Youngstown -- Velissa Vaughn and Monique Godfrey scored 17 points apiece to lead four Penguins in double figures as the Youngstown State women's basketball team defeated Buffalo 78-44 on Tuesday evening at the Beeghly Center.

Heather Karner added 16 points and Jessica Schloemp scored 10 for YSU, which improved to 1-2 on the season. Heather Turner scored nine points for Buffalo, which dropped to 2-3.

Vaughn's 17 points were a career-high, and the sophomore guard added a career-best seven assists. Schloemp finished with eight rebounds and three blocks while Lauren Branson dished out seven assists.

Coming off a game in which the Penguins scored 42 points total, YSU jumped out to a 40-23 advantage in the first 20 minutes behind a 48.5 shooting percentage. That included a 58.3 percentage from behind the 3-point arc.

The Penguins scored the first six points en route to a 20-9 lead on a layup by Anjalia Lyons at the 13:04 mark. Buffalo got back within 24-19 with 6:14 remaining, but the Penguins scored five straight and closed out the half on a 16-4 run.

The Bulls managed to cut the margin to 43-32 with 15:39 remaining in the second half but did not get any closer. YSU went on a 12-3 to take a 20-point lead on one of Vaughn's three treys with 11:14 left. Vaughn scored her final points of the night on a jumper with 2:21 remaining that gave the Penguins their largest lead of the game at 78-43.

The Penguins shot 47.5 percent for the game and converted 23 UB turnovers into 29 points. YSU committed just 12 turnovers, and Godfrey's 17 points paced a 29-11 margin in bench points.

YSU will take on UNC-Wilmington on Friday at 6 p.m. in game one of the Hilton Wilmington Riverside Beach Blast.