The seventh-seeded
Youngstown State women's basketball team hosts its first Horizon
League Women's Basketball Tournament game when it entertains
10th-seeded Detroit, Monday, at 7:05 p.m. at the Beeghly
Center.
Last Time Out
Youngstown State used a 19-2
late first-half run to build a 10-point halftime lead and staved
off a UIC second-half rally to post a 71-62 victory in the
regular-season finale on Saturday at the UIC Pavilion.
Senior Heather Karner led the Penguins
with 23 points, including five 3-pointers, and junior Tiara Scott
posted a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Junior
Ashley Pendleton added 14 points.
The Series
This will be the 22nd meeting between the Penguins
and Titans with YSU owning a slim 11-10 advantage in the all-time
series. Youngstown State swept the season series from the Titans,
winning 74-55 at the Beeghly Center on Jan. 19 and 62-59 at Calihan
Hall on Feb. 14. Youngstown State has won four straight contests
against the Titans.
Last Time Against Detroit
Junior Tiara Scott scored a
game-high 22 points and junior Velissa Vaughn hit a mid-range
jumper with 38 seconds remaining to lift the Youngstown State to a
62-59 over Detroit on on Feb. 14 at Calihan Hall.
Detroit's Zemora Davis hit a jumper
just under a minute remaining to give the Titans a 59-58 lead.
After Vaughn's jumper put
the Guins back up by one, senior Heather Karner, who scored 12
points, canned two free throws with 13 seconds left to seal the
victory.
The Guins also connected on 14-of-18 from the free throw
line in the second half.
Guins Going For First Tournament Win
Youngstown State is looking to pick up its first
tournament win since joining the Horizon League in 2001-02. The
Guins are 0-7 in Horizon League tournament games and have not won a
tournament game since the 1999-2000 season as members of the
Mid-Continent Conference.
Scott, Branson Pick Up League Honors
Youngstown State junior Tiara Scott was named to
the All-Horizon League Second Team and All-Newcomer Team and senior
Lauren Branson was named to the league's All-Defensive Team.
Scott led the Penguins with 15 points per game and averaged 6.6
rebounds per game against Horizon League foes. She also averaged 13
points per game overall and ranked 11th in the league in scoring.
Branson, who led the Horizon League with 5.9 assists in league
games, averaged 2.1 steals per game in league play. Branson also
led the league with 158 assists and 5.5 assists per game in all
games.
Karner Two Shy of Record
Senior guard Heather Karner, who has made 78
3-pointers this season, needs two more treys to break the school's
single-season record of 79 set by Tiffany Adams in 1992-93. Karner
also moved into seventh place on the all-time list with 130 career
3-pointers made in two seasons. Karner tied a career high with five
3-pointers en route to a game-high 23 points in YSU's 71-62 win
over UIC on Saturday. She also made five 3-pointers against
Valparaiso on Jan. 31 and March 1.
Branson Dishes Dimes
Senior point guard Lauren Branson tallied a
season-high 11 assists in the Penguins 71-62 win over UIC on
Saturday. Branson ranks fifth all-time with 484 career assists. She
needs nine more to move into a tie for fourth and 10 more to gain
sole possession of fourth place on the career assists chart.
A Win Will
• Mark YSU's 14th victory of the
season.
• Give Head Coach Tisha Hill her 45th career
victory.
• Give YSU its first Horizon League Tournament
victory.
• Mark the most wins (14) since the 1999-2000
season.
• Mark the 468th win in program history.
No Love For HK
Despite ranking eighth in scoring and leading the
league with 51 3-pointers and 2.83 3-pointers made per game against
league foes, Youngstown State senior Heather Karner did not pick up
any postseason accolades. Overall, Karner averaged 13.8 points per
game, which ranked seventh in the league, and made 78 3-pointers,
good for second in the circuit.
Vaughn 20-20 Vision
For the first time in her career, junior Velissa
Vaughn has scored at least 20 points in consecutive games after
dropping in 21 against Butler on Feb. 28. The Clairton, Pa., native
went 6-of-18 from the field, including two 3-pointers, and 7-of-9
from the 3-point line. On Feb. 23, Vaughn scored a career-high 28
points against Cleveland State.
Schloemp Streak at 102
Senior Jessica Schloemp owns a games played streak
of 102 straight. Schloemp has also played in 112 of 113 career
games. Schloemp also ranks seventh all-time with 112 games
played.
Vaughn Turns In Career Night
Junior Velissa Vaughn turned in the best
performance of her career in the 82-66 loss to Cleveland State on
Feb. 23. Vaughn scored a career-best 28 points on 11-of-20 shooting
from the field with four 3-pointers. Her 11 field goals made was
also a career-best.
Karner In Century Club
In two seasons, senior Heather Karner moved into
the top 10 all-time for 3-pointers made and became the 10th player
in school history to make at least 100 3-pointers in a career.
Karner ranks ninth with 130 3-point baskets.
Branson Nearing Fourth
Senior guard Lauren Branson continues her move up
the YSU all-time assist chart. With five assists against Cleveland
State on Feb. 23, Branson eclipsed the 450 career assist plateau
and now has 484 assists. Branson needs nine more tie move into a
tie for fourth place on the all-time assist chart with Caroline
McCombs (493, 1994-98).
Branson Nets Academic Award
Senior Lauren Branson was named
Academic All-District IV by the College Sports Information
Directors of America (CoSIDA). Branson, a 2006-07 Academic
All-Horizon League pick, carries a 3.93 grade-point average in
special education and is the fourth Youngstown State
student-athlete in 2007-08 to earn academic all-district
laurels.
She joins football players Bob Perez and
Tom Zetts and volleyball player Jessica Fraley as YSU
student-athletes to earn that distinction.
She also becomes the fifth Youngstown
State women's basketball player to pick up the CoSIDA
award.
The last women's basketball player to earn academic
all-district honors was Jen Perugini in 2004-05.
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
With a win, the Penguins will take on No. 2 Wright
State, Wednesday, March 12. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. at the
Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio.