Rylee Bess Records Career-High in Loss at Youngstown State

Saturday, January 10

Youngstown, Ohio

2 PM

Purdue Fort Wayne

11-7,5-3Horizon

Youngstown State

12-5,5-2Horizon

Purdue Fort Wayne

Youngstown St.

Rylee Bess (credit YSU Athletics)

Rylee Bess Records Career-High in Loss at Youngstown State

1/10/2026 3:55:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Rylee Bess had the best game of her career on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 10), but Purdue Fort Wayne fell to Youngstown State 58-54 in a Horizon League women's basketball contest.

Bess finished with 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting and a 6-of-10 effort from beyond the arc. She played 31 minutes off the bench and the was the Mastodons' best offensive option all day.

Saturday's game featured five ties and a pair of lead changes, with the Mastodons leading for 15:59 and the Penguins leading for 17:40.

Youngstown State jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but Purdue Fort Wayne went up 9-6 after a Bess triple. The Mastodons did not trail until the 5:03 mark of the third quarter when Casey Sanotoro hit a pair of free throws. YSU led by as many as eight a few minutes later.

The Mastodons clawed back in the fourth quarter with a triple from Bess and a pair of free throws from Lauren Lee. This cut the Penguins' lead to one. The Mastodons had a possession that could have tied up the game and set it to overtime, but the Penguins forced a turnover and iced the game with a free throw.

Purdue Fort Wayne led in bench points 20-4 with all 20 coming from Bess.

Alana Nelson (13) and Lili Krasovec (10) joined Bess in double-figures. Santoro had 18 points for YSU, paired with 15 points from Sophia Gregory and Danielle Cameron.

Purdue Fort Wayne fell to 11-7, 5-3 in the Horizon League. Youngstown State improved to 12-5, 5-2. The Mastodons will visit Green Bay next week (Wed., Jan. 14) for a battle with the defending league champs.

~ Feel the Rumble ~