Youngstown -- The Youngstown State women's basketball team returns to the hardwood on Saturday at Cleveland State after a week off. Tipoff for the Valentine's Day contest at CSU's Wolstein Center is set for 5 p.m.
     The Penguins, who have not played since a 78-51 loss at Milwaukee on Feb. 7, will be looking to snap a four-game losing skid to the Vikings. Cleveland State defeated YSU 80-51 on Jan. 17 in Youngstown.
     YSU played shorthanded against UWM on Feb. 7 as leading scorers and rebounders Nikita LaFleur and Tiara Scott were both out. Their absences left YSU with two players taller than 5-foot-8 on the roster. The Panthers took advantage by outscoring YSU 38-14 in the paint and holding a 52-35 edge in rebounds.
     Aside from a poor 27.3 percent shooting day, the Penguins had several high points from the contest. They committed a season-low nine turnovers, and had more assists (12) than turnovers for the second time. The Guins also fired 66 shots, which were the second-most in a game this season. YSU committed 33 turnovers and had 38 field goal attempts at Green Bay on Feb. 5.
     Camisha Alexander scored a career-high 17 points against the Panthers and hit five of YSU's season-high-matching seven 3-pointers.
 
 Scouting Cleveland State
     Cleveland State enters the game having won six of its last eight contests and three straight at home. The Vikings sit third in the Horizon League standings with a 7-4 mark in the circuit behind Butler (9-2) and Green Bay (11-0). Junior guard Kailey Klein ranks second in the league in scoring with 18 points per game, and sophomore Shawnita Garland's 12.2 points rank seventh. CSU ranks second in the league in scoring offense with 64.7 points per game.
 
 Alexander Moving Up Freshman 3-pointers List
     Youngstown State freshman Camisha Alexander is establishing herself as one of the top freshman 3-point threats in school history. Alexander has hit 26 3-pointers in 20 games this season, which ranks her fourth in YSU history among freshmen. In fact, she is just one of four freshman to ever have at least 25 3-pointers. Dianne Rappach hit 37 as a freshman in 1988-89 en route to a school-record 198 in her career. Barb Fabianova hit 34 in 2001-02, and Cathy Hanek sank 31 in 2000-01.
 
 Penguins Get "Pep Talk" from UConn Coach Geno Auriemma
     The Youngstown State women's basketball got an unexpected visit from Connecticut head women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma prior to its game in Milwaukee on Feb. 7. Auriemma talked to the team on the bus just outside the Hilton Milwaukee City Center for about five minutes. He spoke about the importance of doing things the right way and coming to play with intensity every day. The No. 1-ranked Huskies were in town to play Marquette that same day, which they defeated 83-49. Auriemma has been UConn's head coach for 24 seasons and has led the Huskies to five national titles.
 
 Penguins "Pink Zone" Game Set for Feb. 21
     YSU will join more than 1,250 other schools and organizations in participating in the 2009 WBCA Pink Zone initiative with its game on Feb. 21 against Wright State. The Pink Zone is an effort to raise breast cancer awareness on the court, across campuses, in communities and beyond. The Penguins will wear pink shirts for warm-ups for Pink Zone, which was formerly known as "Think Pink". Donations and money raised will be sent to the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund. Milwaukee wore uniforms with pink trim against YSU on Feb. 7, and Cleveland State will wear pink jerseys on Saturday.
 
 Godfrey Gets into Scoring Column, Plays in Hometown
     Senior Monique Godfrey made her long-awaited first points of the season against Milwaukee on Feb. 7. Godfrey hit her first two shots from the field, one from just above the foul line and a 3-pointer, and finished with five points. Godfrey, who was YSU's leading scorer as a sophomore with 10.8 points per game, has played in just 11 games in the last two years because of a knee injury. Godfrey, an East Cleveland native and South Euclid Regina graduate, will be playing in front of a group of friends and family against Cleveland State.
 
 Manuel Earning in Starting Spot
     Junior forward Rachael Manuel has made her first starts in a Penguins uniform in four of the last five games. She has scored 27 of her 42 points in the past seven games, including 18 in the last four. Manuel scored a career-high six points and grabbed a career-high seven rebounds against Milwaukee last Saturday.
     She earned her starting spot after playing arguably her best game at YSU against Wright State on Jan. 22. Manuel scored a then career-high five points on 2-for-3 shooting, hit her first 3-pointer of the year and grabbed three rebounds in 27 minutes.
 
 Penguins Have Polar-Opposite Possessions in Last Week's Games
     Although the Penguins shot poorly in both games last week at Green Bay and Milwaukee, their overall offensive possessions were completely different. Against Green Bay, the Guins were held to season-low totals in both field goals (11) and field-goal attempts (38) and committed 33 turnovers against Green Bay on Feb. 5. The Penguins then committed a season-low nine turnovers and fired off 66 shots, its most in regulation this season, in its loss to Milwaukee on Saturday.
 
 All-Time Against Cleveland State
     YSU has played Cleveland State more than any other opponent and holds a 30-19 record in the all-time series, which dates back to Jan. 19, 1976. The Penguins have won 17 of 23 at Beeghly Center but are 9-12 in Cleveland. CSU has won the last four in the series, but YSU won the three previous games.