WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – Turnovers loomed large in the Penn State Altoona women's basketball team's 78-62 loss to non-conference opponent Wilkes University on Monday night in the Marts Center.

Penn State Altoona (2-3) committed 26 turnovers in the game, including 16 in the first half, as the Lions found themselves in a double-digit hole at the intermission. Wilkes (4-0) jumped out to an early lead and steadily grew it throughout the game to deal Penn State Altoona the loss.

Jaidyn McCracken (Bellwood, PA/Bellwood-Antis) finished with career-highs in both points and rebounds for Penn State Altoona, leading all players in the game with 26 points while securing 15 boards to post her first double-double of the season. Jess Burns (South Fayette, PA/South Fayette) added 12 points, while Jordan Bisignani (Pittsburgh, PA/Peters Township) scored 11 points to go along with five rebounds and a game-high four assists.

Wilkes got 21 points and 11 rebounds from Yamirelis Matos, and Brenna Babcock scored 13 for the Colonels.

Wilkes got off to a strong start to the first quarter, outscoring Penn State Altoona 11-2 over the first three minutes of the period. McCracken's jumper and Bisignani's three-pointer helped get the Lions to within four, 11-7, by the 4:41 mark, but the Colonels used a 9-0 run to expand their lead to 20-7 with just under three minutes left in the quarter. A Bisignani basket and Burns three-pointer got Penn State Altoona's total to 12 points, but the Lions went into the second quarter facing a 20-12 deficit.

Rakaya Cooper (East Orange, NJ/East Orange) hit a three-pointer early in the second quarter, helping Penn State Altoona get to within seven, 22-15, by 8:57. McCracken's layup at 6:19 kept the difference at eight points, 27-19, and her jump shot at the 3:56 mark got it back to seven, 30-23. But Wilkes outpaced the Lions on the scoreboard over the remainder of the quarter, and the home team went into the locker room with a 39-28 halftime advantage.

Penn State Altoona had its best scoring total of the evening in the third quarter, during which the Lions put 21 points on the board. Down 54-36 midway through the period, Penn State Altoona went on an 8-0 run to make it a 10-point game, 54-44, by 2:14, including getting six points during that stretch from McCracken. McCracken connected on a three-pointer at 1:32 to cut the Wilkes lead to nine, 56-47, and Bisignani's layup with 45 seconds left in the quarter lowered the deficit to seven, 56-49. Wilkes hit a three-pointer in the closing seconds of the quarter, and the Colonels took a 61-49 lead into the final quarter.

Wilkes stifled the Lions' comeback hopes in the fourth quarter, outscoring Penn State Altoona 15-4 through the 4:43 mark to go up by 23 points, 76-53. The Lions got points from Cooper, McCracken, and Burns the rest of the way, but Penn State Altoona was unable to overcome Wilkes' big lead.

Penn State Altoona women's basketball returns home for its first Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference game of the season, as the Lions will host conference foe Pitt-Greensburg this Wednesday, November 29 at 7 p.m. in Adler Arena.