| LaFleur Named to All-Tournament Team as Guins Fall in Title Game |
| Sunday, November 30 2008 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Pittsburgh -- A taller Pittsburgh team shot 67.2 percent and held Youngstown State to 30.6 percent in a 99-42 victory in the championship game of the Pittsburgh Thanksgiving Tournament on Saturday afternoon. YSU senior forward Nikita LaFleur was named to the all-tournament team, following up a 24-point effort in YSU's win against Weber State with seven points against Pitt. Playing against a team that's starting five was a combined 21 inches taller, the Penguins led early and was within 31-22 with 3:59 remaining in the first half. From that point, Pitt scored 32 straight points that spanned from the 3:22 mark of the first half to the 15:24 mark of the second half. Kaitlyn March scored 10 points to lead YSU, and Tiara Scott added nine. Tournament MVP Shavonte Zellous scored 20 points, marking the fifth straight game she eclipsed the 20-point mark, to lead Pitt. Four other players scored in double figures for the Panthers, who held a 40-19 rebounding advantage. The Penguins led 7-5 on LaFleur's free throw with 16:24 remaining, but Pitt scored the next 10 points as part of a 16-3 run to go up 21-10. March hit a 3 to cut Pitt's lead to 31-22 with 3:59 remaining, but the Penguins could not score again for the remainder of the half. The Panthers closed the first period on an 11-0 run, keyed by seven points from Zellous. Pitt also scored the first 21 points of the second half. Zellous, who came into the game averaging 22.8 points, was held scoreless until the 5:10 mark of the first half because of two early fouls. Pitt shot 64 percent in the opening 20 minutes, making 16-of-25 overall and 4-of-6 from behind the arc. The Panthers started the half 2-for-7 but made 14 of their final 18 attempts before the break. The Penguins will play host to Saint Francis (Pa.) on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. at the Beeghly Center. |
| LaFler, Scott Lead Penguins' 67-60 Comeback Victory Over Weber State |
| Saturday, November 29 2008 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Pittsburgh, Pa. -- Youngstown Stat's posts combined for 27 points in the second half as the Penguins rallied from a 15-point deficit to defeat Weber State 67-60 on Friday afternoon at the Petersen Events Center. Senior center Nikita LaFleur had career-highs with 24 points and 17 rebounds, and Tiara Scott added 14 points. LaFleur had 14 points in the second half, Scott had 12, and the pair combined to go 12-for-13 from the line in the final 20 minutes. The win improved YSU's record to 1-3 and gave first-year head coach Cindy Martin her first victory at the helm of the Penguins. Weber State, which defeated Pac-10 member Washington earlier in the year, fell to 2-2. "Our posts really stepped up inside today," Martin said. "Our guards did a good job of getting the ball inside, and our defense really stepped up and led us to this win. Our coaches also came up with a great scouting report and had us ready for what we would see." "This win feels really good. The ladies celebrated like they just won a national title, and they should have. We've been through a lot since April, and I really want them to enjoy this. The Penguins will play either Pittsburgh or Elon tomorrow in the winners' final game of the Pitt Tournament at 4:15 p.m. Weber State led by 15 eight minutes into the game after making 11 of its first 12 shots. From that point, YSU outscored the Wildcats 55-33. "We took a timeout right at the 12-minute and found a way to motive everyone," Martin said. "We changed our defense, upped our intensity and the ladies really responded." Trailing 38-32 at the half, the Penguins forced four turnovers in the first four minutes and tied the game at 43-43 on a three-point play by LaFleur with 16:05 remaining. Macey Nortey's jumper with 14:28 remaining then gave the Penguins their first lead of the game at 45-43. Abby Thorderson's jumper at the 11:28 mark gave Weber State a 48-47 lead, and the Wildcats led until Scott made back-to-back layups to put the Guins up 53-51 with 7:53 remaining. Two free throws by Caitlin Anderson put Weber State back on top with 4:26 left, but YSU held the Wildcats scoreless for the next three minutes and built a 60-55 lead. Jaquetta Westley hit back-to-back jumpers to end a drought from the floor and put YSU up 60-55 with 1:57 left. Tonya Schnibbe hit a trey with 1:33 left to get Weber State within two, but Scott came up with a big offensive rebound on YSU's next possession, and the Penguins made seven of their eight free throws down the stretch. The Wildcats started the first half on fire, hitting 11 of their first 12 shots - including their first four from the 3-point arc - to take a 27-12 lead with 12 minutes remaining. YSU's defense tightened up after a media timeout, and WSU didn't score for the next four minutes and had just 11 points in the final 12 minutes. YSU scored seven straight to climb within eight at 27-19 on Kelsey Gurganus' trey. Ali Thorderson's fourth three of the half broke a 1-for-10 stretch for Weber State and put the Wildcats back up 33-23. Youngstown State went on a 7-0 run to climb within three on Camisha Alexander's 3-pointer with 23 seconds left, but Caitlin Anderson hit a trey with three seconds left to put WSU up 38-32 at the break. Ali Thorderson had 12 points for WSU through the first 20 minutes while Anderson had 10. LaFleur had 10 points at halftime for YSU, which was just four points off her career-high. Weber State shot 51.7 percent in the first half, making four of their final 17. YSU shot 43.3 percent. The Penguins also committed just four turnovers in the first half. The Penguins held Weber State to 26.9 percent from the floor in the second half and outscored the Wildcats 17-6 at the free throw line. Westley finished with nine points and four assists while Nortey had seven points, five steals and four assists. The 14 assists for the Penguins were a season-high, and their 10 turnovers were a season-low. Ali Thorderson scored 19 points, Anderson had 17 and Schnibbe had 11 for Weber State. |
| Penguins' Second-Half Run Comes Up Short Against Niagara |
| Sunday, November 23 2008 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Youngstown -- Youngstown State made a valiant second-half run behind a swarming pressure defense for the second straight game before falling 65-51 to Niagara on Saturday evening at the Beeghly Center. The Penguins trimmed a 13-point second-half deficit down to three with just under six minutes to go, but the Purple Eagles responded with a 9-2 run and tacked on free throws at the end for the final margin. Junior forward Jaquetta Westley scored a career-high 15 points while Macey Nortey posted nine. The Penguins cut down their turnovers from their previous game by 13, and they had a double-digit steals total for the third straight game. Kristina Walton had 13 points and 11 rebounds to lead Niagara. The Penguins held Jennifer McNamee, who came into the game averaging 16 points, to seven points on 1-of-13 shooting. YSU forced Niagara to make just four of its first 20 shots in the first half as it steadily trimmed the margin. After Grace Cunningham's layup at 16:47 put Niagara up 41-28, YSU held the Purple Eagles without a field goal for 6-1/2 minutes. Nikita LaFleur made a jumper to get the Penguins within 10, and Kenya Middlebrooks had a steal and fast-break jumper to make the score 43-36 with 10:25 left. Rachele Folino ended the drought for Niagara off a timeout, but YSU went on an 8-2 run to get within three on two Westley jumpers on back-to-back possessions with 5:55 remaining. Jaclyn Konieczka's bucket with 2:14 remaining put Niagara back up by 10, and the Purple Eagles hit five free throws once YSU started fouling to increase the final margin. Youngstown State scored the first five points of the game after a 3-pointer by Kaitlyn March and a put-back by Macey Nortey with 18:30 to go. The Penguins held a 9-8 lead on a March jumper at the 14-minute mark before the Purple Eagles scored 17 straight points to take a 25-9 advantage at the 6:05 mark. Niagara also held the Penguins scoreless for nearly nine minutes before Kelsey Gurganus hit a jumper with 5:05 left to stop the scoring drought and cut the deficit to 14 points at 25-11. The Penguins, who trailed by as many as 16 points in the first half, scored eight of the last 12 points of the half to cut the deficit to 35-24, at the intermission. The Penguins take on Weber State, Friday, Nov. 28, as part of the University of Pittsburgh Tournament. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. at the Peterson Events Center. |
| Penguins Make Run Early in Second Half Before Falling to Bulls |
| Thursday, November 20 2008 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Youngstown -- An inspired early second-half effort allowed the Youngstown State women's basketball team to whittle an 18-point halftime deficit down to seven, but the Penguins could not get any closer in a home-opening 66-42 loss to Buffalo on Wednesday night at the Beeghly Center. After watching the Bulls (1-2) score 20 of the final 24 points to end the first half, YSU trailed 33-15 at halftime. But in the second half, the Guins turned up their heat defensively to get back in the game. YSU (0-2) scored the first eight points of the second half while keeping Buffalo off the scoreboard for nearly four minutes. The Penguins got their deficit into single digits at 40-31 on an inside basket by Nikita LaFleur at the 12:50 mark. Two free throws by Makala Gasparek brought the Guins within 40-33 at the 12:02 mark. The 18-7 run helped get Youngstown State within reach. YSU again trailed by seven (42-35) on a Macey Nortey basket 40 seconds later, but the fatigue of only having 10 players dress and playing full-court defense started taking its effect. Buffalo scored 17 straight points to seize control of the contest and never looked back. The Guins snapped the UB run when Ashley Pendleton converted two free throws with 5:07 remaining in the game. Leading the way offensively for the Penguins was Tiara Scott, who had 13 points and six rebounds. For the Bulls, Kourtney Brown scored a career-high 22 points. Both teams combined for 59 turnovers, including 32 by the Penguins. Also, YSU did not make a 3-pointer for the first time Jan. 26, 2006, missing on all 13 attempts. The Bulls scored the first five points of the game before the Guins got on the scoreboard on a basket by Scott. At the 8:56 mark, Scott's three-point play cut the deficit to 13-11. From that point, the Bulls scored 20 of the final 24 points of the first half to go in front 33-15 at the break. The Penguins remain at home when they entertain Niagara on Saturday. Tipoff against the Purple Eagles is set for 5:15 p.m. and is the first game of a men's-women's doubleheader. |
| Melissa Thompson Becomes Third Women's Basketball Signee |
| Wednesday, November 19 2008 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Youngstown -- Melissa Thompson has signed a National Letter of Intent to continue her academic and basketball career at Youngstown State University, head women's basketball coach Cindy Martin announced. Thompson, a 5-foot-8 guard from Solon, Ohio, is the third women's basketball player to commit to YSU during the early signing period. She joins guard Casey Jackson and forward Kaitlin Rohrs, who signed on Nov. 12. "We are extremely pleased that Melissa will be joining our basketball family," Martin said. "She is a physical guard that can put the ball on the floor, finish around the rim and shoot from 3-point range. She will fit in right away with our tempo, and she loves the way we press and trap on defense." "I chose Youngstown State University because I felt a real connection with Coach Martin and her staff," Thompson said. "Basketball has been such an important part of my life for so long, and it was imperative that I found a school that was able to balance my love for the game and my academic goals." "I know that I will enjoy my time at YSU as a student-athlete. I look forward to working with Coach Martin and her staff and contributing to the success of the program." Thompson is in her first year playing for Solon High after spending her first three seasons at nearby Division I Bedford High. As a junior she averaged 12.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, three steals and 2.5 assists, which were all team-highs for the Bearcats. She was named First-Team All-Lake Erie League and honorable mention All-Northeast Lakes District. Thompson averaged 9.4 points and 8.7 rebounds as a sophomore when Bedford won the LEL title. "With Melissa transferring high schools, she was flying under the radar in the Division I coaches circle," Martin said. "I think we made a great pick-up with her. And, just like Casey and Kaitlin, Melissa is a hard worker in the classroom who will be a pleasure to coach." Today (Nov. 19) is the final day of the women's basketball early-signing period. Student-athletes may next sign an NLI from April 15, 2009, through May 20. The Penguins may sign up to five more players for the 2009-10 season. |
| Penguins Fall to Kent State in Season Opener |
| Saturday, November 15 2008 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Youngstown -- Kent State shot 54.7 percent and had five players score in double figures as it defeated the Youngstown State women's basketball team 95-58 on Saturday afternoon in the season opener for both squads. Freshman Macey Nortey and junior Kaitlyn March scored 13 apiece to lead YSU. Freshman Camisha Alexander added 11 for the Penguins, who were held to 33.3 percent from the floor. Senior center Anna Kowalska scored a game-high 19 points in 19 minutes for Kent State while Rachel Bennett scored 18. The Golden Flashes held a 44-18 edge in points in the paint and outscored the Penguins 14-0 on the fast break. YSU's bench scored 36 of its 58 points thanks to the 24 combined from March and Alexander. Kent State hit its first two 3-pointers and took a 9-4 lead 2 1/2-minutes in. YSU got back within three and trailed 16-11 with 11:09 remaining on Nikita LaFleur's lay-in. Kent State went on a 10-1 run to go up 14 at 26-12, but back-to-back 3's by March helped the Penguins trim the margin to seven with just over six minutes to play. The Golden Flashes hit 3's on back-to-back possessions to go up 13 and never led by less than 10 the rest of the way. KSU scored the first six points of the second half to go up 50-29, and the teams traded five-point runs over the next 3 1/2 minutes. Alexander's 3 and Kelsey Gurganus' lay-up cut the margin to 59-44 with 10:21, but Kent State answered with nine straight points as part of a 21-4 run over the next five minutes to go up 80-45. March's 13 points were more than she had in her first two years at YSU. Jaquetta Westley (three), Nortey (13), Kenya Middlebrooks (three), Racael Manuel (three) and Alexander (11) all scored their first career points for the Penguins. The Penguins will play their home opener on Wednesday against Buffalo. Tipoff against the Bulls is set for 7:05 p.m. at the Beeghly Center. |
| Two Women's Basketball Student-Athletes Sign to Further Careers at YSU |
| Thursday, November 13 2008 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Youngstown -- Casey Jackson and Kaitlin Rohrs have signed a National Letter of Intent to continue their academic and athletic careers at Youngstown State University, first-year head women's basketball coach Cindy Martin announced on Wednesday. Jackson is a 5-foot-7 guard from Hebron, Ky., while Rohrs is a 6-foot-1 forward from Liberty Center, Ohio. "We are so pleased that Casey and Kaitlin are joining our basketball family," Martin said. "They both work so hard on the court and in the classroom, and they are smart basketball players that can also help our team with scoring." Jackson is a shooting guard who is a member of the 1,000-point club at Notre Dame Academy in Park Hills, Ky. She has been named to the Division 1 All-Region Team and a Northern Kentucky All-Star the past two seasons. As a junior, Jackson averaged a team-high 15.5 points, averaged four rebounds and had 73 steals to earn team co-MVP honors. She was named the tournament MVP in leading NDA to the District 35 championship. A Kentucky Enquirer first-team all-star, she scored in double figures in 30 of NDA's 31 games. Jackson averaged 10.6 points, 2.5 rebounds and had 73 steals as a sophomore in 2006-07. That season the Pandas reached the Elite 8 of the state tournament. Jackson led NDA in 3-point shooting and was named the team's best defensive player. Jackson has earned honorable mention Kentucky High School Athletic Association Academic All-State accolades in each of her first three seasons. “I chose Youngstown State University because I really liked the coaching staff, the athletic facilities, and the opportunity to be a part of a program that is rebuilding its winning tradition under Coach Martin and her staff,” Jackson said. “I also really liked the campus and how academics were such a big part of the women’s basketball program.” "Casey is a shooter that also knows how to put the ball on the floor," Martin said. "She knows her weak-side defense well and makes things happen just because she is in the right spot at the right time on the court. With her ability to knock down the 3-pointer, we will be able to spread out our offense more." Rohrs has averaged 14 points and eight rebounds in each of the past two seasons for Liberty Center High to earn First-Team All-Northwest Ohio Athletic League and first-team all-district honors each year. As a junior she scored 292 points, grabbed 171 rebounds and shot 61.1 percent from the field. Rohrs led the Tigers in scoring, rebounds, blocks and steals to be named one of the Toledo Blade's top 25 players. As a sophomore she scored 334 points and notched 190 rebounds as she led the Tigers to a Division IV district title. Rohrs also led Liberty Center in scoring, rebounds and blocks as a sophomore. She has scored 846 points in her first three seasons, which ranks 10th in Liberty Center history. Rohrs has also tied the school record for blocked shots in a game with seven. Rohrs was also a two-time honorable-mention all-state volleyball player, becoming only the fifth player in Ohio history to reach 1,000 kills as a junior. Rohrs is a member of the National Honor Society and is ranked No. 1 in her graduating class. "Kaitlin is a physical post player that can post up with her back to the basket and step out to the wing and face up to the basket," Martin said. "She can shoot the 3-pointer and put the ball on the floor and attack. Kaitlin is going to be a player that the other teams will struggle matching up with since she can play in a variety of positions on offense." "The reason I chose YSU is because it is a good fit for me as a student athlete,” Rohrs said. “The personal attention I received from the coaching staff during the recruiting process convinced me that YSU offers everything I need to be successful both on and off the court. Coach Martin's focus on the three C's, Classroom, Community and Court, is consistent with my personal outlook on life. I am very excited to be a part of the New Coach, New Court, New Culture of Women's Basketball at YSU." "My coaching staff has done a fantastic job with recruiting, and we hope to have another commitment within the week," Martin said. "The future of YSU women's basketball is exciting as we are hand-picking young ladies that want to be the best they can in the community, classroom and court. This is a great start toward building our future." Student-athletes have until Nov. 19 to sign a National Letter of Intent in the early-signing period. The Penguins open the 2008-09 season on Saturday, Nov. 15, at Kent State. |
| YSU Adds Basketball Recruits |
| Thursday, November 13 2008 |
| Courtesy of: JOHN VARGO Tribune Chronicle |
| Lamar McKnight made his decision in mid-September, making a verbal commitment to Youngstown State University. The 6-foot-5, 205-pound forward signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the YSU men's basketball team on Wednesday. McKnight, who is entering his senior year at Bedford St. Peter Chanel, led the Firebirds to the Division IV state semifinals in March. He scored 23 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in Chanel's loss to Worthington Christian in that game. He averaged 17 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks and shot more than 50 percent from the floor last season. McKnight put in a game-high 31 points in the Division IV regional final against second-ranked and previously unbeaten Malvern at Canton Fieldhouse. McKnight can play anywhere from the point guard to center, something he has done at Chanel, which is coached by Niles resident Bernie Tarr. "He's a guy that can shoot inside and out. I think he's one of the best kids in Cleveland and one of the top kids in the state," YSU coach Jerry Slocum said during Wednesday's weekly news conference. "He's a player that has shot the ball well from the perimeter and has played with his back to the basket. He has a very solid game. I'm very excited to get him." YSU women's coach Cindy Martin was excited to sign Casey Jackson and Kaitlin Rohrs. Jackson is a 5-7 guard from Hebron, Ky., while Rohrs is a 6-1 forward from Liberty Center. Jackson averaged a team-high 15.5 points, averaged four rebounds and had 73 steals last season, while Rohrs scored 292 points, grabbed 171 rebounds and shot 61.1 percent as a junior. "Both those young ladies are 3-point shooters," Martin said. "They both can put it on the floor. It's very rare to find a 6-1 post player that can bang like Tiara (Scott) can. But, she can step out and put it on the floor, kind of like Kelsey Gurganus can right now. It's very exciting to pick up two really good players in the early signing period." As for McKnight, he's excited he'll major in graphic design at YSU. "I chose to go to Youngstown State because it worked to my advantage in both basketball and graphic design," McKnight said in a news release. He's a player who will enrich the program, Slocum said. "This is a quality player like Eddie D'Haiti and Ashen Ward. Lamar is a special player and I think his best basketball is ahead of him," said Slocum, whose team has one scholarship remaining for the 2009-10 season. McKnight will play in one of the nation's premier mid-major leagues - the Horizon League. Teams like Butler and Milwaukee, with their postseason accolades, have vaulted the Horizon League to national prominence in recent years. YSU has used its league membership to its advantage. "The Horizon League is getting to be a marketable name out there. That has clearly helped us," said Slocum, whose team opens the season Saturday when YSU hosts Buffalo. Tipoff is at 7:05 p.m. Student athletes have until Nov. 19 to ink a National Letter of Intent during the early signing period. The late signing period is in mid April. As for the women, they have six remaining scholarships for the 09-10 season. "We're hoping to have another one here soon," Martin said. jvargo@tribtoday.com |
| Four Players Elected Team Captains for 2008-09 Campaign |
| Friday, November 7 2008 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Youngstown -- Seniors Kelsey Gurganus, Tiara Scott and Velissa Vaughn and junior Kaitlyn March have been elected captains of the Youngstown State women's basketball team for the 2008-09 season. Gurganus and Vaughn previously served as team captains during the spring after first-year head coach Cindy Martin was chosen to lead the program. "Our coaching staff is extremely pleased with the team's choice in captains this season," Martin said. "This is our season of change. We are going to hustle, play together as a team and commit to working hard in the community, classroom and court every day. I feel confident that Kelsey, Kaitlyn, Tiara and Velissa will lead this team to achieving our goals." Gurganus averaged 6.1 points in 29 games last season, which was her first with the Penguins as a transfer from Southern Miss. March was a reserve player her first two seasons, but she is expected to play a much bigger role as a junior. She worked hard in the offseason and has shown a big improvement. Scott was a Second-Team All-Horizon League in her first season at YSU as a JUCO transfer. She averaged 13.1 points and 6.5 rebounds while playing every game. Vaughn averaged 11.4 points against Horizon League opponents last season and 7.9 points overall. She scored in double figures 10 times in 18 league games. The Penguins will play host to Pittsburgh-Johnstown on Sunday at 2 p.m. in an exhibition contest. Their regular season begins on Nov. 15 at Kent State at 2 p.m. |
| Penguins Set to Host Ashland in Exhibition Contest |
| Tuesday, November 4 2008 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Youngstown -- The Youngstown State women's basketball team will take on Ashland in an exhibition contest at the Beeghly Center on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The game will be the first on-court display for the public of the 2008-09 team under first-year head coach Cindy Martin. Admission is free, and seating will be on a first-come-first-served basis. The 2008-09 squad features six seniors, three juniors, a sophomore and three freshmen. Five of the 13 student-athletes on the roster are newcomers to the team. Ashland finished 19-11 overall last season and returns all five starters from the 2007-08 squad that finished as the runner-up in the GLIAC Tournament. Current YSU assistant coach Shannon Sword spent the last two seasons with the Eagles as a graduate assistant. |