| Second-Half Cold Spell Hurts Guins in 77-64 Loss to Cleveland State |
| Sunday, January 27 2008 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Cleveland, Ohio -- Three players reached double figures but the Youngstown State women's basketball team shot just 35.5 percent in the second half and dropped a disappointing 77-64 loss to Cleveland State on Saturday afternoon at the Wolstein Center. Junior Kelsey Gurganus led the Penguins with 14 points while junior Tiara Scott added 12 and senior Heather Karner contributed 10 points. The Penguins (9-9, 4-3 Horizon League) owned a 38-37 halftime advantage and scored eight of the first 11 points of the second half to take a 46-40 lead and forced a CSU timeout a the 17:17 mark. Cleveland State (11-7, 5-2 Horizon League), which shot 55.2 percent in the second half, rattled off eight straight points to take a two -point lead before the Guins answered on a Ashley Pendleton layup to knot the game at 48-48. A 9-2 run by the Vikings extended their lead to seven, 57-50, but the Penguins trimmed the deficit down to two, 57-55, after two free throws by Velissa Vaughn and a three-point play by Nikita LaFleur. After an exchange of baskets kept the difference at two, the Vikings scored eight consecutive points and a 15-5 run to pull ahead by 12, 74-62, with 3:15 remaining. The Penguins would score just two more points the rest of the way. In the first half, the Guins erased two separate eight-point first half deficits and took a one-point edge into the lockerroom. After a tight battle through the first eight minute of the game, the Vikings began to pull away and led 23-15 at the 8:21 mark. A 3-pointer by Karner and a layup by LaFleur brought the Guins within three. CSU's Dominique Butler hit a jumper and Kailey Klein, who scored 30 points, drained a trey to balloon its lead back to eight, 28-20, with five minutes left. Over the next four minutes, Gurganus scored 11 straight points - two 3-pointers and three jumpers - for YSU in the middle of a 16-6 run as the Guins took a 36-34 lead with just over a minute remaining. Karner added a 3-pointer with 34 seconds left to push the Guins lead to four before Angel Roque's 3-point with nine seconds remaining sliced YSU advantage to one, 38-37. The Guins continue their three-game road trip through Indiana with a contest against Valparaiso, Thursday, Jan. 31. Tipoff is slated for 8:05 p.m. at the ARC in Valparaiso, Ind. The Guins also visit Butler, Saturday, Feb. 2 at 2 p.m. |
| Time Changed For Women's Contest at Cleveland State |
| Friday, January 25 2008 |
| Courtesy of: |
| The game time for the Youngstown State - Cleveland State women's basketball on Saturday, Jan. 26, has been changed to 3 p.m. at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The original game time was slated for 5 p.m. |
| Guins' Big Second Half Run Leads to 74-55 Win Over Detroit |
| Saturday, January 19 2008 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Youngstown -- The Youngstown State women's basketball used a 21-3 run midway through the second half to break open a five-point contest before the Penguins went on to earn a 74-55 victory over the Titans on Saturday at the Beeghly Center. YSU (9-8 overall and 4-2 in the Horizon League) won for the second straight time as Velissa Vaughn scored a game-high 19 points. Junior forward Tiara Scott recorded her third double-double of the season with 17 points and 12 rebounds while senior Heather Karner finished with 13. The Penguins led 47-42 with 9:51 left in the second half before scoring 21 of the game's next 24 points over the next five minutes. The run was capped by a Karner 3-pointer. After an inauspicious start, the Penguins were able to grab a 29-28 halftime lead. Detroit opened the game scoring the first eight points before the Penguins regrouped. YSU eventually tied the Titans at 20 on a basket by Scott. The Guins took a one-point lead at the break thanks to a Nikita LaFleur basket with 41 seconds left in the opening half. In the first half, YSU was 11-of-30 from the field while the Titans were 13-of-31. Both teams made two 3-pointers while the Guins made five free throws to none for the Titans. Detroit is now 3-14 overall and 0-5 in Horizon League play. YSU returns to action next Saturday when it travels to Cleveland State. Tipoff for the contest against the Wolstein Center tips off at 5:05 p.m. |
| Women's Basketball Outlasts Wright State For 61-58 Win |
| Friday, January 18 2008 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Youngstown -- Four players scored in double figures for the fifth time in the last six games to lift the Youngstown State women's basketball team to a 61-58 triumph over Wright State on Thursday evening at the Beeghly Center. Senior Heather Karner led the Penguins (8-8, 3-2 Horizon League) with 16 points and nine rebounds. Junior Velissa Vaughn posted 14 points while senior Jessica Schloemp added 13 points and junior Tiara Scott contributed 10 points. Wright State's Shey Peddy's lay up with eight minutes remaining gave the Raiders a one-point edge, 46-45, but 3-pointers by Vaughn, Karner and Schloemp keyed an 11-0 Penguins run as they took a 56-46 lead with 5:14 left. Wright State (5-10, 2-2 Horizon League) came within two on two different occasions, the last with six seconds left, 60-58, after a Peddy lay up. Vaughn, though, converted one of two charity tosses to seal the victory. WSU came out of the locker room strong scoring 14 of the first 16 points to grab a 37-30 lead. But over the next five minutes YSU outscored the Raiders 11-4 tying the contest 41-41 on a 3-point play by Karner. Trailing 41-38, Lauren Branson's steal set-up a breakaway opportunity for Karner who made the layup and the subsequent free throw to knot the game. YSU opened the game by making nine of its first 18 shots to build a 21-11 lead. Of the Guins' first 10 baskets, four came from behind the 3-point arc. Karner had three of those. Wright State kept chipping away at the deficit and by halftime, YSU owned a 28-23 lead. In the first half, YSU shot 36.7 percent (11-of-30) after opening the game by making nine of its first 18 attempts. WSU shot 29.4 percent making 10-of-34 from the field. YSU returns to the court on Saturday at the Beeghly Center against Detroit. Tipoff is set for 4:35 p.m. |
| Second-Half Comeback Thwarted in 85-80 Loss to Green Bay |
| Saturday, January 12 2008 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Green Bay, Wis. -- An impressive second-half comeback attempt by the Youngstown State women's basketball team fell just shy for the second consecutive game in an 85-80 loss to Green Bay (12-3, 4-0 Horizon League) on Saturday afternoon at the Kress Events Center. The Penguins trailed by 20 points at halftime only to battle back within three, 83-80, with 22 seconds remaining after a layup by junior Tiara Scott, but Green Bay made two late free throws to seal the victory. The Penguins (7-8, 2-2 Horizon League) placed four players in double figures for the third time in the last four games led by senior Heather Karner's 20 points. Junior Tiara Scott recorded her second double-double of the season with 19 points and 12 rebounds while juniors Kesley Gurganus scored a career-high 16 points and junior Velissa Vaughn added 12. Trailing 44-24 at the intermission, the Penguins, who shot 55.2 percent in the second half, opened the second half with an 19-8 run in the first five minutes get within nine points, 52-43. The Penguins got hot from the perimeter using two 3-pointers from Gurganus and another from senior Jessica Schloemp to slice the deficit to nine with 15:10 remaining. The Phoenix's Kayla Groh it a 3-pointer and Rachel Porath's four-point play ballooned Green Bay's lead to 16, 59-43 at the 14:25 mark. UWGB pushed its advantage to 17, 62-45, after a free throw from Groh with 13:23 left. YSU used a 12-2 run over the next three minutes to get within seven, 64-57, after a 3-point play by Gurganus, who scored all her points in the second half. The Phoenix again extended their edge back to 15 points, 76-61, with five minutes remaining but the Penguins would not quit. Scott, who scored 17 of her 19 points after halftime, converted a three-point play and two charity tosses to cut the deficit to nine and Gurganus buried her third 3-pointer of the game at the 2:57 mark to bring the Guins with six, 78-72. After a layup by UWGB's Heather Golden, Vaughn hit a 3-pointer with just under a minute left to get YSU back to within four, 82-78, but Groh made one of two free throws to give the Phoenix a five-point edge, 83-78, before Scott's final lay up. In the first half, the Penguins shot just 21.4 percent from the field while the Phoenix shot an impressive 59.3 percent. The return home to host Wright State, Thursday, Jan. 17. Tipoff is set for 5:15 p.m. at the Beeghly Center and is part of a men's and women's basketball doubleheader. |
| Second-Half Comeback Falls Short in 76-66 Loss to Milwaukee |
| Friday, January 11 2008 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Milwaukee, Wis. -- The Youngstown State women's basketball team trailed by as many as 17 points in the second half only to see an impressive comeback attempt fall short in a 76-66 loss to Milwaukee Thursday evening at the Klotsche Center. The Penguins fall to 7-7 overall and 2-1 in the Horizon League while the Panthers improve to 7-7 overall and 2-1 in the league. Junior Tiara Scott led the Penguins with 22 points, including 14 in the second half, and senior Lauren Branson posted 17 points with five assists and three steals to lead the Penguins. The Penguins trailed 50-33 with at the 14:51 mark but used an 18-2 run over the next five minutes to get within one point, 52-51 at the nine minute mark. Branson ignited the run with a 3-pointer and two free throws which were followed by a triple and a jumper by Velissa Vaughn to cut the deficit to 52-44. Junior Kelsey Gurganus hit her first 3-pointer of the season to bring the Guins with five, 52-47, and two baskets by Scott cut the Panthers' lead to one, 52-51. Aubri Rote's 3-pointer at the 8:14 mark, UWM's first basket in six minutes, extended the lead back to four points, and jumper by Meredith Onson and a 3-pointer by Traci Edwards ballooned the Panthers' lead to nine, 60-51. Gurganus drained another 3-pointer with two minutes left to get the Guins back within seven, 71-64, but UWM was able to hold off the comeback. In the first half, the Penguins shot just 31.3 percent while the Panthers connected on 46.7 percent from the field and 78.6 (11-of-14) from the free throw line. The Panthers jumped out to an 11-6 advantage before a 3-pointer by Branson brought the Penguins within two. Two free throw by Milwaukee's Traci Edwards and a bucket by Aubri Rote gave the Panthers a 15-9 cushion but Branson's second 3-pointer of the half cut the deficit back to two, 14-12, with 14 minutes left. The Penguins, however, hit just five of their next 21 field-goal attempts and trailed 36-24 at the intermission. The Guins continue it road trip at Green Bay on Saturday, Jan. 12. Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m. (EDT) at the Kress Center in Green Bay, Wis. |
| Karner, Scott Lead Guins To 70-58 Victory Over Loyola |
| Saturday, January 5 2008 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Youngstown -- The Youngstown State women's basketball team used a strong second-half effort to beat Loyola 70-58 on Saturday afternoon in the Beeghly Center. The victory gives the Penguins a 2-0 conference start for the first time since joining the Horizon League seven years ago. Junior forward Tiara Scott and senior guard Heather Karner each scored 17 points as the Penguins improved to 7-6 on the season. Velissa Vaughn and Jessica Schloemp also reached double figures for YSU. Vaughn had 14 points while Schleomp contributed 12. The Guins played just seven players in the contest. Maggie McCloskey scored a game-high 19 points for the Ramblers who dropped to 2-11 and 0-2. YSU held a three-point advantage at halftime, but was able to open the game up in the second half. The Penguins scored 10 of the first 13 points to open the second stanza grabbing a 45-35 lead. Youngstown State led 60-46 with just over five minutes remaining, however Loyola scored the next six points before Vaughn scored with just under four minutes remaining to end the Rambler threat. In the first half, the Penguins couldn't shake the Ramblers despite building a 29-21 lead on Heather Karner's 3-pointer with 4:13 remaining. Loyola went on a 11-3 run to pull ahead 32-31 on Brittney Marshall's 3-pointer. But Karner answered 20 seconds later with a hoop to put YSU ahead 33-32. After a missed Rambler basket, the Loyola bench was hit with a technical foul as YSU brought the ball up the court in the final 10 seconds of the half. Lauren Branson made both free throws to put the Penguins in front 35-32 at halftime. In the first half, YSU shot 34.5 percent making 10-of-29 attempts, but was solid from the 3-point line making 5-of-9 while connecting on 10-of-11 from the charity stripe. Loyola was 13-of-27 from the field (48.1 percent), including 4-of-8 from 3-point range and made just two free throws. For the game, YSU shot 42.9 percent making 24-of-56 attempts while Loyola was 22-of-45 (48.9 percent). The Guins had an advantage at the free-throw line making 16-of-22 shots while Loyola was 8-of-14. The Guins forced 22 Rambler turnovers will committing just 12. It was the third straight game the Guins have bettered the 70-point mark. All three contests were YSU victories, YSU plays its first Horizon League road game of the season on Thursday night at Milwaukee. Tipoff at the Klotsche Center is set for 8 p.m. Eastern time. |
| Four Score In Double Figures As YSU Wins League Opener |
| Thursday, January 3 2008 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Youngstown -- Four players scored in double figures as the Youngstown State women's basketball team earned a 73-62 victory over UIC in the Horizon League opener for both schools on Thursday at the Beeghly Center. Senior guard Heather Karner led the way with 19 points for the Penguins while junior Tiara Scott had 18, junior Velissa Vaughn added 12 and junior Kelsey Gurganus contributed 10. The Penguins (6-6 overall and 1-0 in the Horizon League) won their conference opener for the second time since joining the league seven years ago the other coming in the 2004-05 campaign. UIC falls to 4-8 on the year and 0-1 in league play. It was the Guins' first win at the Beeghly Center over UIC since 2002. In the first half, the Penguins made 14-of-32 field-goal attempts (43.8 percent) and were a perfect 7-of-7 from the free-throw line. UIC was just 11-of-30 (39.3 percent) from the floor. The Penguins made four treys, while UIC had none. Karner contributed 14 points as the Guins led 39-25 at the break. YSU, which never trailed in the contest, led 4-2 before opening up the contest on a 14-5 run to lead 19-7 with 9:47 left following a 3-pointer by Velissa Vaughn. The Flames trimmed the deficit to 24-14 but a 12-6 gave Youngstown a 36-21 advantage. In the second half, the Flames cut the Penguins advantage to 49-41 with 11:43 remaining in the game. YSU responded by scoring the next seven points and were never threatened the remainder of the contest. Youngstown State is back at home on Saturday afternoon when it takes on Loyola. Tipoff for the contest at the Beeghly Center against the Ramblers is set for 3:25 p.m. as the second game of a men's-women's doubleheader. |