On Wednesday, Jan. 24, the Penn State Wilkes-Barre women's basketball team played Penn State Hazleton at home. With a start at 6 p.m., #22 sophomore Hannah Cook (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania/G.A.R. Memorial High School) made a layup in the first two minutes of the game. 

The first quarter was close for points, but the Lady Lions kept their lead. Cook's layup with less than thirty seconds on the clock made the score 14-10 Wilkes-Barre. 

To start the second quarter, #15 freshman Haylie Oliphant (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania/Wyoming Valley West High School) made the first two points on a layup. After getting fouled, #10 freshman Charleigh Miner (Shickshinny, Pennsylvania/Northwest High School) made both her free throws, giving Wilkes-Barre an eight-point lead. 

The Lady Lions kept good defense, keeping Hazleton players' scoring at bay until half the quarter was over. With less than a minute left until halftime, #24 junior Aysia Pink (Albany, New York/Monroe College) made a three-point jump shot, making the score 25-13 Wilkes-Barre. 

Scoring in the third quarter started with Charleigh Miner, who completed a free throw after getting fouled by a Hazleton player. 

There was a lull in scoring from the Lady Lions, which was broken by Pink with another three-pointer. Charleigh Miner followed, sinking her own three-pointer. 

With three seconds left in the quarter, #0 junior Tanae Arnold (West Hartford, Connecticut/Monroe College) made a jump shot, bringing the score to 36-24 Wilkes-Barre. 

The first three and a half minutes were silent for Wilkes-Barre scoring, but that changed when Aysia Pink made both her free throws. Multiple layups and free throws were made in the minutes that followed, #11 junior Jaidyn Kotch (Nanticoke, Pennsylvania/Nanticoke Area High School) ending the scoring in the quarter with her own free throw. 

The score at the end of the third quarter was 53-40 Wilkes-Barre. Top points scorers of the game were Aysia Pink with 13, Jaidyn Kotch with 12, and Charleigh Miner with 11. 

The Lady Lions play their next game on Saturday, Jan. 27, at Penn State York for their 3's for THON event, starting at 1:00 p.m. Put forth by the PSUAC, the event aims to raise money through donation boxes, contests, and raffles for pediatric cancer research. 

Written by Kyler Burke

Photos by Carrie Miner Yaple @v1sion_media