The Youngstown State women's basketball team will head back on the road for two games this week, starting with a contest at IUPUI on Monday at 7 p.m. Mike Pilch will call the play-by-play from The Jungle on 570 WKBN as the Penguins and Jaguars will play for the first time since the 2005-06 season. IUPUI will offer live video for $4.95 and free live stats.
The Penguins will also play at Cincinnati on Wednesday on this road swing, giving them four road games in 11 days. YSU starts the season playing six of its first eight games on the road, including two at Miami (Ohio) and Northern Kentucky last Sunday and Tuesday. YSU is 3-1 on the road so far, and it avenged its lone loss (NKU) with a convincing 76-43 win over Stony Brook on Friday. The 33-point win over the Seawolves was YSU's largest margin of victory 2006-07, and it improved the Penguins' record to 5-1. That is their best start since 1999-2000.
Liz Hornberger is the Horizon League leader in 3-pointers, and she made five in YSU's win over Stony Brook. She was joined in double figures by Brandi Brown (13), Heidi Schlegel (14) and Melissa Thompson (11). Schlegel's 14 points came off the bench, and Thompson scored the first six points of the second half as YSU went on to outscore the Seawolves 43-19 in the period. YSU made a season-high 13 3-pointers in just 25 attempts for 52-percent shooting from beyond the arc. Brown was an efficit 4-for-6 shooting, but she was held without a double-double for the first time in six games this season.
IUPUI is 4-3 following a 71-60 loss in overtime at Eastern Illinois on Thursday. The Jaguars have played two other Horizon League teams this sesason, losing to Wright State on Nov. 14 and beating Valparaiso on Nov. 17.
YSU will play at Cincinnati at Wednesday at 7 p.m. That game will also be carried on 570 WKBN.
Game Recap vs. Stony Brook
Youngstown State used a complete second-half performance to capture a convincing 76-43 winn over Stony Brook on Friday at home.
YSU outscored the Seawolves 43-19 in the second stanza after holding a nine-point advantage at halftime. The Penguins shot 52.2 percent from the field in the final half while the Seawolves shot just 23.3 percent. YSU was 8-for-11 from behind the 3-point line in the period and 13-for-25 in the game.
Liz Hornberger made five 3-pointers for a game-high 15 points. She was one of four Penguins to finish in double figures. Shar'Rae Davis recorded a game and career-high 10 assists.
Quick Notes
- YSU posted its largest margin of victory since beating Buffalo 78-44 on Nov. 21, 2006, at Beeghly Center.
- In the second half, YSU was 12-for-23 from the field, 8-of-11 from 3-point range and 11-for-11 from the free-throw line.
- Shar'Rae Davis's 10 assists were the most by a Penguin since Lauren Branson had 11 at UIC on March 8, 2008.
- Melissa Thompson scored the first six points of the second half and finished with 11 points, her second double-digit performance of the season.
- YSU had runs of 7-0, 9-0 and 12-0 in the second half and an 8-0 run in the first.
- Heidi Schlegel had 14 points off the bench. She's scored in double figures in each of her three games this season.
- Brandi Brown had 13 points and four rebounds. Her double-double streak was stopped at five games.
- Karen Flagg finished nine points on 3-for-4 shooting from 3-point range.
- The Penguins led for the final 38:23 of the game.
Scouting IUPUI
IUPUI is 4-3 following an 71-60 overtime loss at Eastern Illinois on Thursday. The Jaguars started the season with a 59-point win over Grace College, and their other wins came over Valparaiso, Indiana State and Belmont. They are 3-0 at The Jungle and 1-3 on the road. IUPUI's other two losses came at Wright State and at Indiana. DeAirra Goss leads the team with 15.3 points per game and is one of three Jaguars averaging double figures. Kerah Nelson averages 11.4 points and 6.3 rebounds.
Last Time vs. IUPUI
Youngstown State shot 27 percent in the second half and 32.7 percent overall in a 53-50 loss to IUPUI at Indiana University on Nov. 26, 2005.
The Penguins led by as many as seven with 12:14 left in the second half but went scoreless for seven minutes. YSU led 50-49 on a Megan Snorft bucket with 50 seconds left. IUPUI scored the final four points in the final 25 seconds.
Kristy Gaudiose had a team-high 10 points off the bench for YSU. Lauren Branson registered eight of the Penguins' nine assists.
Series With IUPUI
Youngstown State leads the all-time series with IUPUI 5-3. The Penguins won the first five meetings when both teams were members of the Mid-Continent Conference. One of those wins came in the conference tournament in 1999. The Jaguars won both meetings in 2000-01, YSU's last season in the Mid-Con. They then beat the Penguins at Indiana on Nov. 26, 2005.
5-1: Best Start Since 1999-2000
Youngstown State is 5-1 for the first time since the 1999-2000 season with its wins over Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Bryant, Miami (Ohio) and Stony Brook. The wins at Pittsburgh (by 14) and Miami (by 20) are among the best wins by the program in at least a decade.
- The Penguins are four games over .500 for the first time since 1999-2000.
- YSU won its first three road games for the first time since the 1997-98 season.
- The Penguins had their first four-game winning streak since the 2007-08 season. They won four straight games by double digits for the first time since 1997-98.
- YSU won five games in November for just the second time in school history, matching the 1997-98 team.
- The Penguins beat Pitt and 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 Nearing 1,500 Points / 1,000 Rebounds
Brandi Brown is 50 rebounds away from becoming the third player in YSU history to record 1,500 career points and 1,000 career rebounds. Brown has 1,535 points and 950 rebounds in the first 96 games of her career, which equates to averages of 16 points and 9.9 rebounds. If she corrals her 1,000th rebound, not only would she join Wanda Grant and Dorothy Bowers as the only Penguins to reach 1,500 points and 1,000 rebounds, she'd be just the fourth player in Horizon League / MCC history to reach those milestones. Brown currently ranks seventh in school history in points and third in rebounds.
Penguins' Early-Season Revenge Tour
YSU's continual growth over the last three seasons has been demonstrated so far in large turnarounds from losses. The Penguins beat Pittsburgh 64-50 in the season opener, which was a 66-point turnaround from an 89-37 loss at Pittsburgh in 2009-10. YSU then beat Buffalo 60-50 for a 64-point turnaround from when the Bulls beat the Penguins 92-38 in 2009-10. On Friday, YSU beat Stony Brook by 33 after losing to the Seawolves by seven last year.
Lots of 3-Pointers
Through games completed on Nov. 25, Youngstown State led the NCAA with 9.3 3-pointers per game. The Penguins ranked fifth in the country last season with 9.2 3-pointers per game and set school and Horizon League records for 3-pointers made in a season last year with 275. In fact, YSU has re-set the school record for 3-pointers made and attempted in Coach Bob Boldon's first two seasons. The Penguins have made at least eight 3-pointers 27 times in the last 35 games dating back to the start of last season.
Among Horizon League Leaders
YSU currently leads the Horizon League in scoring offense (69.2 ppg), scoring margin (plus-15.2) and 3-pointers per game (9.3), and it ranks second in scoring defense, free-throw percentage, field goal defense, 3-point percentage and turnover margin. On the individual level, Brandi Brown leads the conference with 12.7 rebounds per game, Shar'Rae Davis leads with 5.3 assists per game, and Liz Hornberger's 3.2 3-pointers per game is tops in the conference.
YSU's Mid-Con Success
Youngstown State's contest against IUPUI is its only game of the season against a Summit League team. YSU competed as a member of the Mid-Continent Conference from 1992-93 to 2000-01 and won 66-percent of its conference games during that nine-year stretch. The Penguins won at least a share of five straight regular season titles from 1994-95 to 1998-99 and captured tournament titles in 1995-96, 1997-98 and 1999-2000. YSU joined the Horizon League in 2001-02, and the Mid-Con was renamed the Summit League in 2007-08. IUPUI is one of four members who were in the conference when YSU departed (others are Oakland, Western Illinois and Kansas City).
Road Warriors Early
Youngstown State is in a stretch were it plays six of its first eight games on the road. The Penguins won at Pittsburgh and Buffalo to start the season, and they also have a road win at Miami (Ohio). YSU plays at IUPUI and Cincinnati this week before playing three of its next four at Beeghly Center.
Half-Time Adjustments
Youngstown State is outscoring its opponents 248-163 after halftime this season, an average of 17 points. So far, the Penguins outscored Pittsburgh by 26, Bryant by 16 and Stony Brook by 24 after halftime. YSU and Buffalo tied with 30 points in the second half, and Northern Kentucky outscored the Penguins 34-33. YSU has shot better than 50 percent in the second half in two of its last three contests. The Penguins are averaging 27.8 points on 35.5 percent shooting in the first half and 41.3 points on 44.3 percent shooting in the second half.
Schlegel Returns to Line-Up
Redshirt sophomore forward Heidi Schlegel returned to the YSU rotation at Miami (Ohio) on Nov. 25, and she has promptly averaged 13.7 points and five rebounds in three games. She has scored at least 12 points and grabbed at least four rebounds in each of her three games. Schlegel missed the first three games of the season with a concussion that she suffered in a preseason scrimmage. She was YSU's second-ranked returning scorer and rebounder heading into this season. Schlegel averaged 9.7 points and 4.6 rebounds in 27 games last season.
Hornberger Growing into Role
Junior guard Liz Hornberger leads the Horizon League with her 19 3-pointers in six games. Her 44.2-percent shooting from behind the arc ranks fifth in the conference. Hornberger has at least 12 points three times in the first three games. She had three double-digit scoring efforts in her first two seasons. Hornberger, who coach Bob Boldon praises for her basketball knowledge and leadership on the court, has also improved her distribution. Her career high for assists in a game entering this season was three. She's surpassed that three times.
Focusing on Defense
YSU made a conscientious effort to improve its defense and rebounding through recruiting and placing a higher priority on it during preseason practices, and it is paying off in the early part of the season. Last season, YSU ranked last in the Horizon League last season in rebounding margin (minus-5.1) and field goal percentage defense (43.0 percent) and second-to-last in scoring defense (67.5 points per game). This season, the Penguins rank second league in scoring defense (54.0 points per game) and field goal percentage defense (.389) and fifth in rebounding margin (plus-0.3). The Penguins have held their first three opponents to an average of 54.0 points per game. That is a 13.5-point improvement from last season.
- The Penguins held four straight opponents under 60 points for the first time since the 1990-91 season.
- YSU held its first four opponents under 60 points for the first time since 1978-79.
- The 29 turnovers that YSU forced against Bryant were the most since Niagara had 30 on Nov. 13, 2007.
Davis Impressing Early
Freshman Shar'Rae Davis has had a strong start to her collegiate career. In her first six games, she's averaged 12.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.0 steals. She's posted highs of 23 points, nine rebounds, 10 assists and five steals. Brandi Brown was the last freshman to score at least 23 points on Dec. 5, 2009. The last freshman to record at least 10 assists in a game was Barb Fabianova, who had 10 at Western Illinois on Dec. 8, 2001.
