| Scott Named Women's Basketball Most Valuable Player, Seniors Honored at Banquet |
| Monday, March 31 2008 |
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| Youngstown -- Junior Tiara Scott was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2007-08 Youngstown State women's basketball team and seniors Lauren Branson, Heather Karner, Kira Mowen and Jessica Schloemp were honored Sunday at the annual women's basketball awards banquet at Cassese's Mahoning Valley Restaurant. Scott, a junior-college transfer, was named to the All-Horizon League Second-Team and All-Newcomer Team after averaging 13.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Scott also led the Guins in scoring with 15 points per game against Horizon League opponents. Scott also led the Penguins with a .545 field-goal percentage, which ranks seventh on the YSU single-season chart. Branson, a Horizon League All-Defensive Team selection in 2007-08, was named the team's Defensive Player of the Year and led the team with 55 steals and 167 assists. Junior Velissa Vaughn earned the Most Improved Player Award after starting 15 of the last 16 games and ranking third on the team with 7.9 points per game overall and 11.4 points per game against Horizon League foes. Karner, the team's leading scorer with 14 points per game, garnered the Dedication Award. Karner spent countless hours in the gym before and after practice to work on her shooting. She set a school record with 87 3-pointers in 2007-08 and ranks sixth all-time with 139 career 3-pointers. Mowen, who played in 17 games, earned the Spirit Award. Schloemp picked up the Penguin Hustle Award after leading the team and ranking second in the Horizon League with 7.2 rebounds per game. Schloemp also finished her career with 618 rebounds, which rank 10th on the all-time list. |
| Four Score Double Figures But Penguins Fall to Wright State in Quarterfinals |
| Wednesday, March 12 2008 |
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| Dayton, Ohio -- Junior Tiara Scott led four players scoring in double figures with 18 points and 10 rebounds but the Youngstown State women's basketball shot just 35.2 percent from the field and dropped a 69-60 decision to Wright State in the Horizon League Quarterfinals on Wednesday evening at the Nutter Center. The Penguins season ends with a record of 14-17 while Wright State improves to 15-15 and advances to the Horizon League Semifinals. Senior Heather Karner scored 15 points and pushed her single-season 3-point mark to 87 while junior Toni Roscoe scored a career-high 11 points. Senior Lauren Branson added 10 points with five rebounds and six assists. The Guins led 8-5 early in the contest but the Raiders used an 18-5 run to take a 23-13 lead with 8:13 remaining in the first half. The Raiders extended their lead to as many as 16 points, 49-33, at the 12:38 mark after a 3-pointer by Shey Peddy, who scored a game-high 26 points. The Guins cut the deficit to eight points, 56-48, on Karner's fourth 3-pointer but the Guins would not get any closer. |
| Karner Sets YSU Single-Season 3-Point Mark in 65-54 Win over Detroit |
| Tuesday, March 11 2008 |
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| Youngstown -- Senior Heather Karner set the Youngstown State single-season 3-pointer record after hitting five and leading the No. 7 YSU women's basketball team with 18 points en route to a 65-54 win over No. 10 Detroit on Monday evening at the Beeghly Center. Karner, who has made 83 3-pointers this season, also grabbed five rebounds and dished out two assists to pace the Penguins (14-16) to their first Horizon League Tournament victory. Junior Tiara Scott also reached double figures with 11 points. After Detroit (6-24) cut the Penguins second-half lead down to one, 30-29, junior Toni Roscoe drained a 3-pointer to cushion the Guins lead to four, 33-29, at the 18 minute mark. Over the next eight minutes, the Penguins extended its lead to 10 points, 45-35, after Karner hit a 3-point at the 10:08 mark. Detroit went on a 15-8 run over the next six minutes to cut the deficit to three, 53-50, with 4:08 remaining. A jumper by Ashley Pendleton and a three-point by Jessica Schloemp pushed the Penguins lead by to seven, 57-50, at the 3:24 mark. Detroit would not get any closer than six points, 58-52, the rest of the way. In the first half, the Guins shot just 31 percent from the field but were helped by Karner’s three 3-pointers and Tiara Scott’s nine points on 3-of-5 shooting and three free throws. Karner tied the single-season 3-point mark with the first basket of the game, which gave the Penguins a 3-0 lead. She broke the mark with her second triple of the evening and cut a five-point deficit to two, 12-10, at the 10:37 mark. Karner’s third trey of the half gave the Guins a one-point lead, 13-12, at the 9:51 mark but the teams battled through four ties and two more lead changes over the next five minutes. With the game knotted at 20-20, Scott made two free throws and then converted a three-point play to push the Guins ahead by five, 25-20, with 3:28 left. A three-pointer by Detroit’s Gabby Hungerford trimmed the YSU edge to two, 26-24, with just under a minute remaining, but Jessica Schloemp’s two free throws with 30 seconds left ended the scoring and gave the Guins a 28-24 halftime lead. The Penguins take on No. 2 Wright State, Wednesday, March 12. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. at the Nutter Center. |
| Scott, Branson Pick Up Horizon League Honors |
| Tuesday, March 11 2008 |
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| Indianapolis, Ind. -- Youngstown State junior Tiara Scott was named to the All-Horizon League Second Team and All-Newcomer Team and senior Lauren Branson was named to the league’s All-Defensive Team, the league announced on Monday. Scott led the Penguins with 15 points per game and averaged 6.6 rebounds per game against Horizon League foes. She also averaged 13 points per game overall and ranked 11th in the league in scoring. Scott is the third YSU player in the last four seasons to be named to the All-Newcomer Team. Heather Karner made the team in 2006-07 and Branson earned the same honor in 2004-05. Branson, who led the Horizon League with 5.9 assists in league games, averaged 2.1 steals per game in league play. Branson also led the league with 158 assists and 5.5 assists per game in all games. |
| Women's Basketball Holds Off Late UIC Rally For 71-62 Win in Regular Season Finale |
| Saturday, March 8 2008 |
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| Chicago, Ill. -- The Youngstown State women's basketball team used a 19-2 late first-half run to build a 10-point halftime lead and staved off a UIC second-half rally to to post a 71-62 victory in the regular-season finale on Saturday afternoon at the UIC Pavilion. Senior Heather Karner led the Penguins with 23 points, including five 3-pointers, and junior Tiara Scott posted a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds while junior Ashley Pendleton added 14 points to lead the Penguins. After YSU built its lead to 12 points, 33-21, to start the second half, the Flames fought their way back into the game and took a 54-53 lead after outscoring the Penguins 33-20 in a 13-minute span. UIC's Jessie Miller , who scored 17 of her 21 points and hit five 3-pointers in the second half, put the Flames ahead with her fifth triple at the 6:20 mark. Leading by one, 61-60, at the 2:01 mark, Pendleton made two jumpers and the Guins made their last six free throws, including four from senior Lauren Branson, to seal the victory. Branson finished with eight points, all on free throws, and 11 assists. In the first half, the Guins trailed 19-12, with eight minutes left but scored 14 straight points to take a 26-19 lead at the 2:20 mark. Free throws from Scott brought the Guins within one, 19-18, and 3-pointers from Toni Roscoe and Karner put YSU ahead by five, 24-19, with 3:04 remaining. The Flames cut the lead to five, but a free throw from both Pendleton and Roscoe and another 3-pointer from Rosoce put the Penguins up 10 at the intermission. The Penguins shot 87.5 percent (28-of-32) from the free throw line, including 16-of-18 in the second half. The Guins also made their last free throws. UIC shot 58.6 percent from the field in the second half but only connected on 25 perent before halftime. The Guins host Detroit, Monday, March 10, at 7:05 p.m. in the first round of the Horizon League Tournament. |
| Hill Resigns Youngstown State Women’s Basketball Post |
| Friday, March 7 2008 |
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| Youngstown -- Youngstown State women’s basketball Head Coach Tisha Hill will resign from her position at the end of the 2007-08 season, Youngstown State Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Ron Strollo announced on Friday. “We would like to thank Coach Hill for her work and effort with our women’s basketball program the past five years,” Strollo said. “Her student-athletes have always done well in the classroom and have represented Youngstown State in a positive manner.” “The timing of this announcement should not overshadow the importance of our final regular-season game on Saturday at UIC and we realize there is still the Horizon League Tournament to prepare for.” In her fifth season as head coach, Hill currently owns an overall record of 42-97 and 24-57 mark in the Horizon League. She has also mentored YSU’s only First-Team All-Horizon League pick (Jen Perugini, 2004-05) and two Horizon League All-Newcomer Team selections (Lauren Branson, 2004-05, and Heather Karner, 2006-07). “I would like to thank Youngstown State University for giving me the opportunity to lead its women’s basketball program over the past five seasons,” Hill said. “However, at this time, I feel it is in the best interest for both the program and myself that I step down." “I also want to thank the players and coaches who have worked tremendously hard and always represented YSU in a first-class manner.” A national search for Hill’s replacement will commence immediately at the conclusion of the 2007-08 season. After Saturday's contest at UIC, the Penguins host Detroit, Monday, March 10, in the first round of the Horizon League Women’s Basketball Tournament. Tipoff is set for 7:05 p.m. at the Beeghly Center. |
| Hot-Shooting Ramblers Topples Women's Basketball, 86-70 |
| Friday, March 7 2008 |
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| Chicago, Ill. -- Junior Tiara Scott scored 18 points and senior Jessica Schloemp scored 17 but the Youngstown State women's basketball team could overcome a hot-shooting Loyola ball club and dropped a 86-70 decision to the Ramblers on Thursday evening at the Gentile Center. The Penguins fall to 12-16 overall and 7-10 in the Horizon League while the Ramblers improve to 7-21 overall and 5-12 in the league. Loyola, which shot 52.5 percent for the game, shot 60.7 percent from the field in the second half and quickly turned a six-point halftime lead into an 11-point advantage, 43-32, less than a minute into the second half. A jumper by Scott and a lay up by Velissa Vaughn cut the deficit to seven, but the Ramblers quickly responded with five straight points to balloon their lead back to 12, 48-36, with 15:52 remaining. Ashley Pendleton's layup at the 14:10 mark brought the Guins within eight points, 50-42, but the Penguins would not get closer. Loyola closed out the first half with a 13-2 run to erase a five point deficit and take a 38-32 advantage into the locker room. The Penguins held a 30-25 lead with 5:42 remaining after two free throws from Scott, but the Ramblers scored the next 13 points - keyed by Keisha Collins' seven straight points - to take a 38-30 lead with 1:36 left. Toni Roscoe converted two free throws at the 1:22 mark to finish the first half scoring. Over the last 8:21 of the half, the Guins did not make a field goal and committed eight of their 13 first-half miscues. The Penguins jumped out to an early 7-2 lead but the Ramblers quickly answered to knot the game at 9-9. The Guins, who shot 47.6 percent in the first half, made 10 of their first 16 field goal attempts (62.5 percent) but missed their last five shots. The Guins close out the 2007-08 regular season against UIC, Saturday, March 8, at 4 p.m. |
| Penguins Host ...Athletics Department Announces Women’s Basketball Tournament Ticket Prices |
| Monday, March 3 2008 |
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| Youngstown – The Youngstown State women’s basketball team will host a Horizon League First-Round Tournament Game, Monday, March 10, at 7:05 p.m., the YSU Athletics Department announced on Monday. The Penguins’ opponent has yet to be determined. Tickets prices include $10 for reserved, $6 for general admission while admission for YSU students is free with a valid YSU Student ID. Reserved and general admission tickets will go on sale to the general public beginning Tuesday, March 4, at the YSU Ticket Office inside Stambaugh Stadium. Season ticket holders and Penguin Club members will have until close of business this Friday, March 7, to renew their seats for the tournament game YSU Ticket Office hours will be: Tuesday March 4 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Wednesday March 5 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Thursday March 6 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Friday March 7 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday March 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m. at Beeghly Center. Fans may call (330) 941-1YSU (1978) to reserve tickets by phone during normal business hours. The Guins visit the Windy City to close out the 2007-08 regular season beginning against Loyola, Thursday, March 4. Tipoff is slated for 8 p.m. YSU also faces UIC, Saturday, March 8, at 4 p.m. |
| Karner, Schloemp Pace Guins But Fall to Valparaiso on Senior Day |
| Sunday, March 2 2008 |
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| Youngstown -- Senior Heather Karner scored a game-high 21 points and senior Jessica Schloemp posted a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds but the Youngstown State women's basketball team fell to Valparaiso, 70-59, on Saturday afternoon at the Beeghly Center on Senior Day The Penguins, who shot just 29.9 percent in the second half, held a three-point halftime lead, 37-34, but Valparaiso's Agnieszka Kulaga hit a jumper and Aimee Litka made a 3-pointer to give the Crusaders a two-point lead, 39-37, at the 18:47 mark. The teams battled through three more ties and five lead changes over the next seven minutes before the Crusaders took the lead for good on Whitney Farris's jumper midway through the half. Karner hit a jumper at the 11:29 mark to give the Guins a 52-51lead, their last of the game. Valparaiso built its lead to as many as 12 points and Penguins would score just seven points over the last 10 minutes of the game. Youngstown State shot 50 percent from the field and made five 3-pointers before the intermission. The Crusaders built a nine-point lead, 25-16, after a jumper by Launa Hochstetler with 7:17 remaining. YSU rallied with a 13-4 run to knot the game at 29-29, with 1:56 left. After two free throws by Hochstetler put the Crusaders ahead, 34-32, with 55 seconds remaining, Schloemp hit a 3-pointer and Tiara Scott made a jumper to put give the Guins a three-point halftime lead, 37-34. The Guins visit the Windy City to close out the 2007-08 regular season beginning against Loyola, Thursday, March 4. Tipoff is slated for 8 p.m. YSU also faces UIC, Saturday, March 8, at 4 p.m. |