Waynesburg Athletic Department By Jesse Cain
The Waynesburg women’s basketball team fell on the road to Penn State Behrend 80-52 Saturday, Nov. 20 in Erie, PA. This marked the second game on their overnight road trip weekend.
Waynesburg started the game slow on both offense and defense as Penn State Behrend outscored Waynesburg 32-9 in the first quarter.
“We came out lackluster,” head coach Sam Jones said. “We tried different things to keep us focused but it was just a bad first period for us.”
Seniors Brook Fuller and Kacey Kastroll attempted to rally a comeback in the second quarter. This time Waynesburg outscored their opponent 15-8 in the quarter.
“Defensively we did a much better job in the second quarter,” Jones said. “Madi played with a lot of energy.”
Freshman Madisen Dayton came off the bench for Waynesburg, scoring the second most points for the Jackets in her 25 minutes of play. Shooting 2-2 from behind the three-point line, Dayton put up 10 points with two rebounds and led the team with three steals.
“Threes are not my forte but Coach Jones is open to letting players push their limits and that was one of mine,” Dayton said. “It was also nearing the end and we were behind so three-pointers were worth the shot.”
Dayton brought energy and good defensive play that impressed Jones. She is a dual-sport athlete at Waynesburg finishing her volleyball season eight days before beginning basketball.
“I’m still adjusting big time after being a little behind,” Dayton said. “Some moments just click for me but I’m definitely still getting into the swing of things.”
The high scorer for Waynesburg, Sophomore Avery Robinson, continued to hit from three putting up 12 points all from behind the line. Robinson also contributed five rebounds, with an assist and steal each.
Defense is still a big concern for the team, allowing an average of 80 points per matchup.
“We just need to focus on attention to detail,” Jones said. “When we do we can be a pretty good defensive team, but when we’re not we’re not.”
Looking for their first win of the season, the Yellow Jackets hit the road again traveling to Otterbein University on Tuesday, Nov. 23. Tip off is at 5 p.m.