The Youngstown State women's basketball team (4-4) embarks on an in-state, three-game road swing through Ohio when it visits Big East member Cincinnati (6-2) on Saturday, Dec. 15. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m. at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio.
    The Penguins had their four-game winning streak snapped after dropping a 64-45 decision to Miami (Ohio) last Saturday at the Beeghly Center.
    Junior Ashley Pendleton posted her second career double-double with 12 points and a career-high 11 rebounds and junior Tiara Scott added 12 points. Junior Kelsey Gurganus just missed her first double-double scoring eight points and grabbing a career-best nine rebounds.

The Series
This will be the fifth meeting between Youngstown State and Cincinnati since the series inception in 1980. The Bearcats have won all four previous meetings including an 85-78 victory at the Beeghly Center in the 2006-07 season opener.

Scouting The Bearcats
Cincinnati is currently 6-2 after defeating fellow Horizon League member Wright State 73-66 on Tuesday, Dec. 11. After a season-opening loss to Michigan, the Bearcats have won six of their next seven games, including a 96-69 win over Valparaiso on Nov. 16. Recently, the Bearcats lost to Dayton, 69-53, on Nov. 29, but defeated Xavier (Ohio), 61-55, on Dec. 1. Sophomore Kahla Roudebush leads the Bearcats in scoring with 17 points per game while junior Jill Stephens is averaging a double-double with 14.4 points and 11.3 rebounds per game.

A Win Will
• Mark YSU's fifth victory of the season.
• Give Head Coach Tisha Hill her 36th career victory.
• Mark YSU's first-ever win over Cincinnati.
• Mark the 459th win in program history.

Being Stingy
One of the reasons why the Penguins have won four of the last five games has been its tenacious defense. Over the last five contests, Youngstown State is limiting its opponents to just 55.8 points per game and a 33.2 field-goal percentage while blocking an average of five shots per game.

Invitation to a Block Party
The Youngstown State women's basketball team is making it difficult for teams to come inside. The Penguins lead the Horizon League with 4.25 blocks per game as a team. Junior Ashley Pendleton has become one of the top shot blockers in the Horizon League. The 6-foot forward tied a career high with four blocks against Miami (Ohio) last Saturday. Pendleton also ranks second in the Horizon League with two blocks per game. Junior Nikita LaFleur ranks sixth with 1.17 blocks per game.

Schloemp Streak at 81
Senior Jessica Schloemp owns a games played streak of 81 straight. Schloemp has also played in 91 of 92 career games.

Branson Takes Care of the Rock
Senior Lauren Branson continues to prove her value as a point guard. This season, the 5-foot-6 guard has tallied 36 assists to just 15 turnovers in 32.9 minutes per game. She leads the Horizon League with 4.5 assists per game and second with a 2.4 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Branson Sets Career Highs
Senior Lauren Branson set two new career highs in leading the Guins to a 66-58 win over Central Michigan on Dec. 5. Branson scored a career-high 20 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field and was 7-of-8 from the free-throw line. Branson, who also dished out six assists, made a career-best three 3-pointers against the Chippewas.

Gurganus Misses Double-Double
Junior Kelsey Gurganus was one basket and one rebound from recording her first career double-double in the loss to Miami (Ohio) last Saturday. Gurganus scored eight points and grabbed a career-high nine rebounds against the RedHawks.

Scott Records Career High
Junior forward Tiara Scott played a major role in the Penguins' 58-57 win over St. Francis (Pa.). Scott led the Penguins with a career-high 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field and grabbed a team-best eight rebounds.

Roscoe Drains Em
Junior guard Toni Roscoe sparked the Penguins and tied a career-high with 10 points off the bench in a 58-57 win over St. Francis (Pa.) Dec. 1. Roscoe connected on three 3-pointers, including one at the 1:50 mark of the second half which gave YSU a 57-55 lead.

Karner Off to Great Start
Senior Heather Karner is off to another great start in 2007-08. The St. Louis, Mo., native has scored in double figures in five of the first seven games and is averaging two 3-pointers made per game, which ranks fifth in the Horizon League. She also leads the team with a 11.9 points per game scoring average.

Schloemp Nets Second Double-Double
Senior Jessica Schloemp recorded her second double-double of the season and the sixth of her career with 11 points and 11 rebounds against Toledo on Nov. 29.

Gurganus Hits for Career High
Junior Kelsey Gurganus reached double figures for the second time in her brief YSU career with a career-best 13 points against Toledo on Nov. 29. The Southern Miss transfer converted 9-of-10 from the charity stripe.

Pendleton Nets First Double-Double, All-Tourney Honors
Junior Ashley Pendleton turned in two solid performances at the LIU Turkey Classic. The 6-foot forward averaged 15.5 points and seven rebounds per game in two games at the LIU Turkey Classic to nab all-tournament honors. Pendleton scored a career-high 18 points in a 68-54 loss to Long Island and posted her first career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds against Albany.

Branson Continues Climb
Senior Lauren Branson continues her ascent up the YSU all-time assists chart. The Cincinnati, Ohio, native currently has 362 career assists and ranks seventh on the YSU all-time career assists list. She also needs 15 more assists to move into sixth place and 38 more to become the sixth player in school history to post 400 career assists.

Schloemp Double Dips
Senior Jessica Schloemp posted the fifth double-double of her career with 15 points and 14 rebounds against Buffalo on Nov. 11. Schloemp connected on 6-of-14 from the floor and 10 of her 14 boards came on the defensive glass.

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.

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.

Up Next
The Guins continue their three-game, in-state road swing against nationally-ranked Ohio State, Wednesday, Dec. 19. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at Value City Arena.