Youngstown -- The Youngstown State women's basketball team returns home for the first time in 17 days to entertain nearby rival Akron on Saturday. The game tips off at 2:05 p.m. and will be carried live on 570 WKBN and the Horizon League Network.

Fans can enjoy general admission tickets, hot dogs and popcorn for a dollar apiece on the first of of two dollar days for the Penguins.

The Penguins enter the game looking for their first home victory and their first win since Nov. 28. YSU has lost five straight contests, including a 61-54 setback in overtime at home on Dec. 3 to Saint Francis (Pa.).

YSU had its best defensive effort of the season at Canisius on Wednesday, holding the nation's best 3-point shooting team to just 3-for-22 from behind the arc. The Guins, however, scored a season-low 38 points in losing 56-38. Camisha Alexander tied a career-high with 11 points to lead the Penguins. YSU entered the game coming off its best two shooting games of the year.

The Guins outshot Canisius 31.8 percent to 29 percent, but they committed 20 more turnovers and were outscored by 11 at the free-throw line. Canisius held YSU's top two scorers, Nikita LaFleur and Tiara Scott, to a combined 11 points.

After the game, the Guins will leave campus for Christmas break until Friday evening. They begin another three-game road trip on Dec. 30 at Toledo, and they open Horizon League play at Valparaiso on Jan. 3.

Scouting Akron
Akron snapped a three-game losing streak by beating Robert Morris 82-75 on Wednesday. The Zips opened the season by defeating Michigan at home 58-49 and also beat Troy. The Zips lost 70-54 to Cleveland State on Dec. 3 to start the three-game skid. Sophomore forward Kara Murphy is the only player averaging more than eight points with her team-best 18.4 points per game. Murphy led four Zips in double figures against Robert Morris with 21 points, and Victoria Arndt had a double-double.

Scott Six Away From 500 Points
Tiara Scott is just six points away from scoring her 500th point at Youngstown State. Scott, who played her first two collegiate seasons at Western Nebraska CC, has poured in 494 points in 40 games at YSU for an average of 12.4 per game. Scott scored 405 points last season as she earned second-team all-Horizon League honors. She just eclipsed 250 rebounds by grabbing seven at Canisius, which brought her career total to 252.

Middlebrooks Makes First Start
Freshman guard and defensive stopper Kenya Middlebrooks made her first career start against Canisius and helped the Penguins hold the nation's best 3-point shooting team to 3-for-22 from behind the arc. She also matched career highs in points (three) and rebounds (3), and she played a career-high 35 minutes against the Golden Griffins. Middlebrooks had a career-high four steals against Central Michigan on Sunday and has had at least two swipes in five different games.

Defense Stepping Up in Last Two
The Penguins have held both of their last two opponents under 40 percent shooting, which is something they failed to do in their first seven games. Central Michigan shot 39.5 percent on Sunday, and Canisius shot just 29 percent on Wednesday. Canisius also scored just 56 points, which was the lowest for an opponent this season. YSU allowed just 49 points to Saint Francis (Pa.) in regulation but gave up 12 points in overtime in the 61-54 loss.

Alexander Back in Double Figures
Freshman Camisha Alexander scored 11 points for the second time this season against Canisius on Wednesday, matching her point total from the season opener at Kent State. Alexander made her first four shots, three of which were 3-pointers, against the Golden Griffins. She is one of four players to score in double figures at least twice this season. She is also just one of two guards and the only freshman to accomplish the feat.

Shooting Picked up on the Road
Youngstown State had its top shooting performances of the season at Bowling Green and Central Michigan. The Penguins shot a season-high 49 percent in their loss to Bowling Green on Dec. 6. They shot 60 percent in the first half. YSU then made 40.4 percent overall and 46.2 percent in the first half against Central Michigan on Sunday. Prior to the game at Bowling Green, YSU had shot better than 33.3 percent only once in its first six games (Weber State - 38.3 percent).