Guins Search For Third Horizon League Win at League Leader Green Bay

    Green Bay, Wis. -- The Youngstown State women's basketball team (7-7, 2-1 Horizon League) searches for its first 3-1 start in the Horizon League when it visits defending league champion Green Bay, Saturday, Jan. 12. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. (EDT) at the Kress Center.

Last Time Out
The Penguins are coming off a 76-66 loss to Milwaukee on Thursday evening. Trailing by 17 with 15 minutes left in the game, the Guins used an 18-2 run to slice the Panthers’ advantage to one but could not over take UWM. Junior Tiara Scott led the Penguins with 22 points while senior Lauren Branson posted 17 points with five assists and three steals.

The Series
This will be the 19th meeting between the Penguins and Phoenix. UWGB owns a 17-1 advantage in the all-time series and has won the last four contests. The Penguins lone victory was a 60-56 win during the 2004-05 season.

Scouting The Phoenix
Green Bay enters Saturday’s contest with a 11-3 overall record and a 3-0 record in the Horizon League The Phoenix has won seven consective games after an 87-61 victory over Cleveland State on Thursday evening. Rachel Porath leads three others in double figures with 14.5 points per game. Kayla Groh is averaging 13.7 points per game while Katy Harty and Lavessa Clover are averaging 11.4 and 10.6 points per game, respectively.

A Win Will
• Mark YSU’s eighth victory of the season.
• Give Head Coach Tisha Hill her 39th career victory.
• Mark YSU’s second win over Green Bay.
• Snap a four-game losing streak to the Phoenix.
• Mark YSU’s first win at the Kress Center since 2005.
• Mark the 462nd win in program history.
• Mark the first time YSU has started 3-1 in the Horizon League.

Scott is Hot
Over the last four games junior Tiara Scott has been almost unstoppable. Scott is averaging 20.5 points, 9.8 rebounds per game while shooting 59.3 percent from the field and 94.7 percent from the free throw line. Scott has also made 15 straight free throws since Dec. 21, 2007.

Branson Lights It Up
Senior Lauren Branson, not known for her scoring, lit up Milwaukee for her second-highest scoring total with 17 points. For the second time this season and in her career, Branson drilled three 3-pointers. She also made three treys in a career-high, 20-point performance against Central Michigan on Dec. 5.

Great Scott
Since Dec. 1, junior Tiara Scott has been playing like a woman possessed. Over the last nine games, the 6-foot forward is averaging 15 points and 7.7 rebounds per game while shooting 57.1 percent from the floor and 83.8 percent from the free-throw line. In the first five games of the year, Scott averaged just 5.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.

Four Reach Doubles in Consecutive Outings
Last Saturday’s 70-58 win over Horizon League foe Loyola mark the second straight game four YSU players scored in double figures this season. Senior Heather Karner and junior Tiara Scott led the Guins with 17 points each while junior Velissa Vaughn added 14 points and senior Jessica Schloemp contributed 12 points. Four players also scored at least 10 points in a 73-62 win over UIC on Jan. 3. It also marks the first time since a 74-62 loss at Green Bay on Feb. 15, 2007, and a 76-70 loss to Milwaukee on Feb. 17, 2007, that four players scored at least 10 points in consectutive games.

Glass Cleaner
Senior Jessica Schloemp continues to produce for the Penguins on the boards. Against UIC last Thursday, Schloemp pulled down a season-high 18 rebounds, including eight on the offensive glass, and grabbed nine against Loyola on Jan. 5. She is averaging 7.9 rebounds per game, which ranks second in the Horizon League, and has posted 10-plus rebounds in a game on four occasions (Buffalo - 14, Toledo - 11, Central Michigan - 10, UIC - 18). Over the last four games, Schloemp has pulled down 39 rebounds for an average of 9.8 rebounds per game.

That 70’s Show
With 74 points against Akron on Dec. 21, 73 points against UIC on Jan. 3, and 70 points against Loyola on Jan. 5, the Guins scored at least 70 points in three consecutive games for the first time since they opened the 2004-05 season scoring 76 against Saint Louis (W, 76-59), 79 against Ohio (L, 79-85) and 71 against Florida Atlantic (W, 71-58). The last time YSU scored 70 points in four straight games was during the 1999-2000 season when it posted at least 70 points in seven straight games (Jan. 22 - Feb. 17, 2000).

As Karner Goes So Do Guins
If the Penguins are going to win, it is more than probable senior Heather Karner has a good game. In YSU's seven victories, Karner is averaging 15.7 points and 4.1 rebounds per game while shooting 44 percent from the field, 42.2 percent from behind the arc and 86.2 percent from the free-throw line.

Holy Trinity
The Guins are off to their best start in league play thanks in part to a rejuninated offensive arsenal. YSU is averaging 69.7 points per game led by the three-pronged attack of Tiara Scott (19 ppg), Heather Karner (13 ppg) and Velissa Vaughn (11 ppg). That trio combines for 48.5 points per game in league play.

Best Start Since 1999-2000
With its 7-7 record after 14 games, the Youngstown State women’s basketball team is off to its best start since going 10-4 after the first 14 contests of the 1999-2000 season. The Guins have also matched their win total from a season ago.

Vaughn Hits For Season High, Again
Junior Velissa Vaughn turned in another season-best performance against Loyola on Jan. 5. The 5-foot-8 guard scored 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including 3-of-3 from behind the arc, to help the Penguins to a 70-58 win. Vaughn has scored 33 points in the last three games - an average of 11 points per game. In the previous nine contests, she scored just 17 points for a scoring average of 1.9 points per game.

Schloemp Streak at 87
Senior Jessica Schloemp owns a games played streak of 87 straight. Schloemp has also played in 97 of 98 career games.

Assist Me, Please
Senior Lauren Branson continues to prove her value as a point guard. This season, the 5-foot-6 guard has tallied 68 assists to just 30 turnovers in 32.8 minutes per game. She is second in the Horizon League with 4.8 assists per game and second with a 2.27 assist-to-turnover ratio. She also ranks 13th nationally in assists-to-turnover ratio. In the last four games, Branson has dished out 26 assists compared to just eight turnovers.

Branson Six From 400
Senior Lauren Branson continues her ascent up the YSU all-time assists chart. The Cincinnati, Ohio, native currently has 394 career assists and ranks sixth on the YSU all-time career assists list. She also needs five more to become the sixth player in school history to post 400 career assists.

Seniors Tabbed Team Captains
Guards Lauren Branson, Heather Karner and Kira Mowen and senior forward Jessica Schloemp have been named team captains for the 2007-08 basketball season.

Karner Nabs Preseason Laurels
Senior Heather Karner was named to the Horizon League Preseason All-League Second-Team in a vote of the circuit’s head coaches, sports information directors and select media. Karner led the Penguins with 10.9 points per game and was named to the all-newcomer team last season.

Up Next
The return home to host Wright State, Thursday, Jan. 17. Tipoff is set for 5:15 p.m. at the Beeghly Center and is part of a men's and women's basketball doubleheader.