WAYNESBURG, Pa. (February 13) – Double-doubles from sophomore guard Andrea Orlosky (Shelocta, Pa. / West Shamokin) and senior point guard Monica Starre (Jewett, Ohio / Carrollton) powered the Waynesburg women's basketball team to defeat Thiel 80-72 on Wednesday's senior night game.
 
With the win, the Yellow Jackets (8-16, 6-9) sit in sixth place in the Presidents' Athletic Conference, trailing Bethany by one game in the standings and leading Westminster by a half-game. Waynesburg will have a chance to jump to fifth place heading into the PAC tournament if it can defeat Bethany this Saturday.
 
The home team got off to a hot start against Thiel (6-18, 4-11) with an 8-0 run, six of which were scored by Orlosky. The Yellow Jackets finished out the quarter outscoring Thiel 25-16.
 
The Yellow Jackets continued to keep the pressure on the Tomcats as they built leads as large as 14 points (46-32) with 1:30 to go in the opening half. Thiel dropped in one more basket before heading to the locker room. Waynesburg dominated the boards in the first half, grabbing 19 compared to Thiel's seven. That dominance played a big role in the Jackets' 46-34 halftime advantage.
 
Thiel started chipping away in the third quarter, opening with a 5-0 run. Later, with the Yellow Jackets leading 54-45, the Tomcats then went on a 12-0 run over three minutes of play to grab a 57-54 edge.
 
After the two conference rivals traded baskets over the final stretch of the quarter, Waynesburg and Thiel found themselves tied at 58-all going into the final frame.
 
Waynesburg came out of the break on fire, riding a 15-2 run to build a 73-60 advantage that it did not relinquish for the rest of the game. Thiel pulled to within five points of tying the contest with 0:46 remaining on the clock, but that was as close as the comeback attempt came as junior guard Erin Joyce (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Bishop Canevin) and Orlosky knocked down three combined free throws to put the game away.
 
Five Yellow Jackets scored in double digits in the game, paced by Orlosky, and freshman guard Haley Porter (Belmont, Ohio / Union Local), who each finished the night with 17 points. Freshman forward Brooke Fuller (Allison Park, Pa. / Hampton) added 16 points, while Starre and freshman guard Kasey Kastroll (South Park, Pa. / South Park) finished the night with 12 and 10 points, respectively.
 
Starre paced the team in rebounds, with 15, while Orlosky also managed a double-double by bringing in 11 boards herself. As a team, Waynesburg outrebounded Thiel 52-22.
 
The Yellow Jackets will be back in action this Saturday, Feb. 16, when they travel to Bethany, West Virginia, to take on the Bethany Bison for their final game of the regular season. Tip-off for that game is scheduled for 1 p.m. A victory for the Jackets locks them in as the fifth seed for the upcoming conference tournament and a home game on Monday.