Box Score
The Youngstown State women's basketball team made 11 3-pointers and shot 54 percent from the field to beat Lake Erie College 83-48 on Wednesday evening at Beeghly Center.
The Penguins led the pesky Storm 21-18 at the end of the first period but held the visitors to 10 points in each of the final three periods as they pulled away to improve to 6-4 on the season.
McKenah Peters secured her first career double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, and she was one of four Penguins to make multiple 3-pointers. Jen Wendler scored a career-best 13 points, and Taylor Petit and Maddie Schires both finished with a dozen points.
The Penguins shot at least 52.9 percent in each of the first three periods, and they shot 75 percent in the second period as they built a 40-28 advantage.
Ashley West led Lake Erie College with 12 points.
There were eight lead changes and two ties in the first period, and the storm led 12-9 on a West basket at just over five minutes into the contest. Chelsea Olson hit a 3-pointer on the Penguins' next possession to kickstart a 9-0 run that put them up 18-12, and YSU did not trail again.
The final tie came when Sydney Wyndgarden hit a 3-pointer for Lake Erie on the first possession of the second period. Olson's layup 17 seconds later started a 10-0 spurt for the Penguins that gave them their first double-digit lead at 31-21, and the lead grew to as high as 14 in the period when Wendler made two free throws with nine seconds left.
The Penguins led by a dozen at the break, and they more than doubled the margin with a 24-10 edge in the third period. Schires made two triples in an 8-0 run that gave YSU its first 20-point lead at 50-30, and the Penguins ended the third period on a 14-1 run. Aulbach made two 3s during that stretch, and Peters finished the run with a three-point play. The junior guard then hit a triple on the first possession of the fourth period to extend the lead to 67-38.
The margin hit 30 for the first time when a Wendler basket put the Penguins up 76-45 with 4:13 remaining, and the 83-48 final was the biggest lead of the game.
Youngstown State held a 37-25 rebounding advantage, and they had a 22-9 edge in points off turnovers despite winning the turnover margin by just two.
Youngstown State will complete the non-conference portion of its schedule by hosting Muskingum for the Seventh Annual Chick-Fil-A School Field Trip Game on Friday. Tipoff against the Division III Muskies is set for 11 a.m.
