Following Monday's emotional win at IUPUI, the Youngstown State women's basketball team will wrap up its three-day road trip at Cincinnati on Wednesday at Fifth Third Arena. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m., and the game will be carried live on 570 WKBN, 570wkbn.com and iHeartRadio.
The Penguins hung on to beat IUPUI 58-57 on Monday evening in Indianapolis despite committing 37 turnovers. They were averaging 14.8 turnovers heading into the contest but struggled against the Jaguars' constant pressure. YSU out-rebounded IUPUI 47-22 to help offset the turnovers and outshot the Jaguars 50 percent to 34.9 percent. The Penguins had lost nine straight games decided by five points or fewer dating back to last season.
Brandi Brown had game highs of 25 points and 16 rebounds in willing the Penguins to victory. Her 11th field goal of the night came on a putback with 1:27 left that accounted for the game's final points. IUPUI missed its final two field goals and two free throws as YSU held on.
Youngstown State is 6-1 for the first time since 1997-98 and has already matched its win total from two seasons ago. YSU was 10-20 last year, 6-24 two years ago and a combined 3-57 in the previous two campaigns. The Penguins have held opponents to under 60 points in each of their six wins, which is a big improvement from last season when teams scored an average of 67.5 points against them.
Cincinnati enters the contest with a 4-2 record following a double-overtime loss to Xavier on Sunday. The Bearcats have won all five meetings against YSU in a series that dates back to 1980.
Following Wednesday's game at Cincinnati, YSU will host Wilmington (Ohio) on Sunday at 3:05 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 were averaging an NCAA-best 9.3 per game as of Dec. 2.
- YSU averaged 64.6 points last season, its best scoring average since 2001-02. The Guins are averaging 67.6 points this year.
- Opponents are scoring 54.4 points per game against YSU through seven games. They averaged 67.5 points last year.
- YSU is outscoring opponents by 7.1 points per game off turnovers.
A Win Would
- Give YSU its first 7-1 start since the 1997-98 season.
- Be YSU's first over Cincinnati in six tries
- Give YSU two wins over Big East teams in the same season for the first time in school history
- Be the 496th in program history
Game Recap vs. IUPUI
Youngstown State battled through 37 turnovers by shooting 50 percent and having an outstanding effort on the glass to grind out a 58-57 victory at IUPUI on Monday.
Brandi Brown scored 25 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, and her 11th bucket of the night came on a putback with 1:27 left accounted for the game's final points. IUPUI missed two free throws and two field goals in the final 1:11.
YSU led by as many as 11 in the first half and trailed for just over five-and-a-half minutes in the game. Liz Hornberger and Heidi Schlegel both finished with 11 points for YSU, and Kerah Nelson scored 22 points off the bench for IUPUI. She missed two free throws with 29 seconds remaining and a field goal near the buzzer.
Quick Notes
- YSU was plus-25 in rebounding, which was its best effort since being plus-25 against Butler in 2006.
- The 37 turnovers were the most by YSU since at least the 2001-02 season. The Penguins were averaging 14.8 turnovers heading into the contest.
- YSU went on a 12-4 run in the first half to go up 34-23 with 3:58 left. IUPUI scored the final nine points of the half to trim the deficit to two.
- The Penguins attempted a season-low 11 3-pointers but made six of them. The 11 attempts tied for the fewest in coach Bob Boldon's three seasons.
- Liz Hornberger scored all 11 of her points in the first half, and eight came in just over a two-minute span. She has four double-digit scoring games this season after having three in her first two years combined.
- Brandi Brown posted her sixth double-double in seven games. It was the third time she had at least 20 points and 15 rebounds.
Scouting Cincinnati
Cincinnati is 4-2 this season following a 69-67 loss to Xavier in double overtime on Sunday. The Bearcats beat Northern Kentucky 49-31 in their season opener and also have wins over Kent State, the College of Charleston and Morehead State. Junior guard Dayeesha Hollins is averaging 18.8 points and 7.3 rebounds, and junior forward Tiffany Turner averages 7.8 points and 8.8 rebounds.
Last Time vs. Cincinnati
Cincinnati made 10 3-pointers and went on an 18-0 run in the first half en route to a 79-56 victory at Fifth Third Arena on Dec. 15, 2007.
YSU led 19-18 with 7 minutes left in the first half but didn't score until the final 20 seconds of the period. By that time Cincinnati led 36-19, and the Penguins got no closer than 10 points the rest of the way.
Heather Karner had 15 points to lead YSU while Kelsey Gurganus and Tiara Scott also reached double figures. Jill Stephens led Cincinnati with 27 points, 15 of which came from beyond the 3-point arc.
Series With Cincinnati
Cincinnati has won all five games with Youngstown State in a series that dates back to the 1979-80 season. The Bearcats won games in 1980, 1981 and 1983, then the teams did not play again until 2006. UC won 85-78 in Youngstown on Nov. 10, 2006 and 79-56 in Cincinnati on Dec. 15, 2007. The first four meetings were all decided by 10 points or fewer.
6-1: Best Start in 15 Years
- Youngstown State is 6-1 for the first time since the 1997-98 season with its wins over Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Bryant, Miami (Ohio), Stony Brook and IUPUI. 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 five games over .500 for the first time since Jan. 6, 2000. Interestingly, a win at IUPUI also put them five games over .500 that season.
- 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.
Penguins Strong on the Boards
YSU out-rebounded IUPUI 47-22 in Monday's 58-57 win. That plus-25 edge was a rarity for the Penguins. The lat time YSU was at least plus-20 on the boards was at Akron (+20) on Dec. 21, 2007. The last time the Guins were plus-25 was versus Butler on Feb. 2, 2006. The Penguins last held an edge of more than 25 was Nov. 28, 2001 at Akron. The 22 rebounds by IUPUI were the fewest by a YSU opponent since at least 2001-02.
Penguins Finally Pull Out a Close One
Youngstown State held on to beat IUPUI 58-57 on Monday night. The Penguins had dropped nine straight contests that were decided by five points or fewer heading into the contest. YSU lost 66-64 in the final seconds at Northern Kentucky last Tuesday, and the Guins lost their last eight games decided by five points or fewer last season. The last time YSU won a game decided by five points or fewer before Monday was at Bucknell on Nov. 16, 2011. Like IUPUI, Bucknell missed a shot in the closing seconds that would have won the game.
Brown Nearing 1,500 Points / 1,000 Rebounds
Brandi Brown is 34 rebounds away from becoming the third player in YSU history to record 1,500 career points and 1,000 career rebounds. Brown has 1,560 points and 966 rebounds in the first 97 games of her career, which equates to averages of 16.1 points and 10.0 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.
YSU's 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.
B.B.'s Double-Doubles
YSU senior Brandi Brown posted her sixth double-double in seven games this season at IUPUI. She has 42 over 97 games in her career, which equates to just over 43 percent. She had 14 in 30 games as a freshman, 13 in 30 games as a sophomore and nine in 30 games last season as a junior. She began this season with five straight double-doubles, which was the best streak of her career.
Nation's Leader in 3's Per Game
Through games completed on Dec. 2, Youngstown State was tied for the nation's lead 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 37 games dating back to the start of last season.
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 road wins at Miami (Ohio) and IUPUI. After playing at Cincinnati, YSU plays three of its next four at Beeghly Center.
Half-Time Adjustments
Youngstown State is outscoring its opponents 272-188 after halftime this season, an average of 12 points per game. So far, the Penguins outscored Pittsburgh by 26, Bryant by 16 and Stony Brook by 24 after halftime. The Penguins are averaging 28.7 points on 38.3 percent shooting in the first half and 38.9 points on 43.6 percent shooting in the second half.
Schlegel Key Off the Bench
Heidi Schlegel is averaging 13 points and five rebounds off the bench in her four games this season. She missed the first three contests with a concussion. Schlegel has scored in double figures in each of her four games this season, which is the longest streak of her career. She averaged 9.7 points and 4.6 rebounds last year in 27 games, 17 of which she started.
Hornberger Growing into Role
Junior guard Liz Hornberger leads the Horizon League with her 22 3-pointers in seven games. Her 44.9-percent shooting from behind the arc ranks fifth in the conference. Hornberger has at least 11 points four times in the first seven 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 (54.4 points per game) and field goal percentage defense (.383) and second in rebounding margin (plus-3.9). The Penguins have held opponents to an average of 54.4 points per game. That is a 13.1-point improvement from last season.
Davis Impressing Early
Freshman Shar'Rae Davis has had a strong start to her collegiate career. In her first seven games, she's averaged 11.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.7 steals. She's posted highs of 23 points, nine rebounds, 10 assists and five steals.
