WAYNESBURG, Pa. - The Penn State Altoona women's basketball team traveled to compete in a non-conference matchup against the Waynesburg Yellow Jackets Saturday afternoon in the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse, where the Lions were outscored in three of the quarters to lose 74-61. 

Penn State Altoona (6-4, 1-1 AMCC) trailed by four points, 30-34, at halftime, after having a 7-0 run in the final two-and-a-half minutes of the second quarter. Unfortunately for the Lions, that would be as close as they got as Waynesburg (4-6, 1-1 PAC) outscored the Lions 40-31 throughout the second half.  

Avana Sayles (Venetia, PA/Peters Township) and Jaidyn McCracken (Bellwood, PA/Bellwood-Antis) both got double-doubles in the loss. The double-double would be Sayles' sixth of the season and McCracken's second.  

Sayles led the team in points, scoring 17 points while contributing 10 rebounds, one assist, and two blocks. McCracken and Lanie Wilt (Altoona, PA/Altoona) both scored 11 points each, with McCracken adding 10 rebounds and one assist, while Wilt added six rebounds, one assist, and four steals.  

Waynesburg's top scorer was Mia Henkins with 17 points, while Yellow Jackets' Clara Paige Miller and Kalista Friday chipping in with 14 points each.  

Scoring would start off slow, with Penn State Altoona scoring off a Sayles jump shot and Waynesburg scoring off a Julz Mohrbacher free throw for a 2-1 game one-and-a-half minutes in. Things would pick up midway through the first quarter as both teams exchanged baskets, making the score 10-6 in favor of the Yellow Jackets. The final minute of the quarter would see a flurry of points scored as Tori Wesolowski scored two free throws and a layup for Waynesburg and Madison Rusnica (DuBois, PA/DuBois) scored a jump shot for Penn State Altoona as the Lions trailed by six points at the end of the first quarter.  

Waynesburg started the second quarter trying to gain momentum, scoring off a layup and a tip-in to extend their lead to 10 points. Penn State Altoona fired back, as McCracken scored a three-pointer, layup, and free throw to cut the Yellow Jackets' lead to four.  

In the final 4:55 of the quarter, Penn State Altoona outscored Waynesburg 9-4 to get within four points of the Yellow Jackets.  

The second half began with Waynesburg looking to grow their lead. The Yellow Jackets went on a 10-2 run starting at 9:42 to grow their lead to 12 points. Then, at 3:39, Waynesburg went on a 7-2 run to take a 20-point lead. The Lions rallied in the final minute and a half, as Wilt scored two layups and a free throw, while Ellie Irvin (Calvin, PA/Southern Huntingdon) added a three-pointer to make it 59-44. 

The Yellow Jackets started the scoring in the fourth quarter, as Wesolowski scored two free throws to make it 61-44. Wilt responded by scoring a jump shot to make it a 15-point deficit.  

The next flurry of points would occur at 4:48 as Wilt scored a layup; Waynesburg's Friday made a jump shot, and Sayles made a jump shot of her own to lower the deficit to 10 points.  

The Lions scored three baskets in the final 1:14 through Sayles and Allyana Stephens (Johnstown, PA/Bishop McCort), but it would not be enough as the Lions lost 74-61.  

Next up, Penn State Altoona will play in their final game of 2025 on Tuesday, December 30 as they travel to take on Lock Haven University. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m.