| Massive Comeback Fizzles as Penguins Fall 70-52 at Loyola |
| Friday, February 27 2009 |
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| Chicago -- The Youngstown State women's basketball team cut a 24-point deficit to three points, but the Penguins ran out of gas and fell 70-52 to Loyola on Thursday evening at the Gentile Center. The Penguins gave the Ramblers a 19-point head start and trailed 29-5 before going on a 33-9 run. YSU scored the first nine points of the second half and trailed just 38-35 on Jaquetta Westley's fast-break lay-up at the 15:38 mark of the second half. The Penguins, however, started to tire and let Loyola go on a 9-2 run and could not get closer than seven the rest of the way. Camisha Alexander scored 16 points, 12 of which came in the first 10 minutes of the second half, to lead the Penguins. Four other players scored at least seven, including a career-high eight points from Kenya Middlebrooks. Elyse VanBogaert scored 23 points on 11-for-13 shooting for Loyola to lead all scorers. Trailing 34-18 at halftime following a 13-5 run to close out the half, YSU came out and scored 17 points in the first 4:22 of the second half. Alexander scored six points during the run, Kelsey Gurganus scored five, and Macey Nortey, Middlebrooks and Westley all had two. After Westley's lay up with 15:38 remaining, YSU scored 17 points the rest of the half. Lindsey Sebetic hit a 3-pointer, her only bucket of the game, on Loyola's next possession to spark the Rambler's 9-2 run. The Penguins outscored the Ramblers 16-4 off turnovers in the second half and had a season-high 18 points off the fast break. YSU was ultimately doomed, however, but a nightmarish start. The Penguins did not score until the 12:37 mark of the first half and missed their first seven shots until Rachael Manuel's bucket at the 11:06 mark found the net. Once YSU got on the board, the Guins outscored Loyola 18-15 for the rest of the half. YSU shot 28 percent in the first half while Loyola shot 45.2 percent. The Guins also committed 11 turnovers, six of which came in the first nine minutes as a result of Loyola's full-court defense. Those turnovers led to a 21-7 edge for Loyola in points off turnovers in the opening half. The Ramblers also outscored YSU 13-4 on fast-break opportunities through the first 20 minutes. VanBogaert scored all 13 of her first-half points in the first 12 minutes and was 6-for-8 from the field in the period. After her 13th point at the 8:16 mark put Loyola up 29-5, YSU closed out the half on a 13-5 run. Manuel and Nortey hit jumpers, and Nortey and Middlebrooks went 3-for-3 from the line as YSU scored seven straight points. Alexander also hit two jumpers in a span of 50 seconds a YSU climbed to within 15 with 2:16 to go. Jessica Hylton added six points in the first half for Loyola on two 3-pointers. YSU dropped to 2-24 overall and 0-15 in Horizon League contests. Loyola improved to 8-17 overall, 3-12 in league play and won for the second time in three games. The Penguins will stay in Chicago to play UIC on Saturday at 4 p.m. EST. |
| Nortey Notches Best Scoring Game in Loss to Wright State |
| Saturday, February 21 2009 |
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| Youngstown -- Once again the Youngstown State women's basketball team had a strong first-half showing at home. However, Wright State came out hot in the second half as the Penguins had to settle for 68-51 loss on Saturday afternoon at the Beeghly Center. Youngstown State trailed 26-25 at halftime behind a solid defensive showing that forced WSU into 13 turnovers. It marked the fourth straight home game where the contest was within two points or fewer at the break. The Penguins started the second half on a good note as Tiara Scott and Kelsey Guranus each scored. Trailing 29-28 at the the 18:50 mark of the second half on Gurganus' basket, the Raiders (11-15 overall and 7-8 in the Horizon League) scored 13 straight points. Wright State built a 41-29 lead by the 13:44 mark. To start the second half, WSU scored 20 of the first 26 points, building a 46-31 lead with 11:38 left in the game. Wright State outscored Youngstown State 42-26 in the final 20 minutes. Wright State matched its first half total of 26 points in the first 10 minutes of the second half as it started 10-for-15. The Raiders held a 44-25 edge in rebounds, including a 15-7 lead on the offensive end. Leading the way offensively for YSU was freshman guard Macey Nortey. Nortey set a career high with 14 points eclipsing her previous best of 13 she had in the season-opener at Kent State. Nortey was 6-of-14 from the field and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line. She also handed out six assists, which matched her career-high, and picked up two steals. For the game, the Penguins shot 39.6 percent, making 19-of-48 attempts. Wright State made 49 percent from the field (25-of-51). Ta-myra Davis scored a game-high 16 points to lead three Raiders who reached double figures. YSU drops to 2-23 overall and 0-14 in the Horizon League. The Penguins have lost 15 straight. With the win, Wright State snapped a five-game losing skid. In the first half, YSU led 15-11 with 5:46 remaining but Wright State answered with a 9-0 run to go ahead 20-15 on a jumper by Tatianna Hall just three minutes later. Ashley Pendleton's layup stopped the run momentarily, but the Raiders led 23-18 with just under two minutes remaining. However, the Penguins closed the stanza on a 7-3 run to get within 26-25 at the break when Jaquetta Westley made two free throws with 7.3 seconds remaining. For the half, the Guins shot 34.6 percent making 9-of-26 shots from the field. Wright State shot 42.1 percent connecting on 8-of-19 tries, but struggled from the free-throw line making just 8-of-16 tries. The opening half featured two ties and four lead changes. The Penguins turned up the defensive pressure forcing 13 Raider turnovers while having just six miscues themsleves. Wright State scored the initial five points of the game, but YSU answered scoring eight straight, in six consecutive by Nortey. At the 9:28 mark the contest was tied at 11 before the Guins struck for four straight points. The Penguins head back out on the road looking for their first league win of the season on Thursday at Loyola. Tipoff at the Gentile Center is set for 8 p.m. Eastern time. |
| Gurganus Highlights Strong Offensive Effort in 70-62 Loss to Detroit |
| Friday, February 20 2009 |
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| Youngstown -- Senior Kelsey Gurganus scored a season-high 15 points to pace a strong offensive effort for the Youngstown State women's basketball team in a 70-62 loss to Detroit on Thursday evening. Jaquetta Westley added 16 points for the Penguins, who posted their second-best scoring and shooting performances of the season. Westley and Gurganus combined to hit six of YSU's season-high eight 3-pointers. Camisha Alexander had the other two and finished with nine points. Sandi Brown scored a game-high 27 points on 10-for-16 shooting, and Jaleesa Trussell added 16 off the bench. Detroit was 16-for-20 from the free-throw line and outscored YSU 36-18 in the paint and 26-13 off turnovers. The continually improving Titans move to 9-16 overall and 5-9 in Horizon League play while the Penguins fall to 2-22 and 0-13. With the score tied at 29 at halftime, Detroit began the second half by outscoring the Penguins 12-5 to take a 41-34 lead at the 14:54 mark. After Nortey and Alexander hit buckets to make the score 43-42 with 12:51 remaining, the Titans scored 14 straight points over the next four minutes and led 57-42 with 8:17 to go. Detroit led by as many 16, and the eight-point deficit at the end of the contest was the closest YSU got in the final 10 minutes. In the first half, the Penguins forced seven Detroit turnovers in the first eight minutes but could only convert two points off those miscues and found themselves trailing by nine, 16-7, midway through the first half. Over the next four minutes, the Guins scored 11 straight points to take an 18-16 lead with 6:39 to go. Alexander began the surge with a layup and was followed by two jumpers by Ashley Pendleton. Gurganus' layup brought the Penguins within one and Alexander drilled a 3-pointer to give the Penguins the two-point edge. After a jumper by Brown knotted the game at 18, Monique Godfrey hit a jumper and Westley drained a 3-pointer to cap a 16-2 run and give the Guins a 23-18 lead with 3:04 remaining. During that run, Detroit missed seven straight field-goal attempts before Brown's jumper. Chanica Hall answered with a 3-pointer to cut the lead back to two, 23-21, but Nortey responded with a jumper to extend the Guins advantage back to four, 25-21, at the 2:26 mark. Detroit, however, would outscore YSU, 8-4, over the last two minutes to tie the game at 29-29 at the intermission. The Penguins host Wright State on Saturday at 2:05 p.m. They will participate in the WBCA Pink Zone initiative by wearing pink warm-ups to increase awareness for breast cancer. |
| First-Half Offensive Troubles Overshadow Solid Second Half in 65-35 Loss |
| Sunday, February 15 2009 |
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| Cleveland, Ohio -- The Youngstown State women's basketball team nearly played even with Cleveland State in the second half, but a poor offensive showing in the first half doomed the Penguins to a 65-35 loss Saturday at the Wolstein Center. The Penguins and Vikings both scored 23 points up to the 3:25 mark of the the second half when CSU put four of its five starters back in to make the half's final total 30-25. CSU's Shawnita Garland scored a game-high 18 points as the only player in double figures. Jessica Roque had nine points for the Vikings while Kailey Klein added eight in 28 minutes. Tiara Scott scored all seven of her points in the first 12 minutes of the second half , and Kelsey Gurganus added seven. Monique Godfrey tied her season-high with five points in a season-high 16 minutes. The Penguins were outshot 50 percent to 26.5 percent and outscored 40-14 in the paint, 20-12 off turnovers and 12-0 in fast break points. Most of those differences came in the first half. In the second half, CSU outscored YSU 18-14 in the paint and 2-0 on the fast break, and the Penguins held a 7-4 edge in points off turnovers. YSU also made just four turnovers in the second half. The second half was overshadowed on the scoreboard, however, as the Penguins were 4-for-19 and committed 13 turnovers in the first half as Cleveland State built a 35-10 lead. YSU's Camisha Alexander made the game's first bucket at the 19:41 mark, but Cleveland State scored eight straight points as YSU committed six turnovers in the first five minutes. Kaitlyn March hit a 3-pointer with 13:51 remaining to cut the margin to 8-5, and Cleveland State led 13-7 after Monique Godfrey's bucket with 9:28 remaining. Cleveland State then scored 10 straight points as part of an overall 22-3 run to close out the half. The Vikings, who hit just five of their first 14 shots, made 11 of their final 16 in the period. All five of Cleveland State's first-half turnovers occurred in the first 10 minutes prior to its efficient finish. The Vikings shot 53.3 percent in the first half, which had just six combined fouls. Garland led all scorers with 10 points in the half while March had five to lead YSU. The Penguins return home for two league contests next week. YSU will entertain Detroit at the Beeghly Center on Thursday at 7:05 p.m. |
| Turnovers Outweigh Solid Free Throw Shooting at Green Bay |
| Friday, February 6 2009 |
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| Green Bay, Wis. -- Green Bay shot a scorching 71 percent in the first half and closed out the period on a 23-4 run en route to a 79-42 victory on Thursday evening at the Kress Events Center. The Phoenix remain undefeated at 10-0 in Horizon League play and improved to 18-3 overall. Green Bay put five players in double figures without anyone playing more than 25 minutes. Kati Harty was 6-for-6 from the field and scored all of her team-high 14 points in the first half for UWGB. Green Bay had a school-record 27 steals, which it turned into a 44-6 edge in points off turnovers. Tiara Scott scored a team-high nine points for the Penguins. YSU was 18-for-20 from the line for 90 percent and held a 40-28 edge in rebounding. The Penguins hit 18 of their first 19 from the stripe, which would have been a school record for best free-throw percentage in a game, but the last attempt at 1:22 was off the mark. YSU shot well in the first half, connecting on 8-of-17 from the field and 7-of-8 from the free-throw line. Green Bay, however, accumulated 16 steals in the opening 20 minutes and shot a scorching 71 percent to lead 54-24 at halftime. UWGB was 22-for-31 from the field, including 6-for-11 from behind the 3-point arc, in the first half. Scott scored all nine of her first half points in the first 4:15 as YSU trailed 14-11 at the 15:45 mark. Rachel Porath then scored five straight points to spark a 7-0 run for the Phoenix that gave it a 21-11 lead with 13:48 left. After YSU climbed to within 23-17 on two Macey Nortey free throws at the 11:22 mark, Green Bay twice scored eight straight points and went on an 11-0 run before the end of the half. Jaquetta Westley had all five of YSU's assists in the first half, which equaled her career-high. Green Bay outscored YSU 25-18 as both teams cooled from the field. Green Bay shot 37 percent while YSU shot 14.3 percent. The Penguins continue their Wisconsin road trip on Saturday at Milwaukee. Tipoff at the Klotsche Center is set for 3 p.m. EST. YSU fell 72-60 to Milwaukee on Jan. 8 in Youngstown. |
| LaFleur Finishes With Double-Double in Loss to Loyola |
| Sunday, February 1 2009 |
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| Youngstown -- Senior forward Nikita LaFleur registered her seventh double-double of the season, but a strong final 10-minute effort by Loyola proved to be the difference as the Ramblers defeated the Penguins 56-42 on Saturday at the Beeghly Center. LaFleur scored 10 points while grabbing 15 rebounds and recording her first double-double since Jan. 10 against Green Bay. It was her third double-double in Horizon League play this season. With the loss, YSU falls to 2-18 overall and 0-9 in the Horizon League while Loyola is now 6-13 and 1-8. A two-point tilt at halftime, Loyola outscored the Guins 36-24 in the second stanza, including 26-16 the last 10 minutes. The contest remained close throughout the opening 10 minutes of the second half. The game was tied at 22 following two Macey Nortey free throws at the 16:22 mark. Down six, the Guins pulled within 30-26 on Tiara Scott's jumper at the 10:24 mark. But Loyola scored the next 10 points in just over three-and-a-half minutes to lead 40-26 when Maggie McCloskey drained a 3-pointer. From that time on, the closest the Guins could get was 12 (47-35). For the game, Loyola shot 36.8 (21-of-57) percent, including 46.4 (13-of-28) in the second half. From 3-point range, Loyola was 6-of-9 in the second frame. YSU shot 34.8 percent making 16-of-46 shots. The Guins outrebounded the Ramblers 39-33. Scott led YSU with 11 points while Loyola had four players in double figures led by Keisha Collins' 13. In the first half, YSU shot 37.5 percent (9-of-24) while the Ramblers converted on 27.6 percent of their attempts (8-of-29). The Penguins won the battle of the boards 21-17 and had six of assists on nine baskets. YSU scored eight of the contest's first 13 points before the Ramblers went on a 10-2 run to go ahead 15-10 with 7:44 left in the half on a fastbreak layup by Jessica Hylton. The Guins were able to get within 17-16 on a Jaquetta Westley jumper with 3:44 left in the half, but that was as close as they could get the rest of the game. Following Westley's basket, Loyola's Caitlin Pauley answered with a 3-pointer to make the score 20-16. Rachael Manual scored with 1:44 remaining to make the halftime score 20-18. The Penguins go back on the road for three straight beginning with a Thursday night contest at Green Bay. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. as the Guins start the second half of the league slate. |