WAYNESBURG, Pa. – In a close, competitive game, the Franciscan Lady Barons lost 75-64 to the Waynesburg Yellow Jackets. Despite losing their third game of the season, head coach Suzy Delaney said she thought her team played well against a tough opponent.

"I'm really proud of the effort they put into this game," Delaney said. "But we have a lot to learn."

Delaney's squad is using the non-conference season to adjust to a roster with 7 of 12 players new to the program. The Lady Baron's effort against the Yellow Jackets proved to be part of that learning process and saw a breakout performance from freshman point guard Sarah Schriner.

In just her third NCAA game, Schriner led the Lady Barons in scoring with 17 points and steals with. She showcased an ability to drive, getting to the line often, and making 7 of 9 free throws.

"Schriner is continuing to improve. We were excited to see her play like that," Delaney said.

Sophomore Katie Rhodes added another scoring threat to the Franciscan offense, scoring 15 points off of 46 percent shooting, her best game so far this season.

"Katie gave us a big lift," Delaney said.

While Rhodes and Schriner led the team in scoring for the first time, star returners forward Lacy Huck and guard Illiana Gonzales maintained their strong presence for the team. Huck finished one rebound shy of a double-double with 12 points and 4 rebounds while Gonzalez, the teams leading scorer last season, added 14 points.

Those four performances were enough for the team's highest point total of the season but ultimately their 29.9 percent shooting from the field held them back from sticking with the Yellow Jackets.

"We still had some nice looks on offense," Delaney said. "We didn't cash them in, but I was proud of the girls for battling the whole time, creating steals and good opportunities on the offensive end."

The Lady Barons forced 21 turnovers with 13 steals and were only down 33-32 at the end of the first half but over 50 percent shooting from Waynesburg in the second half sank FUS.

Although the Lady Barons did not come away from the game with a win, Delaney said the team will continue to work hard in preparation for conference play.

"Waynesburg has a great program," Delaney said. "I'm really excited looking forward to conference match ups and just taking what we can from each of these three losses and continuing to prepare for conference games after Thanksgiving break."

The Lady Barons will be playing at Mt. Aloysius College at 6pm on Wednesday, December 3 in their first conference game of the season.