The Youngstown State women's basketball team looks to pick up its first victory of the season when it takes on Niagara (1-0), Tuesday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m. at the Gallagher Center. The Penguins (0-1) Penguins are coming off a disappointing 62-53 loss at Buffalo on Sunday.

Senior Heather Karner led all scorers with 17 points while senior Jessica Schloemp posted a double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds.

Junior Tiara Scott also scored 10 points in her Division I debut.
The Purple Eagles are coming off a 78-39 win over Colgate on Saturday.

The Niagara Series
This will be the ninth meeting in the all-time between Youngstown State and Niagara. The Penguins lead the all-time series 6-2 but have not won in Niagara since an 88-71 victory in 1991.

Scouting Niagara
Niagara enter tonight's game against Youngstown State with a 1-0 record after defeating Colgate, 78-39, on Saturday. Kristina Walton led Niagara with 14 points while Liz Flooks and Jennifer McNamee added 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Schloemp Double Dips
Senior Jessica Schloemp posted the fifth double-double of her career with 15 points and 14 rebounds against Buffalo on Sunday. Schloemp connected on 6-of-14 from the floor and 10 of her 14 boards came on the defensive glass.

Scott Impresses in D-I Debut
Junior college transfer Tiara Scott played well in her Division I debut with 10 points and five rebounds against Buffalo. Scott went 3-of-8 from the floor and 4-of-4 from the free throw line.

Karner Shines In Season Opener
Senior Heather Karner seems to enjoy the first game of the season. Karner posted 17 points with five boards against Buffalo on Sunday. Last season, Karner posted a career-high 34 points against Cincinnati in the season opener. Karner averages 25.5 points per game in season openers.

YSU in Season Openers
Youngstown State has enjoyed quite a bit of success in season openers throughout the program's history. The Penguins own a 20-13 overall record in season openers and are 2-3 in season openers under Tisha Hill. In season openers away from the Beeghly Center, Youngstown State is 11-8. The Penguins own a record of 9-5 when they open the season at home. The last time YSU won a season-opening game on the road was a 76-59 win over Saint Louis in 2004-05.

Up Next
The Penguins continue its trek through the Empire State when they visit Long Island, Friday, Nov. 23, at 2 p.m. in the first round of the LIU Turkey Classic. YSU plays either Albany or Holy Cross on Saturday, Nov. 24

Road Warriors
The Penguins have a tough grind throughout the first month of the season. YSU plays eight of its first 11 games on the road, including its first four in the State of New York. Besides playing Buffalo and Niagara, the Penguins are taking part in the LIU Turkey Classic on Nov. 23-24. The 'Guins take on Long Island on Nov. 23 and either Albany or Holy Cross on Nov. 24. YSU also faces St. Francis (Pa.) (Dec. 1), Cincinnati (Dec. 15), No. 16 Ohio State (Dec. 19) and Akron (Dec. 21) on the road.

Upperclass Society
The 2007-08 Youngstown State will be the most veteran squad in Tisha Hill's tenure. The Penguins return four seniors, five juniors and three sophomores. Also newcomers junior Kelsey Gurganus, a Southern Miss transfer who is eligible this season, and junior college transfer Tiara Scott each have two years of collegiate playing experience.

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.

Branson Now Seventh All-Time
Senior Lauren Branson continues her ascent up the YSU all-time assists chart. The Cincinnati, Ohio, native currently has 330 career assists and ranks seventh on the YSU all-time career assists list. She also needs 47 more assists to move into sixth place and 740more to become the sixth player in school history to post 400 career assists.

Karner Reaches Top 10
Senior Heather Karner, the Penguins' top 3-point shooter from last season, just barely entered the YSU single-season 3-pointers made top 10 list. With 52 treys last year, Karner ranked tied for 10th.

Schloemp Streak at 74
Senior Jessica Schloemp owns a games played streak of 74 straight. Schloemp has also played in 84 of 85 career games.

A Win Will
• Mark YSU's first victory of the season.
• Give Head Coach Tisha Hill her 32nd career victory.
• Be YSU's first win over Niagara on the road since 1991.

Penguins Picked Sixth
Youngstown State was predicted to finish sixth in the Horizon League standings with 118 points in a poll of the League's head coaches, sports information directors and select media, the Horizon League announced.

Milwaukee was picked to win the league with 253 points and 13 first-place votes while Green Bay was second with 244 points and nine first-place votes.

Butler ranked third while UIC and Valparaiso placed fourth and fifth, respectively. Wright State was picked seventh and Cleveland State, Detroit and Loyola placed eighth, ninth and 10th, respectively.

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.

Vaughn Eighth in Circuit
Junior Velissa Vaughn led the Penguins and ranked eighth in the Horizon League with a .381 3-point percentage, converting 32-of-84 from behind the arc. As a freshman, Vaughn was just 2-of-24 in 3-point attempts.

Godfrey Improved From Arc
Junior Monique Godfrey vastly improved on her 3-point shooting from her freshman year to sophomore season. Godfrey made 45 treys in 2006-07 compared to just nine in 2005-06.

May I Assist You?
Senior Lauren Branson, who ranks fifth in YSU history with a career average of 4.78 assists per game, set the YSU freshman assist record with 159 in 2004-05 and her 121 in 2006-07 was the sixth highest mark set by a junior.