Penn State Brandywine senior guard Shari Harper asked the scorer's table how many points she needed before heading back into the game against The Apprentice School on December 10. "One more," she heard. 

Moments later, with about eight and a half minutes to go in the second half, Harper had the ball. A quick first step got her past the first defender, while a nifty spin move jettisoned another. Harper finished the drive with a tough layup to make her only the fourth woman in Penn State Brandywine history to reach 1,000 points in a career.

"I kind of didn't know until the buzzer went off," she said. "I knew I was close." After the score, play was stopped to recognize her accomplishment. She was given the game ball, which she marched over to give to her mother, Jaqueline Harper-McIver.

"I was so proud," Harper-McIver said after the game. "This is her passion, and I'm here to support her. This is a milestone."

It was a milestone that looked like it would have to wait for another day. Coming into the game, Harper only needed 10 points to eclipse the mark. However, she struggled to find her groove in the first half, scoring only one point. Strong early play by sophomore Emily Lawry Thompson and junior Bobbi Caprice put the Lady Lions in the lead by three midway through the first half. Freshman Amanda Congialdi provided the team with some key defensive plays, but the team struggled to capitalize on forced turnovers.

Apprentice took the lead for good during a stretch of three separate runs of six or more points. Turnovers and foul trouble spelled disaster for the Lady Lions, who trailed 39-25 going into halftime. Brandywine head coach Larry Johnson tried to rally his team after a sluggish start.

"At halftime, we told them that they had to come out with a lot more energy. I think [Harper] is the one who brought the energy," the coach said. "She's definitely the hardest working player on the team."

Harper finally settled in, and lit up the scoreboard in the second half to the tune of 17 points. After Apprentice opened up a 20 point lead, a combination of Harper and Caprice cut the deficit to within 10 points with six minutes to go in the game. Apprentice responded with a big run, and put away the game during the remaining minutes. 

Harper finished the game with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Caprice was the only other Brandywine player to finish in double digits with 14 points. Even with an L on the Lady Lions' scoreboard, for Harper and her supportive team, this game will always be remembered as a win.

By Melissa Algeo, Sports Information Coordinator 

Joanna McGowan's son, Christopher, was diagnosed with autism when he was just two years old. Since that day more than two years ago, Joanna, campus registrar at Penn State Brandywine, her husband, Dave, and their two sons have embarked on a difficult journey of healing, acceptance and never-ending love.

On December 4, Joanna published the children's book, You Are My Star, inspired by Christopher and illustrated by children on the autism spectrum. All proceeds from the book benefit Talk About Curing Autism (TACA), a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping families affected by autism.

"The book is for all children, but it's specifically geared toward children with special needs," Joanna said. "They work really hard. I think a lot of times the fact that they're kids, too, gets lost in all the work they're doing. The book is meant to be inspirational, to show love and acceptance while at the same time believing in hope and possibility for the future."

The McGowans are grateful for the support of TACA, and have benefitted from monthly meetings and the opportunity to connect with other parents and experts. They have also received financial support, including a grant to attend a conference and a scholarship for hyperbaric oxygen therapy for Christopher. Like most families affected by autism, the McGowans have excessive expenses that are often not covered by insurance, leaving little left over for charitable contributions; so the book provided a way for them to give back. "TACA is a really great organization," she said. "I wanted to do something to contribute that would be meaningful."

{Joanna and Christopher inside the hyperbaric oxygen chamber}

Joanna emphasized that the thing she loves most about TACA is that the organization is all about directly helping families. This is done through education, reference material, scholarships and, of course, a support system. It's this network of moms and dads that helped her find the illustrators for her book: their own children with autism, ranging in age from 5 to 11. Joanna's son, Christopher, provided the drawing for the page that reads, "You are the star/Shining brightest for me/I love who you are/And whoever you'll be."

"Please don't give up/On all you can achieve/Anything is possible/As long as we believe," another page reads.

Christopher has made a lot of progress, Joanna said, but "he still has a long way to go. He works really hard." He participates in almost 40 hours per week of behavioral therapy, spends a half-day in an autistic support classroom, attends a social skills group and gymnastics classes and sees a variety of medical specialists regularly.

Joanna's message to other families who have children with special needs is, "Don't give up hope. Don't underestimate potential. Keep working hard. Keep loving your child."