| Turnovers Outweigh Solid Start as Penguins Fall at Wright State |
| Saturday, January 30 2010 |
| Courtesy of: YSU |
| Fairborn, Ohio -- Wright State opened the second half on a 17-2 run and scored 32 points off of Youngstown State's 31 turnovers in a 65-31 win on Saturday at the Nutter Center. Youngstown State led 22-20 with 3:28 remaining in the first half, but Wright State's defense kept the Penguins' offense out of rhythm for the rest of the game by forcing turnovers, 20 of which came in the second half. Maryum Jenkins and Kaitlyn March scored seven points apiece to lead YSU in the scoring column. Brandi Brown was limited to three points because of early foul trouble, but she grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds. Ta-myra Davis scored a game-high 18 points on 8-for-10 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds for Wright State, which won its second straight. LaShawna Thomas added 17 points, and Kanisha Ward had 10 assists. The first half went back-and-forth until Wright State scored the final nine points over the final three minutes to go into the locker room ahead 29-22. Youngstown State led 22-20, but the Penguins made one field goal in the final seven minutes. Playing with just seven players, the Penguins got extremely shorthanded in the final moments of the first half when Jenkins had to come out with a minor injury and Brown had to sit with three fouls. Wright State went scoreless from 19:00 to 14:35 as Youngstown State built a 7-2 lead in the early going. The Raiders scored the next nine points in just over a minute-and-a-half to up 11-7, but Jenkins scored on back-to-back possessions to tie the score at 11 at the 11:53 mark. YSU started 1-for-11 but went 4-for-4 from the free-throw line during that span. The Penguins then hit five of their next seven shots, including a 3-pointer by March at the 7:18 mark that put them up 18-16. Macey Nortey's jumper gave the Penguins their 22-20 lead at the 3:28 mark, but YSU did not score for the remainder of the half. Molly Fox had five points in the final 1:43 for Wright State, and Paige Lowe hit both of her free throws with 16 seconds remaining as the Raiders went 7-for-7 in the period. Wright State went up by double digits for the first time with 18:17 remaining in the second half as Davis scored seven straight points as part of a 10-0 run. The Raiders scored 17 of the first 19 points in the second half, and 13 of their 17 points came off of 10 YSU turnovers in the first seven minutes. YSU made two field goals in the second half as it was outscored 36-9. Kenya Middlebrooks went 4-for-4 from the free-throw line in the first half and has now made 25 straight free throws. That streak ranks tied for sixth in school history. Youngstown State returns home to face Loyola on Thursday at 7:05 p.m. |
| Penguins Can't Overcome Slow Start in 80-44 Loss at Detroit |
| Friday, January 29 2010 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Detroit, Mich. -- Detroit jumped out to an 18-2 lead in the first five minutes and led by double figures the rest of the game in an 80-44 win over the Youngstown State women's basketball team on Thursday at Calihan Hall. Detroit also hit seven of its first 11 shots in the second half, ballooning a 17-point lead to as many as 30 after a 10-0 run. With the win, the Titans remained in a tie for first place in the Horizon League standings with a 6-2 mark in the conference. Brandi Brown notched her ninth double-double of the season and sixth in eight Horizon League contests. The freshman forward finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Sierra Spaude scored a game-high 20 points for Detroit, and Brigit Mulroy made all 15 of her points from beyond the 3-point arc. Detroit scored the first eight points of the game and went up 18-2 when Mulroy hit a 3-pointer with 15:32 remaining. The Titans hit seven of their first 12 shots, four off which were 3-pointers, and they grabbed nine of the first 10 rebounds. After the initial flurry, the first half was played relatively evenly. The Penguins continued to struggle from the floor, however, making 4-for-29 from the field in the first 20 minutes. YSU stayed in the contest by making 9-of-10 from the charity stripe while Detroit was 0-for-2. Detroit made eight of its final 23 attempts in the opening period and finished 15-for-15 from the field. The Titans were 6-for-17 from 3-point range, and they outscored YSU 18-4 in the paint and 14-0 in fast-break points. The Titans shot 45.1 percent overall and was 11-for-29 from 3-point range. The Penguins were 12-for-56 overall (21.4 percent) and 3-for-12 (25 percent) from behind the arc. The Penguins will wrap up their three-game road trip at Wright State on Saturday at 5 p.m. |
| Lady Guins Have Best Defensive Outing in 57-43 Loss at Cleveland State |
| Saturday, January 23 2010 |
| Courtesy of: YSU |
| Cleveland, Ohio -- The Youngstown State women's basketball team had its best defensive game of the season and made a late run before falling 57-43 to Cleveland State on Friday. The Penguins held the Vikings to 28.3 percent from the floor, and Cleveland State's 57 points were the fewest scored against YSU this season. YSU, however, was held to 30.4 percent from the floor, hit four fewer 3-pointers and was outscored 25-13 off turnovers. Cleveland State has now won four straight and five of its last six contests. Youngstown State freshman Brandi Brown notched her eighth double-double of the season and fifth in Horizon League play, finishing with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Maryum Jenkins added eight points, all of which came in a five-minute span as the Penguins made their run in the second half. Angel Roque and Shalonda Winton had 13 points apiece to lead the Vikings. Cleveland State took its largest lead of the game, 41-25, when Destinee Blue hit two free throws with 9:22 remaining. Maryum Jenkins hit YSU's first trey of the contest to spark a 12-2 run for the Penguins, which also ended with a Jenkins triple that made the score 43-37 with 5:15 remaining. Cleveland State ended the game on a 14-6 run. YSU held Cleveland State without a field goal from 11:57 to 4:15, but the Vikings hit three straight shots after Winton ended the drought on a breakaway lay-up. The Penguins held Kailey Klein, the Horizon League's leading scorer at 16.5 points per game, to five points on 1-for-11 shooting. Neither team started out well on the offensive end in the first half as both missed seven of their first eight attempts. Cleveland State had three turnovers in the first two minutes and didn't hit its first field goal until Jessica Roque hit a triple at the 16:43 mark. The Guins, however, were held scoreless for five-and-a-half minutes after Brown's bucket at the 18:33 mark put them ahead 2-0. Both teams continued to commit turnovers, but Cleveland State started limiting its miscues and made six of its next nine field goals to go ahead by 14. The Penguins' 11th turnover - and the Vikings' eighth steal - in the first 11 minutes allowed Roque to score on a fast-break lay-up to make the score 20-6 with 8:29 remaining. Brown scored the first six points for the Penguins and had 13 of their 17 points in the first half. Her 12th point of the half came when she grabbed a long rebound, drove down to the middle of the paint and hit a pull-up jumper on a fast break. She had the only five field goals in the first period for the Guins until Rachael Manuel's jumper from the left elbow at the 1:06 mark. Manuel's bucket cut Cleveland State's lead to 30-17 at the break. Five of Cleveland State's 10 field goals in the first half were from 3-point range, but the Vikings hit just 33.3 percent from both inside and outside the arc. YSU was 6-for-24 the field and had 16 turnovers, which CSU converted into 16 points, in the first period. Cleveland State shot 23.3 percent in the second half and was 1-for-11 from behind the arc. The Vikings attempted 26 treys and 34 deuces in the contest. Youngstown State will continue its three-game road stretch on Thursday at Detroit at 5 p.m. |
| Penguins Have Good Start, But Drop Contest to Bulldogs |
| Saturday, January 16 2010 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Youngstown -- For the third straight contest, the Youngstown State women's basketball team opened the game in good shape. YSU tied the contest three times in the early going and trailed by just four points with 4:13 left in the first half. However, a late Bulldog spurt proved to be too much to overcome as the Penguins lost 74-48 on Saturday afternoon at the Beeghly Center. YSU (0-17 overall and 0-6 in the Horizon League) watched the Bulldogs (10-6 and 3-2) score the final 10 points of the half expanding an 18-14 lead at the 4:13 mark to 28-14 at the break. Freshman Brandi Brown scored eight of the Guins' 14 points in the opening half and she made four of the squad's seven field goals. Freshman Maryum Jenkins scored the first two baskets of the second half to stop the run. However, Butler answered with eight straight points to go on top 36-18 before Kenya Middlebrooks's 3-point play stopped that streak. YSU was able to get within 15 points on two occasions at 38-23 and 39-24, but that was as close as it would get. The Bulldogs dominated inside offensively with 52 points in the paint compared to YSU's 18. Because of its success inside, Butler did not make a 3-pointer in the contest. The Bulldogs also scored 30 points off 25. Brown had 12 points and 12 rebounds to lead the way for the Penguins. It was her seventh double-double of the season. Middlebrooks ended up with 11 points for YSU. Leading the way for Butler was Melanie Thornton who had a game-high 19 points. In the first half, Butler shot 44.9 percent (13-of-29) from the field while forcing the Guins into 17 turnovers. The Penguins battled hard on the glass, owning a 17-13 advantage on the boards. Neither team connected on a 3-pointer in the first half, combining to miss eight attempts. Youngstown State returns to action on Friday when they visit Cleveland State. Tipoff at the Wolstein Center is set for 5 p.m. |
| Strong Start Not Enough In 66-41 Defeat to Valparaiso |
| Friday, January 15 2010 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Youngstown -- The Youngstown State women's basketball team raced out to their biggest lead of the season, but Valparaiso caught fire and came back to beat the Penguins 66-41 on Thursday night at the Beeghly Center. In the first half, YSU had its biggest lead of the season at 13 points and maintained its first halftime advantage of the year at 26-22. But Valpo opened the second half scoring the first 12 points, after scoring the final five of the first half, and never looked back en route to the victory. The Penguins (0-16 overall and 0-5 in the Horizon League) did not score for the first 5:50 of the second half against the Crusaders (5-10 and 2-2) until Kenya Middlebrooks ended the drought. Youngstown State's four-point halftime cushion evaporated quickly in the second. Valpo's Betsy Adams and Ashley Varner each scored to tie the contest. The Crusaders then took the lead for good when Adams drained a 3-pointer at the 18:17 mark. The Penguins were outscored 44-15 in the second half. Valpo, which shot just 30.4 percent in the first half, made 20-of-31 in the second for a gaudy 64.5 percent in the second half. Leading the way offensively for YSU was Middlebrooks, who had 14 points. Adams scored 25 to pace the Crusaders, which had dropped 10 of their last 11 games. Adams made 10-of-15 field-goal attempts, including 5-of-8 from behind the 3-point arc. YSU led 14-9 at the 11:55 mark before reeling off the next eight points to take their biggest lead of the season at 22-9 with 6:13 left. Brandi Brown, Macey Nortey and Rachael Manuel all contributed to make baskets during the run. Manuel's two free throws capped the spurt at the 6:13 mark. From that point, Valpo outscored the Guins 13-4 the remainder of the half to get back in the game and trailed by just four at the break. Adams scored the final 11 points for the Crusaders in the last four-and-a-half minutes after being held scoreless early in the contest. With two minutes left in the first half, YSU held a 26-17 advantage but Adams scored the five points of the half. The Penguins protected the basketball well with just four turnovers in the first 16 minutes, but they had three in the final four. The Guins forced Valpo into 13 turnovers. YSU outscored the Crusaders 12-0 off turnovers in the opening half. YSU returns to action on Saturday when it plays host to Butler. Tipoff at the Beeghly Center is set for 2:05 p.m. |
| Penguins and Lady Pens Tackle Valpo |
| Thursday, January 14 2010 |
| Courtesy of: |
| MEN Matchup: Youngstown State (7-8, 2-4 Horizon League) at Valparaiso (6-11, 1-4) Tipoff: Today, 7:05 p.m. at Athletics-Recreation Center, Valparaiso, IN Radio/TV: WKBN-AM 570; TV: None Video: http://www.horizonleaguenetwork.tv/valparaiso.html Coaches: Jerry Slocum is 48-86 in five seasons at YSU and 628-411 overall. Valparaiso’s Homer Drew is 602-398 in 31 years of coaching. YSU probable starters: DeAndre Mays, 6-2 senior guard (13.2 points per game, 2.9 rebounds per game); Sirlester Martin, 6-7 senior forward (12, 5.9); Vytas Sulskis, 6-7 junior guard (10.1, 3.2); Kelvin Bright, 6-4 senior guard (9.7, 1.5); Eddie D’Haiti, 6-8 redshirt freshman (3.2, 3.1). Valparaiso probable starters: Brandon Wood, 6-2 junior guard (13.2 points per game, 4.2 rebounds per game); Cory Johnson, 6-7 senior forward (16.8, 5.4); Brandon McPherson, 6-1 senior guard (5, 0.8); Howard Little, 6-3 junior guard (6.8, 4.2); Michael Rogers, 6-6 junior guard (8, 1.8). Series history: Valparaiso holds a 20-7 advantage in the all-time series, including wins in each of the four meetings since the Crusaders joined the Horizon League. Valparaiso won the last contest 67-59 at Valparaiso. Notes: The Penguins are coming off Saturday’s 71-67 win at home over Loyola. The team was guided by Mays, who was named Horizon League Player of the Week and scored 30 points. The victory gave YSU its a two-game winning streak. Next: The Penguins stay on the road next week, visiting Butler on Saturday. WOMEN Matchup: YSU (0-15, 0-4 Horizon League) vs. Valparaiso (4-10, 1-2) Tipoff: Today, 7:05 p.m., at the Beeghly Center TV: MyYTV (taped at 10 p.m.) Video: http://www.horizonleaguenetwork.tv/youngstown-state.html Coaches: Cindy Martin is 3-42 in two seasons at YSU and 73-65 in five years overall. Valparaiso’s Keith Freenman has a 264-191 record in 12 seasons at the school and has a career record of 393-238. YSU probable starters: Macey Nortey, 5-foot-3 sophomore guard (8.8 points per game, 2.7 rebounds per game); Bojana Dimitrov, 5-7 junior guard (12.8, 2.9); Kenya Middlebrooks, 5-8 sophomore guard (7.9, 3.5); Brandi Brown, 5-11 freshman forward (11.9, 10.9); Rachael Manuel, 6-3 senior center (7.5, 5.7). Valparaiso probable starters: Betsy Adams, 5-7 sophomore guard (13.3 points per game, 2.4 rebounds per game); Lauren Kenney, 5-11 senior forward (11.3, 6.3); Ashley Varner, 6-1 junior forward (9.1, 6.5); Kelly Watts, 5-11 senior forward (5.6, 5.9); Laura Richards, 5-9 freshman guard (2.4, 2.3). Series history: The Penguins hold a 14-11 advantage against Valparaiso all-time. YSU won the last contest 54-38 last March. Notes: YSU is looking for its first win of the season against the Horizon League foe. Dimitrov and Brown both average double-digit points per game, and Brown is averaging a double-double this season. Next: The Penguins stay at home for a game against Butler on Saturday afternoon at Beeghly Center. |
| Second-Half Struggles Result in 75-49 Loss at Loyola |
| Sunday, January 10 2010 |
| Courtesy of: YSU Sports Information |
| Chicago -- Loyola outscored Youngstown State 42-22 in the second half and got 25 points from Maggie McCloskey en route to a 75-49 victory on Saturday afternoon at the Gentile Center. McCloskey hit seven 3-pointers and was 9-for-11 from the field as she became the Horizon League's career record holder in 3-point field goals. Loyola scored 11 consecutive points three times in the game, two of which came in the second half. Brandi Brown had 16 points and a career-high 19 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the season to lead the Penguins. YSU shot just 18.8 percent in the second half, and 10 of its 22 points in the half came from the free throw line. Loyola shot 51.6 percent in the second half, and that was higher until substitutes came in. Elyse VanBogaert added 11 point and 10 rebounds in 23 minutes for Loyola, who won for the second straight contest. The Ramblers defeated Cleveland State 66-63 on Thursday evening. They now stand at 8-7 overall and 2-2 in the Horizon League. YSU dropped to 0-15 overall and 0-4 in league contests. Youngstown State led for most of the first nine minutes of the game, but an 11-0 Loyola run put the Ramblers ahead 33-27 at the break. Loyola's first lead came with 11:10 remaining as part of the 11-0 run that put the Ramblers ahead 24-15. The Penguins, though, weathered the storm and never trailed by more than nine in the half. A 7-2 run cut the deficit to 29-27 with 2:03 remaining, but Loyola scored the final four points of the first half and led 33-27 when McCloskey's jumper beat the buzzer. YSU went nearly seven minutes without a point during the run. YSU led by three on three different occasions in the first half and stayed within arms reach thanks to good ball control. The Penguins committed five turnovers in the first half, which helped to offset its 32.3 shooting percentage. Loyola hit on 40.6 percent and committed just three turnovers. McCloskey had 13 points in the opening half, hitting on 5-of-6 from the field. YSU trailed 35-30 after two Brown free throws with 19:08 remaining. McCloskey hit 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions to put the Ramblers up 11, and they led by double digits the rest of the way. McCloskey now has 279 3-pointers in her career. She surpassed Jessica Wilhite's record of 277 with her trey with 14:39 remaining in the second half. Youngstown State returns home to face Valparaiso on Thursday at 7:05 p.m. |
| Two Big Runs Lift UIC Past Youngstown State |
| Friday, January 8 2010 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Chicago -- UIC scored 14 straight points in just over four minutes early in the first half, and the Youngstown State women's basketball team was never able to fully recover in a 78-59 loss on Thursday evening at the UIC Pavilion. The Flames turned a 5-4 lead into a 19-4 advantage from the 16:43 mark until there was 12:23 remaining. UIC also scored 13 straight points early in the second half to balloon its lead to 29. YSU freshman Brandi Brown notched her fifth double-double, finishing with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Brown had 10 of her points in the second half after being held to four in the first half. Kenya Middlebrooks added a career-high 16 points, and Rachael Manuel had a career-best 11 rebounds for the Penguins, who fell to 0-14 overall and 0-3 in the Horizon League. UIC remained unbeaten in Horizon League games, improving to 6-8 overall and 3-0 in the league. Jessie Miller scored 16 points and had six assists to lead the Flames. The Penguins closed out the game by scoring 14 straight points, eight of which came from Brown. YSU made a season-high 10 3-pointers on 22 attempts. UIC led by as many as 22 in the first half, but, after the run, YSU kept up and made six of its final 16 shots. YSU started 2-for-13 from the field and finished the first period 8-for-30 (26.7 percent). UIC hit 18 of its 31 attempts for 58.1 percent. The Flames also held a 23-13 edge on the glass, and they outscored YSU 20-0 in the paint. UIC scored the first five points of the game in the first 50 seconds, but YSU hit field goals on its next two trips to get within 5-4 with 17:36 left. The Penguins were held scoreless until two Brown free throws at the 12:10 mark, and their next field goal came on a Middlebrooks bucket with 9:54 remaining. They missed 10 straight shots from the field during that stretch. Dimitrov and Middlebrooks had eight points apiece at halftime, and Miller had 10 points for UIC, including eight of the first 14. Brown was just 1-for-2 from the floor as the Penguins struggled to get the ball inside. After YSU scored the opening bucket of the second half to make the score 41-25, UIC scored 13 consecutive points to go up 54-25 and take control. YSU committed seven turnovers in four minutes during that stretch. Youngstown State's next game will be on the North side of Chicago against Loyola on Saturday at 3 p.m. Eastern. |
| enguins Push No. 18 Green Bay Before Falling, 76-60 |
| Tuesday, January 5 2010 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Youngstown -- Despite its best shooting effort of the season, the Youngstown State women’s basketball team dropped a hard-fought 76-60 decision to No. 18 Green Bay on Monday afternoon at the Beeghly Center. Freshman Brandi Brown led the Penguins with 16 points while senior Rachael Manuel scored a career-high 14 points and Bojana Dimitrov posted 12 points. Brown just missed her fifth double-double of the season with a game-high nine rebounds. Rachael ManuelSenior Rachael Manuel scored a career-high 14 points, making seven of her eight attempts from the field against the Phoenix. Kayla Tetschlag scored a game-high 17 points to lead four UWGB players in double figures. YSU took a 28-22 lead, which was the largest margin by either team to that point, on Dimitrov's bucket with 5:11 remaining. The Penguins, though, started to stumble when starting point guard sat down with two fouls, and the Phoenix ended the half on a 16-0 run. The Guins missed their last three shots and committed 10 turnovers after taking their 28-22 lead. In contrast, the Phoenix connected on seven of their last 12 field-goal attempts. The Penguins, who drained four of their first six 3-pointers in the first half, fell behind 14-9 with 12 minutes left, but they continued to chip away at Green Bay's advantage. A 3-pointer by Kenya Middlebrooks, a jumper by Macey Nortey and another triple by Middlebrooks gave the Penguins their first lead of the game, 17-16, at the 10:07 mark. Dimitrov’s 3-pointer at the 7:41 mark recaptured the lead for the Penguins, 22-20, and, after the Phoenix knotted the game at 22-22, jumpers by Brown, Manuel and a lay up by Dimitrov extended the Penguins edged to six, 28-22, with 5:11 to go. Green By scored 15 straight points to balloon its lead to 64-37, with 9:44 to go in the second half. The Penguins, however, never gave up and outscored the Phoenix, 23-12, to close out the game. Manuel, who had just four points at the intermission, scored 10 points in the second half and six in the final seven minutes. The 50 percent shooting effort was the best by YSU since they shot 57.4 percent at Green Bay on Feb. 16, 2006. The Penguins fall to 0-13 overall and 0-2 in the Horizon League and the Phoenix improves 13-0 overall and 2-0 in the league. The Penguins return to action Thursday when they visit UIC at the UIC Pavilion. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. EST. |
| UWM Catches Fire in Second Half to Win 68-59 in HL Opener |
| Sunday, January 3 2010 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Youngstown -- Milwaukee shot 61.3 percent in the second half and held off a late rally by the Youngstown State women's basketball team to win 68-59 on Saturday at Beeghly Center. YSU played arguably its best half of the season in the first 20 minutes as the score was 25-25 at halftime, but Milwaukee scored 13 of the first 16 points of the second half in what was the Horizon League opener for both schools. Milwaukee improved to 6-6 overall while YSU dropped to 0-12. Brandi BrownFreshman forward Brandi Brown had game highs with 18 points and 15 rebounds, recording her fourth double-double of the season. Freshman Brandi Brown posted game highs in both points in rebounds, finishing with 18 points and 15 boards. It was her fourth double-double of the year, and she had that in the first half. Bojana Dimitrov added 14 points, and Rachael Manuel tied her career high with 11 points. Macey Nortey added eight assists. Ashley Imperiale led four UWM players in double figures with 16 points. Behind Brown's 15 rebounds and eight from Manuel, YSU won the battle of the boards 43-37, including 27-14 in the first half. Nearly half of those were on the offensive end as YSU grabbed 21 of its own misses. The Penguins converted those into an 18-8 edge in second-chance points. YSU also had a season-high 13 steals, five of which came from Brown. The first half had four ties and six lead changes, and Youngstown State held Milwaukee scoreless for more than seven minutes as it built a 23-18 advantage. The Panthers led 18-13 on a Danielle Jorgenson bucket at the 11:38 remaining, but YSU scored the next 10 points and took its 23-18 lead on Manuel's jumper with 4:58 remaining. UWM scored seven straight points and reclaimed the lead on two Jorgenson free throws with 51 seconds remaining, and Brown's jumper with 34 seconds left tied the score at 25-25 at halftime. UWM opened the second half by making six of its first eight shots, and the Panthers matched their first-half scoring total at the 9:44 mark as Jenilee Klomstad's jumper made the score 50-38. The Panthers led by double digits until YSU scored nine straight points in a minute to cut the margin to 64-59 with 1:17 remaining. The Panthers made substitutions during a timeout leading 64-50 with 2:15 left, and Manuel scored a quick bucket to spark the nine-point run. Jenkins scored all five of her points during the run, including a 3-pointer with 1:17 remaining that made the score 64-59. The Panthers' starters re-entered, and they scored four straight points to close out the contest. UWM finished the game making 50 percent (27-for-54) from the field, and YSU shot 32.4 percent (24-for-74). The Penguins were 2-for-19 from behind the arc and missed 15 straight attempts from 3-point range until Jenkins' late trey. YSU will entertain No. 20/22 Green Bay at 7:05 p.m. on Monday at Beeghly Center. |