Youngstown State will wrap up its trip to El Paso, Texas,
against Weber State in the consolation game off the UTEP
Thanksgiving Classic. Tipoff against the Wildcats is set for 7:30
p.m. Eastern on Saturday. YSU (0-5) is coming off a 76-67 loss to
ULM on Friday while Weber State (2-3) lost 70-58 to UTEP. Saturday
is one year exactly since YSU got its first win of the 2008-09
season against Weber State.
Penguins Playing Program's 900th Game Today
YSU will play the 900th game in program history today against Weber
State. Entering the game, YSU has an all-time record of 473-426 in
its 35th season. Ed DiGregorio led YSU to 319 of those wins and
coached in 557 games over 20 years from 1983-2003.
A Quick Look at the Penguins
Youngstown State has opened the season with five straight losses,
due partly to playing shorthanded. YSU dressed only eight players
in each game, and one of those eight is averaging only 5.8 minutes
per contest. All five of YSU's returners are playing, but only
three of the seven newcomers are. Newcomer Bojana Dimitrov is
averaging a team-best 16.0 points, which is highlighted by a
27-point performance against ULM on Friday. Freshman Brandi Brown
leads YSU with 10.0 rebounds per game and has two double-doubles.
Four of YSU's five returners are averaging career highs in points.
Scouting Weber State
Weber State enters Saturday's contest with a 2-3 record after
losing three of its last four contests. The Wildcats have lost to
Boise State, Nevada and UTEP during the stretch. The 70-58 loss to
UTEP on Friday evening sent the Wildcats into the consolation game
against YSU. Junior Caitlin Anderson leads Weber State in both
scoring and rebounding, averaging 12.4 points and 8.6 boards. Tonya
Schnibbe and Sarah Conner are both averaging more than nine points.
Weber State has attempted 108 3-pointers in five contests and have
converted an average of eight per contest. The Wildcats were
12-for-24 from 3-point range against UTEP.
Last Season vs. Weber State
YSU's posts combined for 27 points in the second half as the
Penguins rallied from a 15-point deficit to defeat Weber State
67-60 on Nov. 28, 2008, at Pittsburgh's Petersen Events Center.
Senior center Nikita LaFleur had career-highs with 24 points and 17
rebounds, and Tiara Scott added 14 points. LaFleur had 14 points in
the second half, Scott had 12, and the pair combined to go
12-for-13 from the line in the final 20 minutes.
The win was head coach Cindy Martin's first at the helm of the
Penguins.
Weber State led by 15 eight minutes into the game after making 11
of its first 12 shots. From that point, YSU outscored the Wildcats
55-33.
Ali Thorderson scored 19 points, Caitlin Anderson had 17 and Tonya
Schnibbe had 11 for Weber State.
Brown, Dimitrov Formed Solid Tag Team
Brandi Brown and Bojana Dimitrov combined to form a solid tag team
against ULM on Friday. Brown was dominant in the first half,
posting 13 points and 11 rebounds in 13 minutes before halftime.
Dimitrov then took over in the second half as she scored 18 of her
game-high 27 points. Brown was 6-for-10 in the first half, and
Dimitrov was 7-for-10 in the second half.
Penguins Nearly Pulled Off Big Rally
Youngstown State nearly overcame a 17-point second-half deficit
against ULM on Friday. The Penguins allowed the Warhawks to go up
56-39 with 12:01 remaining in regulation after an 18-4 run. YSU
then scored 12 straight points, eight of which came from Bojana
Dimitrov, to get the margin down to 56-51 at the 9:36 mark. YSU,
however, was never able to get the score closer than five.
Nortey Distributing Ball Well in Sophomore
Season
Sophomore point guard Macey Nortey has shown a big improvement in
her ball distribution through the first five games of her sophomore
year. Nortey now has 25 assists in five games for an average of
five per contest. Last season, Nortey had 80 in 30 games for an
average of 2.7. Nortey also has 25 turnovers compared to her 25
assists. Last year she had 133 turnovers.
