Akron, Ohio -- Tiara Scott and Heather Karner combined for 51 points and Youngstown State had one of its best overall performances of the season in a 74-56 win over Akron on Friday evening at the James A. Rhodes Arena.
     Scott posted 25 points and 21 rebounds for her first career double-double, and Karner scored 17 of her 24 points in the first half as the Penguins built a 33-18 lead at the break.
     It was the first time since Jan. 20, 2005 (Jen Perugini) that a YSU player had more than 20 rebounds and the first time since Feb. 2, 2006 that two different players scored 20 points (Kristy Gaudiose and Michelle Holmes).
     The Penguins missed their first six shots from the floor to open the game, but a strong defensive effort that lasted the entire game kept the game close until the offense caught fire. Akron led only 2-0 at the 15:58 mark before two Karner free throws sparked a nine-point run that put YSU up 9-2 with 13:52 left. Akron trimmed the margin to 10-7 with 12:56 remaining, but the Penguins went on an 11-2 spurt to go up 21-9 with 7:56 remaining and never led by less than nine points the rest of the way.
     YSU had a 12-2 advantage in points off turnovers and a 7-2 edge in second-chance points in the first half alone. The Penguins grabbed 20 offensive rebounds for the game, which helped contribute to a dominating 57-36 advantage on the glass.
     A 10-3 run early in the second half put the Penguins up 51-27 with 12:58 left, and the Zips never got closer than 18 points the rest of the way.
     Scott scored 16 points in the second half after coming off the bench to score nine in the first half. The junior forward also 6-for-6 from the free throw line in the second stanza as the Penguins converted on all 12 of their attempts from the charity stripe in the half. The Penguins made 20-of-22 for the game for a 90.9 percent effort from the line.
     Ashley Pendleton chipped in with 11 points and seven rebounds for YSU, which improved to 5-6 heading into a 13-day break for the holidays.
     Sarah Tokodi scored a game high 26 points for the Zips, who lost their first game of the season at home and dropped to 5-6 overall.
     YSU will open Horizon League play at home on Thursday, Jan. 3, against UIC. Tipoff for the game is set for 5:15 p.m. as part of a doubleheader with the YSU men's basketball team.