The Youngstown State women's basketball team will try to win on the road as part of a School Day promotion for the second straight game when it plays Buffalo on Tuesday at noon. The game will be broadcast live on 1390 WNIO as well as sportsradio1390.com and iHeart Radio. BuffaloBulls.com will also have live video for a fee and free live stats.
The Penguins are coming off a 64-50 victory over Pittsburgh in their season opener on Friday. YSU trailed 33-21 at halftime but outscored the Panthers 43-17 in the second half en route to victory. The victory was YSU's first over a team currently in a BCS conference since 1997 and its first over a current Big East team since 1991. The Penguins also won a season opener for the first time since 2004-05. A win over Buffalo would give YSU its first 2-0 start since the 1999-2000 campaign. Buffalo has beaten the Penguins three straight times and in nine of the last 11 meetings overall.
Senior Brandi Brown is a two-time second-team All-Horizon League selection, and she was named preseason first-team all-conference by multiple outlets. She scored 11 of her game-high 16 points in the second half in YSU's come-from-behind win over Pittsburgh. Melissa Thompson also had 11 of her 13 points in the second half, and Monica Touvelle added 12. Freshman Shar'Rae Davis, one of active newcomers on this year's team, posted nine assists and nine rebounds to earn Horizon League Newcomer-of-the-Week honors.
Youngstown State will play its home opener against Bryant on Sunday at 12:05 p.m.
#YSUWBB Summary
- YSU is in its 38th season of women's basketball in 2012-13 and its third under head coach Bob Boldon.
- YSU will play the 1,000th game in its history against Green Bay on Jan. 19.
- Senior Brandi Brown is a preseason all-league pick after being a second-team honoree the past two seasons.
- The Penguins averaged 9.2 3-pointers per game last season and hit 12 in their first game this season.
- YSU averaged 64.6 points last season, an 18-point improvement from two years ago. It was also YSU's best scoring average since 2001-02.
- YSU had four shooters rank in the top five in 3-point field-goal percentage during conference play.
A Win Would
- Give YSU its first 2-0 start since the 1999-2000 season.
- Snap a three-game losing streak to Buffalo
- End a six-game skid against the Bulls in Buffalo
- Be YSU's fourth in the last five games against teams from the MAC
Game Recap vs. Pittsburgh
Youngstown State made eight second-half 3-pointers and outscored Pittsburgh 43-17 in the period to defeat the Panthers 64-50 in the season opener for both teams on Nov. 9.
Melissa Thompson hit three of those second-half 3-pointers, and one of Monica Touvelle's two triples in the period capped a 15-0 YSU run. Brandi Brown also had 11 second-half points and led all players with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Pitt's 33-21 halftime lead was its largest of the game. YSU scored five points on its first two possessions of the second half.
Quick Notes
- Youngstown State beat Pitt for the first time since 1991. That was also its last victory over a team currently in the Best East.
- The Penguins earned its first win over a team currently in a BCS conference since 1997.
- YSU won at Pittsburgh for the first time since 1990.
- The Penguins snapped a nine-game losing streak dating back to the 2011-12 season and a seven-game skid in season openers.
- The Penguins set a new Petersen Events Center record for 3-pointers in a women's game with 12.
- The Penguins made at least 10 3-pointers for the eighth time in the last 10 games, dating back to last season.
- Newcomers Amanda Barger, Shar'Rae Davis and Karen Flagg all made their Penguin debuts. Davis and Flagg were in the starting line-up.
- YSU made 6-of-8 from the free-throw line over the final 1:10 of the game. Davis was 4-for-4 in that stretch.
Scouting Buffalo
Buffalo is in its first year under head coach Felisha Legette-Jack, who spent the previous six years at Indiana. The Bulls lost four starters from last year's squad that finished 9-22, but they do return nine total letterwinners. Nytor Longar is the top returning scorer with 10.2 points per game last year. Sophomore Kristen Sharkey had 14 points and 10 rebounds in Buffalo's 73-57 loss at Canisius on Friday.
Last Time vs. Buffalo
Buffalo outscored Youngstown State 47-18 in the first half and hit 10 of its first 12 shots to open the second half in a 92-38 win on Dec. 13, 2009 at Alumni Arena. Boki Dimitrov scored 13 points to lead YSU.
The Penguins were outrebounded 51-23 in the game and 21-6 in the second half. Brittany Hedderson scored 25 points and was 9-for-13 from the floor to lead Buffalo.
YSU trailed 15-6 when Buffalo scored 12 of the next 15 points to go up 27-9 and never led by fewer than 13 the rest of the contest.
Series With Buffalo
Youngstown State leads the all-time series with Buffalo 12-11, but the Bulls have held the upper hand recently in winning nine of the last 11 meetings. YSU won the first three matchups and 10 of the first 12, but the Penguins are 2-9 against UB since 1999. YSU's last two wins were by an average of 33 points, but Buffalo got some revenge with a 92-38 win in the last meeting in 2009. The Penguins were 3-0 against Buffalo in the Mid-Continent Conference Tournament, including a victory in the 1996 final.
Davis, Brown Receive Accolades
YSU players Shar'Rae Davis and Brandi Brown were both honored for their performances against Pittsburgh. Davis was named the Horizon League Newcomer of the Week, and Brown was named the Madness Horizon League Player of the Week by CollegeSportsMadness.com. Davis posted nine assists, nine rebounds and four points in her collegiate debut as the Penguins beat the Panthers 64-50. Brown led all players with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Newcomers Played Big Role at Pitt
All three of YSU's newcomers that appeared in the game against Pittsburgh had big moments. Shar'Rae Davis finished with nine assists and nine rebounds, and the freshman guard was 4-for-4 from the free-throw line in the final 1:09. Karen Flagg scored YSU's first five points and nine points overall before fouling out in 13 minutes. Amanda Barger's 3-pointer at the end of the shot clock with 13:18 left started an 18-4 run for the Penguins.
Growth Evidenced by Turnaround vs. Pitt
Youngstown State's continual growth over the last four seasons was demonstrated again in its victory over Pittsburgh. YSU lost by 20 to the Panthers two years ago in head coach Bob Boldon's debut, and the Penguins lost 89-37 to Pitt in the 2009-10 season. YSU's victory was a 66-point turnaround from that loss in 2009-10. Further, the Penguins beat Pitt and defeated a current Big East team for the first time since 1991. YSU also earned its first win over a team currently in a BCS conference since 1997.
Brown Earns Preseason Honors
YSU senior Brandi Brown was voted Preseason First-Team All-Horizon League in a poll of the conference's coaches, women's basketball sports information contacts and a media member from each market. Brown ranked seventh in the league in scoring and sixth in rebounding last year with 15.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. She was a second-team all-conference selection at the end of last season.
Brown was also honored by CollegeSportsMadness.com. The website named her Preseason Fourth-Team All-American on the All-High Major Teams list as well as Preseason First-Team All-Horizon League.
A Look at the Newcomers
In addition to six returning players from last year's squad, there are nine newcomers on this year's team. Ashley Lawson is coming off a redshirt year, and she's joined by fellow freshmen guards Taylor Hvisdak, Shar'Rae Davis, Amanda Barger and Brooke Gardner, and freshman forward Kelsea Newman. Junior Karen Flagg is a 6-foot guard/forward who is eligible immediately, and Division I transfers Janae Jackson and Latisha Walker must sit out the season. Davis, Flagg and returner Liz Hornberger are all in the mix to play point guard.
Replacing Two Starters
Youngstown State will have to find two players to step into starting roles this season with the departure of Kenya Middlebrooks and Macey Nortey. Middlebrooks made a Horizon League-best 2.5 3-pointers per game last season and ranked second for YSU in scoring. Nortey started 101 games in her career and led the Horizon League in assist-to-turnover ratio last year. No current player on YSU's team had started a game at point guard in college coming into this season.
Brown Hoping for Special Senior Year
Forward Brandi Brown is hoping to make her senior year at Youngstown State a special one, both as an individual and as a team. Brown has been a Second-Team All-Horizon League pick in each of her last two seasons. The California native averaged 15.9 points and 9.3 rebounds last year as a junior, and she had a monster sophomore year in averaging 19.9 points and 9.2 rebounds. Brown has scored 1,433 points and grabbed 885 rebounds in her career. She has a chance to break YSU's career records for rebounds and free throws, and she will likely finish in the top three in points.
Beneficial Team Trip to Canada
Youngstown State was fortunate to take a week-long tour of Canada during August that was funded completely by three successful golf outings in the last three years. The Penguins stopped at Niagara Falls for sight-seeing just across the border, then proceeded to play two games in Brampton (near Toronto), one in Ottawa and four in Montreal. In addition to experiencing new sights and the French-Canadian culture, YSU was able to use the trip to integrate five of its newcomers into its system. The Penguins played seven games and were able to practice 10 times leading up to the trip.
Looking at the Big Picture
It's hard to ignore the improvements that the program has made in just two years under head coach Bob Boldon. Right before Boldon's arrival, YSU went 0-30 in 2009-10 and lost games on average by 25.8 points. Only two Horizon League games that season had a final margin fewer than 10 points. In 2011-12, YSU's scoring margin was minus-2.9, a 22.9-point improvement from two years ago. That was the best improvement in the country. The Guins won 10 games last year – more than the previous three years combined.
Competitiveness Shows Growth
Although YSU finished 4-14 in Horizon League play, it had a one-possession game with under a minute left in regulation against each team it lost to. Seven of the Penguins' final 10 losses were by five points or fewer. Two were in overtime to Wright State, the third-place team in the conference, and league champion Green Bay. The Phoenix was ranked 11th in the nation when YSU lost to it in overtime. Another tough loss came on a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2.3 seconds left to fifth-place Butler. YSU also lost an overtime game to UIC, which finished fourth in the conference standings.
YSU Sixth in Academic Top 25
YSU boasted the sixth-highest team grade-point average in the country during the 2011-12 academic year to earn a spot on the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll. The Penguins posted a team GPA of 3.550 during the 2011-12 academic year. YSU was 17th in 2010-11.
Lots of 3-Pointers
Youngstown State ranked fifth in the country last season with 9.2 3-pointers per game. YSU set school and Horizon League records for 3-pointers made in a season last year with 275. The Penguins also attempted a school and conference-record 828 treys last season. YSU was 12-for-33 from beyond the 3-point arc against Pitt. Eight of its makes came in the second half. The Penguins have made at least 10 3-pointers in eight of their last 10 games.
YSU Had Top Scoring Bench
Youngstown State possessed the top scoring bench in the Horizon League last season. The Penguins' reserves averaged 19.5 points per game, which was 3.2 points more than second-place Butler. YSU outscored its opponent's bench 14 times in 18 conference games and 22 times in 30 overall contests.
YSU Picked Eighth in League Poll
YSU was tabbed to finish eighth in the preseason Horizon League poll of coaches, SIDs and media. Green Bay was picked first with 241 total points. YSU was 13 points behind sixth-place UIC in the poll.
Horizon League Preseason Poll
Team (First Place Votes) – Total Points
1. Green Bay (25) – 241... 2. Detroit (2) – 210... 3. Wright State – 191... 4. Loyola – 152... 5. Cleveland State – 123... 6. UIC – 90... 7. Milwaukee – 85... 8. Youngstown State - 77... 9. Valparaiso... 46.
Brown, Schlegel Among League's Best Returning Frontcourt Duo
Senior Brandi Brown and redshirt sophomore Heidi Schlegel are arguably the Horizon League's top returning frontcourt duo this season. The pair combined to average 25.6 points and 13.9 rebounds last season – Brown averaged 15.9 points and 9.3 rebounds and Schlegel contributed 9.7 points and 4.6 boards. The 25.6 combined scoring average is the best among returning frontcourt duos, and the 13.9 rebounds ranks second.
