01/14/25 Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski / Altoona's Chris Wagner drives by State College's Brady Wager.

By Andy Stine

astine@altoonamirror.com

Turnovers have been a large factor for much of the season with a young Altoona team that had five juniors starting on the court on Tuesday evening against rival State College.

Although the Mountain Lions kept it close through the first quarter, committing 12 turnovers in the first half put Altoona behind the 8-ball in a 60-43 loss to State College at the Fieldhouse.

“It’s a recipe for disaster for us this year — turn the ball over and we miss open shots that other teams seem to make against us,” Altoona coach Doug Pfeffer said. “It’s not a good combination to have.”

While both teams struggled from the field through much of the first quarter, it was the Little Lions’ Charlie Yartz that became a spark plug for his team.

With the game tied at 7 in the final seconds of the first quarter, Yartz got a steal off an inbounds pass and hit a 3-pointer from a few steps past half-court to put State College ahead 10-7 at the buzzer.

“I saw the opportunity to get a steal, and I just threw it up, and when I threw it up, I knew it was going in,” Yartz said.

“He’s got great defensive instincts,” State College coach Brian Scholly said. “Late in the quarter, we didn’t want them to get momentum into a shot. He made a great play on a pass over the middle, and just stepped into it and knocked it down.”

Yartz mainly plays under the basket, and he had seven of his team’s 10 points in the opening period, but the big shot to end the first quarter seemed to be a catalyst for State College’s main 3-point shooter in Reed Melvin.

After Altoona’s Ashton Barr-Baughman hit a trey to open the second quarter, Melvin scored nine points in one minute of game time to put the Little Lions up 19-10. That was only the beginning for the Little Lions as they took a 28-11 lead to halftime.

Melvin had 26 points to lead State College, despite being held scoreless in the first quarter. Yartz picked up a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

“They’re our senior captains,” Scholly said. “We need their leadership at all times.

“Even through what felt like running through mud for much of the first quarter-plus, those two guys got us going and that’s what leadership does.”

Despite never getting back into the game in the second half, Pfeffer said the Mountain Lions showed a lot of effort.

“There was no doubt State College was going to win the game, but we could have folded and lost by 35 or 40,” Pfeffer said. “The kids hustled. We just need to get better as a program, and that’s what we’re striving for.”

Josh Lowery led Altoona with 14 points.

Altoona (2-10) visits Central Dauphin East on Friday.

STATE COLLEGE (60): Salazar 1 4-6 6, Powell 1 0-0 2, Elliott 1 0-0 2, Melvin 10 2-2 26, Yartz 6 2-2 15, Carr 1 0-0 3, Wager 0 0-0 0, Neilson 0 0-0 0, Weight 0 0-0 0, Williams 0 0-0 0, Sheffey 2 0-0 4, Yip 0 0-0 0, Radio 0 0-0 0, Thurley 0 0-0 0, Mayville 0 2-2 2. Totals — 22 10-12 60.

ALTOONA (43): Dunkle 2 0-0 4, Greaser 2 3-4 8, E. Hicks 2 0-0 5, White 1 0-0 2, Lowery 5 4-5 14, Harrington 1 0-0 2, Wagner 0 0-0 0, Simendinger 0 0-0 0, Barr-Baughman 2 0-0 6, Pezzi 0 0-0 0, Herr 0 0-0 0, D. Hicks 0 0-0 0, DiVentura 0 0-0 0, McCloskey 1 0-1 2. Totals — 16 7-10 43.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

State College 10 18 15 17 — 60

Altoona 7 4 11 21 — 43

3-point goals: State College 6 (Melvin 4, Yartz, Carr), Altoona 4 (Greaser, E. Hicks, Barr-Baughman 2).

Records: State College (7-6); Altoona (2-10).

Officials: Randy Burkett, Brandon Hoover, Dave Heim.

JV: State College, 52-47. High scorers — Rhoades, SC, 16; McCloskey, A, 14.