Youngstown, Ohio — Erica King scored 13 of her career-high 23 points in the second quarter, and Youngstown State's women's basketball team  earned its fourth straight victory by beating Oakland 81-58 on Monday inside Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center.

King was one of four Penguins scoring in double figures as YSU continued to showcase strength in balance this season. Paulina Hernandez scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench, Sophia Gregory scored 15 points with eight rebounds and three blocks, and Sarah Baker scored 12.

Youngstown State improved to 11-4 overall and 4-1 in Horizon League play, while Oakland dropped to 4-11 and 1-4.

Baker was 4-for-4 in the first quarter as the teams played to a 16-16 tie after 10 minutes, and King sparked the Penguins to a 26-14 edge in the second. The sophomore guard was 5-for-7 from the field, 2-for-2 from 3-point range and 1-for-1 at the free-throw line in the period.

The Penguins led 42-30 at halftime, and they weathered an Oakland run in the third quarter. YSU led by as many as 16 at 53-37 following a Gregory bucket at the 4:52 mark, but the Golden Grizzlies went on a 9-2 burst over the next 4:11 to trim the margin to 55-46. Oakland was 9-for-12 at the free-throw line in the period, which helped it overcome a 3-for-16 shooting performance from the field.

Baker's bucket put the lead back to double digits at 57-46 with 21 seconds left in the third, and Hernandez helped the Penguins close out the victory. She finished with 10 points in the fourth quarter, going 4-for-5 overall and making both of her attempts from 3-point range, and King added eight points to her career-high total.

King surpassed her previous career high of 19 points with a 3-pointer in transition at the 6:32 mark after Oakland had gone on another 9-2 run to get within nine. Hernandez then buried two triples within 90 seconds to push YSU's lead to 77-58 with 2:49 on the clock, and Gregory's steal and breakaway layup gave the Penguins a 21-point advantage with 1:23 remaining. King added one more bucket in the final minute to increase her total to 23 points and allow YSU to score the final 10 points of the night.

Youngstown State shot 48.5% from the field while making nine 3-pointers, and it matched Oakland with 42 points in the paint. The Golden Grizzlies were 1-for-18 from 3-point range, and they finished 11-for-22 from the free-throw line. The Penguins did not allow a field goal over the final 4:48.

The Penguins continue their four-game homestand on Thursday by hosting Northern Kentucky with a special tip time of 7:17 p.m. as part of a promotion with 7 17 Credit Union.