YSU Plays Green Bay Saturday in 1,000th GameThe Youngstown State women's basketball team will play the 1,000th game in program history on Saturday night in a Horizon League contest against first-place Green Bay. Tipoff at Beeghly Center is set for 7:05 p.m., and live coverage will be available on 1390 WNIO, iHeartRadio and the HLN.
YSU responded from a disappointing effort at Valparaiso last Saturday with a convincing 67-50 victory over Milwaukee on Thursday. The win was YSU's 500th all time, and it allowed the Penguins to surpass their victory total from last season. Youngstown State has 11 wins in its first 15 games for the first time in 13 years, and the Penguins have won their first six home games for the first time in 21 years. They'll face one of their toughest tests of the season against Green Bay, which has won eight straight games this year and 14 consecutive Horizon League regular season titles.
The Penguins trailed for just over three minutes in the win over Milwaukee, and they led by double digits for the final 17 minutes. YSU actually led 65-38 with 3:50 left before Milwaukee scored 12 of the final 14 points in the contest. The Penguins once again won with good defense, holding the Panthers to 18 points fewer than their season average and just two points from their lowest total of the season. YSU is holding opponents to 57.6 points per game this season, a 9.9 improvement from 2011-12 and its best mark since 1978-79. The Penguins will need to defend better than normal to keep pace with Green Bay, which ranks second in the country in scoring defense at 47.1 points per game.
Brandi Brown continues to rank in the top 20 nationally in points and rebounds per game, and she had 18 points on 9-for-13 shooting Thursday against Milwaukee. Monica Touvelle finished with a game-high and career-high 23 points against UWM, and Shar'Rae Davis and Karen Flagg both had 10 points.
YSU's next game will be at Cleveland State on Thursday at 7 p.m.
Tickets and Promotions
Tickets are available for purchase on YSUsports.com, by phone at (330) 941-1YSU, and at the main YSU Athletics Ticket Office in Stambaugh Stadium through Friday at 5 p.m. The Beeghly Center ticket office will open at 6 p.m. on Saturday. Fans in attendance Saturday will receive a commemorative stadium cup, courtesy of Lyden Oil, Coca-Cola and 21 WFMJ.
Scouting Green Bay
Green Bay rallied from a 12-point deficit to beat Cleveland State 52-49 on Thursday night to improve to 13-2 overall and 3-0 in league play. The Phoenix has won eight straight games, and its two losses have come by a combined seven points. Adrian Ritchie averages a team-high 14.6 points as one of four senior starters. Green Bay allows the second-fewest points per game in the country at 47.1 points.
Last Time vs. Green Bay
No. 11/12 Green Bay outscored YSU 11-1 in the final 51 seconds of regulation and 11-6 in overtime to escape with a 77-72 win on the Penguins' Senior Day on Feb. 18, 2012.
Two Kenya Middlebrooks free throws put YSU ahead 64-55 with 59 seconds left, and the Penguins still led 65-57 with 36 seconds left. Adrian Ritchie hit three free throws with 19 seconds left to tie the score, and Green Bay went on to score nine of the first 10 points in overtime.
Brandi Brown had 21 points and 19 rebounds while Kenya Middlebrooks scored 22 for YSU.
Series With Green Bay
Green Bay has won 15 straight meetings against YSU and 27 of 28 contests in the all-time series that dates back to 1993. The Penguins' lone win against the then-ranked 23rd Phoenix came on Feb. 19, 2005, in Green Bay. YSU lost 77-72 at home in overtime to Green Bay last year on senior day.
