Murphy and Catherine Chadwell each tallied 14 points while grabbing nine and eight rebounds, respectively. 

Swarthmore's defense overwhelmed Brandywine, holding its opponent to single-digit points in both the second and third quarters. The Garnet forced the Nittany Lions into 32 turnovers compared to 14 from the home squad. Swarthmore took advantage of Brandywine's mistakes, scoring 31 points off turnovers. 

HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Garnet opened the game with six-unanswered points. Kanyamiheto-Watson capped off the run with a couple of buckets, before draining a three-pointer after the Nittany Lions answered with their first basket, 9-2. Watson capped off the opening stanza with an impressive nine points. Czub added another triple as Swarthmore closed the quarter on a 9-6 run, making it 20-11. 

- Early in the second quarter, Swarthmore expanded its lead with an 11-1 stretch. Watson fueled the rally with five points, including another three-pointer. The Garnet defense shined in the second stanza, holding its opponent to just five points while forcing eight turnovers. Swarthmore headed to the locker room with a 34-16 lead. 

- After a Brandywine bucket to open the third quarter, the visitors were held silent for the majority of the stanza. The Garnet made quick work of the Nittany Lions with a 19-0 stretch to build a 35-point advantage. Chadwell opened the rally with a three-pointer, while Czub knocked down a couple treys, which included a three-ball to close the run. Chadwell also dazzled the crowd with an acrobatic three-point play after euro-stepping a defender, absorbing contact and then knocking down her ensuing free throw. Claire Mathews capped off a dominant quarter with a three-pointer to give the Garnet a 62-24 edge. 

- Swarthmore continued to build on its lead with a 13-2 run in the fourth quarter. Emy Chen and Mathews nailed consecutive threes to close the stretch, while Chen padded her stats with one more triple before the final buzzer. The Garnet outscored their opponent 16-11 in the final stanza. 


GARNET LEADERS
Points: Kanyamiheto-Watson 20
Rebounds: Murphy 9, Chadwell 8
Assists: Kanamiheto-Watson, Mathews 4
Steals: Kanyamiheto-Watson 5

UP NEXT
The Garnet (1-2) return to action at Gwynedd Mercy, next Tuesday.