Youngstown -- Youngstown State opens up a three-game road trip at nearby-rival Akron on Saturday at 2 p.m. The Penguins (0-7) have played only one true road game of the year, the opener at Elon back on Nov. 13. YSU played shorthanded in an 89-37 loss to Pitt on Wednesday, and Akron is coming off a last-second, 68-66 win over IPFW. The Penguins defeated the Zips 58-52 last year on Dec. 20.

A Quick Look at the Penguins
Youngstown State has opened the season with seven straight losses, due partly to playing shorthanded. YSU dressed only eight players in the first six contests, and the Guins were without leading scorer Bojana Dimitrov against Pittsburgh. Dimitrov, a guard, is averaging 14.7 points and has scored more than 20 twice. Freshman post Brandi Brown has had two double-doubles and had 10 points and seven rebounds against a much-taller Pitt squad. All five of YSU's returners are playing, but only three of the seven newcomers are. Four of YSU's five returners are averaging career highs in points.

Scouting Akron
Akron has won two of its last three games and enters Saturday's game 3-4 overall. The Zips are 2-0 at home, which includes a 68-66 victory over IPFW on Wednesday. Leading scorer Kara Murphy averages 17 points and has gone over 20 three times. Kyle Baumgartner is averaging 10 points and hit the game-winning 3-pointer against IPFW. Akron lost 63-49 at Wright State on Nov. 22.

Akron is Only Second Road Game
Although four of Youngstown State's seven games have been played away from Beeghly Center, the game against Akron will be only the second true road contest for the Penguins. YSU opened the season at Elon on Nov. 13, and the other three games away from Beeghly have been at neutral sites as part of tournaments. YSU played High Point at Elon and ULM and Weber State at UTEP.

Penguins Have Had Success vs. Akron
Youngstown State has enjoyed a very solid record against Akron in the all-time series with a record of 36-11. YSU has won 21 of the past 25 meetings dating back to 1987. The Penguins have also won four out of the last five contests against the Zips. YSU has played Akron in each of the last 13 years and has gone 11-2 in that span.

Opponents Succeeding in the Paint
With Youngstown State having only two healthy players taller than 5-foot-8, opponents have been able to create a big scoring advantage in the paint. Through the first seven games, YSU is being outscored 252-112 in the paint. The Guins have been outscored in the paint in each of the first seven games, including 54-10 by Pittsburgh on Wednesday. Rachael Manuel, at 6-foot-3, is the only active Penguin who is taller than 6-foot. Freshman Kaitlin Rohrs, a 6-1 post, has a chance to return this year.

YSU Coming Off Worst Shooting Game
Youngstown State will try to rebound from its worst shooting game of the season. The Penguins were held to 22.4 percent (13-for-58) against a much taller Pittsburgh squad on Wednesday. YSU shot 28 percent from 3-point range and 18.1 percent inside the arc. Aside from Brandi Brown's 5-for-9 performance, YSU was 1-for-24 from inside the arc. The last time the Guins shot under 22.4 percent was Nov. 28, 2003, at New Mexico when they shot 21.8 percent.

Opponents Shoot Better in Second-Half
Opponents are shooting 51.5 percent against YSU in the second half compared to 44.6 percent in the first half. Five of YSU's seven opponents have shot at least 44 percent in the final 20 minutes, but the percentage is really elevated because of games against Elon and Weber State. Elon shot 63 percent (17-for-27) in the second half in the season opener, and Weber State shot 72 percent (18-for-25) last Saturday.

Opponents' Hot-Shooting Stretches Have Been Costly
Youngstown State has been hurt by hot shooting stretches by its opponents in the last two games. Pittsburgh closed out the first half by making 16 of its last 21 shots after starting 4-of-17. That turned a 9-3 lead into a 47-19 halftime margin. The previous game against Weber State, the Wildcats made eight of their first nine shots to start the second half after shooting 27.6 percent in the first 20 minutes. That stretch turned a 24-19 lead into a 44-29 edge.

Shooting Better From 3-Point Range
Through the first seven games, YSU has shot better from 3-point range than inside it. The Penguins are shooting 35.0 percent (35-for-100) from beyond the 3-point arc and 31.3 percent (101-for-323) from inside. Bojana Dimitrov is shooting a team-best 45.5 percent (15-for-33) from 3-point rage, and Kenya Middlebrooks is close behind at 43.5 percent (10-for-23). Last year, YSU shot 26.7 percent from 3-point range and 37.3 percent inside.

Nortey's Assists, Points Up
Sophomore point guard Macey Nortey has shown a big improvement in her ball distribution through the first seven games of her sophomore year. Nortey now has 35 assists in seven games for an average of 5.0 per contest, which ranks second in the Horizon League. Last season, Nortey had 80 in 30 games for an average of 2.7. The sophomore is also averaging 9.7 points through six games, which is up from 5.6 points as a freshman.

Brown Assembling Notable Year
Through the first seven games of her collegiate career, freshman Brandi Brown has lived up to her reputation as a top-caliber rebounder. Brown has led YSU or tied for the team lead in rebounding in every game. Her 9.4 rebounding average ranks second in the Horizon League. She has also posted two double-doubles this season, which is the most by a YSU freshman since Horizon League Newcomer of the Year Jen Perugini had 10 in 2001-02. Brown had 19 points and 16 rebounds against ULM, and 14 points and 11 rebounds against High Point. She is averaging 11 points and 11.5 rebounds in YSU's four games played away or at a neutral site. Brown averaged 24 points and 19 rebounds as a senior at Claremont High in Pomona, Calif.

Gasparek, Manuel Already Approaching Last Season's Point Totals
Senior post Rachael Manuel and sophomore guard Makala Gasparek are close to surpassing their point totals from the 2008-09 season in this year's first seven games. Manuel has scored 45 points (6.4 per game), which is just six behind the 51 she scored in 27 games last year. She scored a career-best 53 points in 28 games as a freshman at Southern Miss. Gasparek has scored 15 points, which equals what she had in 28 games last year.

Up Next
Youngstown State will be out of game action for eight days until it plays at Buffalo on Sunday, Dec. 13. YSU will stay on the road to play at Saint Francis (Pa.) on Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. Both games will be broadcast live on 570 WKBN.