Indianapolis, Ind. – For the second time in less than a week and the third time this season, the sixth-seeded Youngstown State women's basketball team (7-20) will take on the third-seeded Butler Bulldogs on Wednesday, March 7. This time in the quarterfinals of the 2007 Horizon League Women's Basketball Tournament.

Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. at Hinkle Field House in Indianapolis, Ind.

The winner will take on the No. 2 UIC/No. 7 Cleveland State winner in the semifinals, Friday, March 9, at the highest remaining seed.

The Penguins finished the regular season with a 5-11 league mark and tied for sixth-place with Cleveland State and Loyola. However, the Penguins garnered the sixth seed in the tournament by virtue of a 67-62 victory over second-seeded UIC on Jan. 6.

The Bulldogs finished the regular season with an 11-5 league record and tied for second with UIC. The Flames, though, swept the season series from the Bulldogs to earned the No. 2 seed.

This will be the second time the Penguins and Bulldogs will meet in the Horizon League Tournament. In 2003, Butler defeated Youngstown State, 77-71, in the play-in game after the Penguins defeated the Bulldogs twice in the regular season.

Penguins in the Tournament

Youngstown State is 0-5 in Horizon League Tournament games since joining the league in 2001-02. 

Scouting the Bulldogs
The Bulldogs finished the regular season with an 11-5 league record and tied for second with UIC. The Flames, though, swept the season series from the Bulldogs to earn the No. 2 seed. Senior Jackie Closser, who averages 13.9 points per game, and sophomore Lade Akande each earned All-Horizon League accolades this season. Closser was a first-team selection while Akande, who leads the team with 14.3 points per game, was named to the second-team. Freshman Susan Lester picked Horizon League All-Newcomer Team laurels after averaging 9.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.

The Butler Series
This will be the 14th meeting between Youngstown State and Butler. The Bulldogs own an 8-5 advantage in the all-time series and have won eight of the last nine contests, including a 59-45 win at Hinkle Field House last week and an 80-56 victory over the Penguins at the Beeghly Center on Dec. 30. Youngstown State has not won at Hinkle Field House since an 80-74 overtime victory on Feb. 22, 2003. Since that time YSU has lost to Butler at Hinkle by an average of 21 points per game.

Last Time Out
Youngstown State shot just 26 percent and dropped a 47-40 decision to Wright State in the regular-season finale on Saturday. Freshman Ta-myra Davis and sophomore Ashley Pendleton each scored a career-high 11 points to lead the Penguins.

Karner Named All-Newcomer Team
Heather Karner became the second Penguin in the last three years to be named to the Horizon League All-Newcomer Team. Karner is tied for the team lead with 11 points per game, averages 3.8 rebounds per game and is shooting 79.7 percent from the free throw line. She has posted double figures 12 times this season and leads the Penguins with 51 33-pointers.

Last Time Against Butler
Youngstown State shot just 28.3 percent and dropped a 59-45 decision to Butler on Thursday evening. Freshman Ta-myra Davis and junior Heather Karner each posted eight points to lead the Penguins.

Game One Against the Bulldogs
In the first meeting this season, Butler nailed 12 3-pointers en route to an 80-56 win over the Penguins at the Beeghly Center. Junior Heather Karner led the Penguins with 16 points while sophomores Monique Godfrey and Velissa Vaughn added 11 points apiece.

Ides of March
“Beware the Ides of March” is an appropriate phrase for the Youngstown State women's basketball team in recent years. The Penguins lost the last nine games they have played in March and have not been victorious since defeating Valparaiso, 73-57, in the Mid-Con Tournament Championship game on March 7, 2000. 

Branson Now 9th All-Time
Junior Lauren Branson continues her ascent up the YSU all-time assists chart. The Cincinnati, Ohio, native currently has 317 career assists and moved into ninth place on the YSU all-time career assists list. She also needs eight more for eighth and nine more to move into seventh place. 

Droppin' Dimes
Youngstown State point guard Lauren Branson has been quite generous as of late. Over the last 14 games, Branson has dished out 70 assists for an average of five assists per game. Over the same period, Branson has committed just 32 turnovers and carries an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.2.

Karner Nearing Top 10
Junior Heather Karner, the Penguins' top 3-point shooter, is approaching the YSU single-season 3-point top 10 list. Karner, who has 51 treys this season, needs two more to move into 10th place on the single-season chart. 

Pendleton Notches Scoring High
For the four time this season, sophomore Ashley Pendleton posted another career scoring with 11 points against Wright State on March 3. Previously this year, Pendleton tied an old career-best with 10 points against UW-Milwaukee on Feb. 17. Pendleton also scored 10 points against Loyola on Jan. 4 and 10 points against the Ramblers on Feb. 3.

Schloemp Streak at 72
With an appearance against Wright State on March 3, junior Jessica Schloemp extended her games played streak to 72 straight. Schloemp's consecutive games started streak ended at 34 after she did not start against Indiana State on Dec. 6.

A Win Will 
• Mark YSU's eighth victory of the season. 
• Give Head Coach Tisha Hill her 32nd career victory.
• Mark YSU's first victory in the Horizon League Tournament
• Mark YSU's first victory in Hinkle Field House since 2003.

Davis Back-to-Back Career Highs
Freshman Ta-myra Davis posted back-to-back career highs when she posted 11 points against Wright State on March 3. Her previous career best was eight points in YSU's 59-45 loss to Butler on March 1.