Youngstown -- The Youngstown State women's basketball team (4-3) goes for its fifth straight win and looks to remain perfect at home when it hosts Miami (Ohio), Saturday, Dec. 5. Tipoff is slated for 2:05 p.m. at the Beeghly Center.
    The game will be broadcast live on 570 WKBN-AM and tape-delayed on MyYTV (10 p.m.) and FOX 17/62 (midnight).
    The Penguins won their fourth straight game thanks in part to a career night by senior Lauren Branson. Branson scored a career-high 20 points with six assists to lead the Penguins to a 66-58 win over Central Michigan on Wednesday.

The Series
This will be the sixth meeting between Youngstown State and Miami (Ohio). The Redhawks own a slim 3-2 advantage in the all-time series, including a 69-51 victory last season at Millett Hall.

Scouting The RedHawks
Miami enters Saturday's game with a 5-3 overall record, but is winless on the road this season. Senior Amanda Jackson leads Miami with 22.5 points per game while junior Jenna Shone is second on the team with 15.6 points per game. She also leads the team with five assists per game.

A Win Will
• Mark YSU's fifth straight victory of the season.
• Give Head Coach Tisha Hill her 36th career victory.
• Mark YSU's first win over Miami since 1979.
• Mark the 459th win in program history.

Being Stingy
The Penguins have been playing impressively especially on the defensive end over the last four games. During their four-game winning streak, the Penguins are allowing just 53.8 points per game and their opponents are shooting at a 33.9 clip from the field and a 27.1 rate from behind the 3-point line. The Penguins have also blocked five shots per game in that span.

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 Wednesday. 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.

Drive For Five
The Penguins' win over Central Michigan on Wednesday marked the program's first four-game winning streak since the it won five to finish the 1999-2000 regular season and won the Mid-Continent Conference Tournament.

Team of Halves
Over the last three games, Youngstown State has fared quite differently from the first half to the second. During the first stanza of those contests, the Penguins averaged 32.7 points, shot 42.2 percent from the field and allowed an average of just 21 points. Contrastly, in the second half, the Guins shot 30.4 percent from the field, averaged 27 points and allowed 33.3 points.

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.) last Saturday. 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 2.3 3-pointers made per game. She also leads the team with a 13.0 points per game scoring average, which ranks eighth in the Horizon League.

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 358 career assists and ranks seventh on the YSU all-time career assists list. She also needs 19 more assists to move into sixth place and 42 more to become the sixth player in school history to post 400 career assists.

Schloemp Streak at 80
Senior Jessica Schloemp owns a games played streak of 80 straight. Schloemp has also played in 90 of 91 career games.

Pendleton Third in Blocks
Junior Ashley Pendleton, who swatted three shots against Toledo, ranks second in the Horizon League with 1.83 blocks per game.

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 32 assists to just 12 turnovers in 32.7 minutes per game. She ranks third in the Horizon League with 4.33 assists per game and second with a 2.67 assist-to-turnover ratio.

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 will take a week off for exams before embarking on a three-game road trip through the state of Ohio. The Guins return to action against Cincinnati, Saturday, Dec. 15. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m. at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio.