The Youngstown State women's basketball team will close 2011 and open Horizon League play on Saturday when it plays host to Cleveland State at Beeghly Center. Tip-off against the Vikings is set for 2:05 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on 1390 WNIO and the Horizon League Network. YSU is coming off a 54-47 loss at Stony Brook on Tuesday, and Cleveland State beat Lake Erie 62-48 on Wednesday.
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The Penguins have already matched their win total from all of last season with their 6-4 start. YSU picked up its sixth win in the 29th game last year. The Penguins were 3-57 combined in the two years prior to coach Bob Boldon's arrival. YSU last started a season 6-5 in the 2004-05 season.
YSU is coming off its worst shooting day in more than a month. After shooting at least 40 percent in six straight games, the Penguins shot 25.9 percent Tuesday at Stony Brook.
The Penguins are 2-8 all-time in Horizon League openers. Their last win came in 2007-08 against UIC. YSU joined the conference in 2001-02.
Dating back to last season, YSU has won nine of its last 18 games and eight of its last 14. Prior to 17 games ago, YSU had won just seven of previous its previous 85 games.
YSU's scoring margin is minus-1.0 this year. That's improved from minus-10.6 last year and minus-25.8 two years ago.
Cleveland State assistant coach Bernard Scott was an assistant at YSU from 2008-10. As the recruiting coordinator, he recruited seven of the Penguins' 10 active players.
In the latest NCAA rankings (Dec. 18), YSU ranked 14th in the country with 7.8 3-pointers made per game.
Series With Cleveland State
YSU leads the all-time series with Cleveland State 30-25, but the Vikings have won nine straight meetings. Over the last nine games in the series, the Vikings have won by an average of 18.8 points. YSU's last win over Cleveland State was Jan. 27, 2007. The Penguins won nine of the first 10 meetings and 11 straight from 1985 to 1993. YSU has played Cleveland State more than any other team.
Scouting Cleveland State
Cleveland State has won three of its last five games and beat Lake Erie College 62-48 on Wednesday. Despite holding the Storm to 48 points, the Vikings allow a league-high 66.3 points per game. They also rank last in field goal defense. Senior center Destinee Blue averages 14.2 points and leads the conference with a .588 field goal percentage. The Vikings were picked to finish second in the league's preseason poll.
Penguins in League Openers
YSU is 2-8 in its 10 Horizon League lidlifters. YSU is 2-3 at home and 0-5 on the road in those games. The Penguins have opened with Cleveland State three times and are 1-2 in those contests. The win came at Beeghly Center on Dec. 22, 2004. YSU's last win in a conference opener was against UIC on Jan. 3, 2008. The Guins have finished with eight conference wins twice – in 2001-02 and 2007-08. The Penguins were 4-14 in league play last year.
Up Next
YSU's next game will be at Butler on Thursday at 7 p.m. The contest will be broadcast live on 1390 WNIO and the Horizon League Network.
