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Feb. 13, 2008
Women's Basketball Visits Detroit
Looking To Snap Losing Skid
The
Youngstown State women’s basketball
team (10-12, 5-6 Horizon League)
looks to snap its third three-game
losing skid when it visits Detroit
(3-18, 0-10 Horizon League),
Thursday, Feb. 14.
Tipoff is slated for 5:30 p.m. at Calihan Hall and will be
broadcast live on the Horizon League
Network.
The Penguins are hoping to avoid their first four-game losing
streak since they lost the last six
games of last season while Titans
are in search of their first Horizon
League win.
Last Time Out
Four players scored in double figures and three scored more
than 20 points for the first time
since 1996 but the Youngstown State
dropped a 94-87 double-overtime
heartbreaker to Milwaukee last
Saturday at the Beeghly Center.
Junior Tiara Scott led the Penguins with 24 points and 10
rebounds while senior Heather Karner
and junior Ashley Pendleton, who
scored a career high, each posted 20
points. Junior Velissa Vaughn added
10 points.
The Series
This will be the 21st meeting
between the Penguins and Titans with
the series tied at 10-10. Each teams
posts 8-2 records on their own home
courts, but the Penguins have won
the last three contest and the last
meeting at Calihan Hall, 58-52, in
2007.
Scouting The Titans
Detroit is currently 3-18 overall
and 0-10 in the Horizon League.
Since knocking off IPFW on Jan. 9,
the Titans have dropped their last
eight games. Leading the Titans is
Sandi Brown with 10.3 points per
game while Chanica Hall and Zemora
Davis each average 7.6 points per
game.
Last Time Against the Titans
Youngstown State used a 21-3 run
midway through the second half to
break open a five-point contest
before going on to earn a 74-55
victory over the Titans on Jan. 19
at the Beeghly Center. Junior
Velissa Vaughn led three Penguins in
double figures with a game-high 19
points. Junior forward Tiara Scott
recorded her third double-double of
the season with 17 points and 12
rebounds while senior Heather Karner
finished with 13.
A Win Will
• Mark YSU’s 11th victory of the
season.
• Give Head Coach Tisha Hill her
42nd career victory.
• Mark YSU’s 11th win over the
Titans and the fourth consecutive.
• Snap a three-game losing streak.
• Give YSU its sixth Horizon League
win of the year.
• Mark the 465th win in program
history.
Double OT = Double Trouble
Only four times in school history
has Youngstown State played a
double-overtime game and both times
the outcome has not been in the
Guins’ favor. After a 94-87 loss to
Milwaukee on Saturday, the Guins
record in double overtime tilts is
0-4. The other double overtime games
were a 67-62 loss at Akron on Dec.
21, 2003, a 91-81 loss to Middle
Tennessee State on Jan. 19, 1985,
and a 99-98 loss to Austin Peay on
Feb. 16, 1984.
Three Reach 20
For the first time in almost 12
years, three players scored at least
20 points in the same game last
Saturday against Milwaukee. In the
94-87 double overtime loss, junior
Tiara Scott led the Guins with 24
points while senior Heather Karner
and junior Ashley Pendleton each
added 20 points. The last time three
Penguins scored at least 20 points
in a game was on Nov. 30, 1996, when
Liz Hauger scored 23 points, Colleen
Cook posted 22 points and Shannon
Beach contributed 21 points.
Karner Joins Century Club
In less than two seasons, senior
Heather Karner moved into the top 10
all-time for 3-pointers made and
became the 10th player in school
history to make at least 100
3-pointers in a career. Karner ranks
ninth with 107 3-point baskets.
Pendleton Hits Career High
Junior Ashley Pendleton scored a
career-high 20 points last Saturday
against Milwaukee. The Farrell, Pa.,
native went 7-of-11 from the field
and 6-of-8 from the free throw line.
Her previous career best was 18
points against Long Island on Nov.
23.
80 A Bad Omen
Surprisingly, bad things happen when
the Guins score 80-89 points this
season. On both occasions the
Penguins suffered a defeat. YSU lost
to Green Bay, 85-80, on Jan. 12, and
94-87 to Milwaukee on Feb. 9.
Vaughn Shining Versus League
Since Horizon League play started,
junior Velissa Vaughn has been
outstanding. After scoring just 17
points in the first 11 games, Vaughn
has scored 134 points for an average
of 12.2 points per game, including a
season-best 19 points against
Detroit on Jan. 19.
Branson Inching Toward Fifth
Senior guard Lauren Branson
continues her move up the YSU
all-time assist chart. With nine
assists against Milwaukee on Feb. 7,
Branson ranks sixth with 442 career
assists and needs six more to move
into fifth place past Colleen Cook
(447, 1994-98).
Need To Lead
The Penguins have led at halftime in
12 of 21 games this season and own
an 8-4 record in those games.
Karner, Branson Nationally
Seniors Heather Karner and Lauren
Branson are two of the country’s
best in their respective
specialties. Branson ranks ninth
with a 2.3 assists-to-turnover ratio
and 29th with 5.3 assists per game.
Karner is 36th nationally with 2.5
3-pointers made per game.
Schloemp Streak at 95
Senior Jessica Schloemp owns a games
played streak of 95 straight.
Schloemp has also played in 104 of
105 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 116 assists to just 50
turnovers in 33.9 minutes per game.
She leads the Horizon League with
5.3 assists per game and is second
with a 2.3 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Branson Nets Academic Award
Senior Lauren Branson was named Academic All-District IV by
the College Sports Information
Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Branson, a 2006-07 Academic
All-Horizon League pick, carries a
3.93 grade-point average in special
education and is the fourth
Youngstown State student-athlete in
2007-08 to earn academic
all-district laurels.
She joins football players Bob Perez and Tom Zetts and
volleyball player Jessica Fraley as
YSU student-athletes to earn that
distinction.
She also becomes the fifth Youngstown State women’s
basketball to pick up the CoSIDA
award.
The last women’s basketball player to earn academic
all-district honors was Jen Perugini
in 2004-05.
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 Guins visit Wright State,
Saturday, Feb. 16, at 1 p.m. at the
Nutter Center. |