ERIE, Pa. (Nov. 18) – The Waynesburg University women's basketball team traveled to Penn State Behrend for its two-day Tip-Off Tournament. The Yellow Jackets faced Bluffton on Friday night and, despite leading for the majority of the contest, dropped a 64-56 final score to the Beavers.
 
The Jackets (1-1) suffered the defeat, despite a 20-20 effort from junior forward Addy Knetzer. It was the standout's second-straight double-double for the standout to open the 2016-17 campaign. She also blocked a pair of shots and had an assist.
 
Bluffton (1-0) opened the game on a 6-3 run that lasted over the first 2:26 of play. Four three-pointers, including a rare trey from Knetzer, fueled a 12-6 run by Waynesburg that moved it ahead 15-12. A two-pointer from Knetzer followed by a pair of free throws from junior guard Rachel Eng expanded the Jacket advantage to 19-12 with just over a minute left to play in the first quarter.
 
After four-straight points from the Beavers, Knetzer knocked down another first-quarter basket just before the buzzer to give the Jackets a 21-16 advantage after 10 minutes of play. The Orange and Black was able to maintain its five-point lead until halftime, when it went to the locker room ahead 31-26.
 
A small 5-2 surge to open the third quarter grew the Jacket lead to 36-28 early in the period. Waynesburg never trailed as the third came to a close, but Bluffton was able to tie the score at 43-43 with 25 seconds showing on the clock. However, a layup by senior forward Haley Delaney gave her team the lead back at 45-43 before the start of the fourth quarter.
 
Unfortunately, the Beavers carried their momentum into the final 10 minutes of action and outscored their opponents 21-11 to seal up the victory. After senior guard Kassidy O'Keefe opened the period with a jumper in the paint, Bluffton fired back with a game-clinching 12-0 run that that gave it a 55-47 lead with 2:18 showing on the game clock.
 
O'Keefe joined Knetezer as a double-digit scorer for the Jackets after going for 12 points on an efficient five-of-10 shooting tonight. She also knocked down two-of-three tries from three-point range.
 
Waynesburg held a big advantage from long range, connecting on 10-of-23 attempts from downtown (43.5 percent). Bluffton converted just one-of-five treys.
 
The Beavers countered by connecting on 25-of-31 free throw tries. The Jackets knocked down just four-of-five from the stripe. Waynesburg was also severely hampered by 23 turnovers, while Bluffton coughed the ball up 12 times.
 
Waynesburg will look to rebound from the frustrating loss tomorrow, when they face Defiance in a battle of the Yellow Jackets. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.