Women's Basketball  Returns to Beeghly Center to Host League Leader Green Bay

    Youngstown State (10-10, 5-4 Horizon League) returns home for the first time in three weeks to host Horizon League leader Green Bay (16-4, 8-1 Horizon League) on Thursday, Feb. 7.
Tipoff is slated for 5:15 p.m. at the Beeghly Center and will be broadcast live on 570 WKBN-AM and the Horizon League Network.

Last Time Out
Youngstown State shot just 32.2 percent from the field and committed 21 turnovers dropping a 63-48 decision to Butler (14-6, 4-5 Horizon League) on Saturday afternoon at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Junior Tiara Scott led the Penguins with 17 points and eight rebounds while junior Velissa Vaughn scored 13 points.

The Series
This will be the 20th meeting between the Penguins and Phoenix since the 1992-93 season when both schools were members of the Mid-Continent Conference. Green Bay owns an 18-1 advantage in the all-time series and has won the last six contests. The Guins’ lone victory came in 2004-05 when the Penguins defeated the 23rd-ranked Phoenix, 60-56, at the Phoenix Sports Center.

Last Time Against the Phoenix
    An impressive second-half comeback attempt by the Guins fell just shy for the second consecutive game in an 85-80 loss to Green Bay on Jan. 12 at the Kress Events Center.
    The Penguins trailed by 20 points at halftime only to battle back within three, 83-80, with 22 seconds remaining after a layup by junior Tiara Scott, but Green Bay made two late free throws to seal the victory.
    The Penguins placed four players in double figures led by senior Heather Karner’s 20 points. Junior Tiara Scott recorded her second double-double of the season with 19 points and 12 rebounds while juniors Kesley Gurganus scored a career-high 16 points and junior Velissa Vaughn added 12.

Scouting The Phoenix
The Phoenix is currently 16-4 overall and leads the Horizon League with an 8-1 league mark. The Phoenix is coming off a 79-64 win over Milwaukee last Saturday and has won 12 of their last 13 games. Four players average double figures led by Kayla Groh and Rachel Porath with 13.6 points per game apiece. Lavesa Glover averages 12 points per game while Kati Harty owns a scoring average of 11.7 points per contest.

A Win Will
• Mark YSU’s 11th victory of the season.
• Give Head Coach Tisha Hill her 42nd career victory.
• Mark YSU’s second victory over the Phoenix and the first at Beeghly Center.
• Snap a six-game losing streak to the Phoenix.
• Give YSU its sixth Horizon League win of the year.
• Mark the 465th win in program history.
• Mark YSU’s fifth straight win at home.
• Mark the most home victories since the 2004-05 season (7).

Home Sweet Home
The Guins are doing an outstanding job protecting their home court this season. YSU is 6-1 in games played in Beeghly Center and averaging almost 64 points per game. Three players average double figures led by Heather Karner’s 12.9 points per game. Juniors Tiara Scott and Velissa Vaughn average 11.4 and 10.7 points per game, respectively.

Karner Joins Century Club
In less than two seasons, senior Heather Karner moved into the top 10 all-time for 3-pointers made and became the 10th player in school history to make at least 100 3-pointers in a career. Karner ranks tied for ninth with 101 3-point baskets. Karner also made a career-best five 3-pointers in YSU’s 92-79 win over Valparaiso on Jan. 31.

Guins on National Scene
Seniors Lauren Branson and Heather Karner exemplary performances this season have given the Guins exposure on the national scene. Branson ranks 10th with a 2.5 assists-to-turnover ratio and 28th nationally with 5.3 assists per game while Karner ranks 42nd nationally in 3-pointers made per game.

Vaughn Shining Versus League
Since Horizon League play started, junior Velissa Vaughn has been outstanding. After scoring just 17 points in the first 11 games, Vaughn has scored 116 points for an average of 12.9 points per game, including a season-best 19 points against Detroit on Jan. 19. The 5-foot-8 guard is shooting 42 percent from the floor and 46.3 percent from behind the 3-point line.

92 A League High
Youngstown State’s 92 points against Valparaiso on Jan. 31 marked the first time since 2005 that the Guins scored at least 90 point in a game. It is also a league scoring high this season.

Branson Inching Toward Fifth
Senior guard Lauren Branson continues her move up the YSU all-time assist chart. With four assists against Butler on Feb. 2, Branson ranks sixth with 431 career assists and needs 17 more to move into fifth place past Colleen Cook (447, 1994-98).

Second-Half Resurgence
After scoring just 26 points in the second half against Cleveland State on Jan. 26, the Guins returned to their potent second-half ways against Valparaiso with 48 points. YSU scored 34 against UIC (Jan. 3), 35 against Loyola (Jan. 5), 42 against Milwaukee (Jan. 10), 56 against Green Bay (Jan. 12), 33 against Wright State (Jan. 17) and 45 against Detroit (Jan. 19). The Guins also scored 31 poiints in the second half, after scoring 17 in the first half, against Butler on Feb. 2.

Need To Lead
The Penguins have led at halftime in 12 of 20 games this season and own an 8-4 record in those games.

Schloemp Streak at 93
Senior Jessica Schloemp owns a games played streak of 93 straight. Schloemp has also played in 103 of 104 career games.

Scott’s Efficiency
Junior Tiara Scott is currently on pace to set the fifth-highest single-season field-goal percentage in school history. Scott’s .558 field-goal percentage ranks fifth on the single-season list.

Assist Me, Please
Senior Lauren Branson continues to prove her value as a point guard. This season, the 5-foot-6 guard has tallied 105 assists to just 46 turnovers in 33.5 minutes per game. She leads the Horizon League with 5.3 assists per game and is second with a 2.5 assist-to-turnover ratio. She also ranks 10th nationally in assists-to-turnover ratio.

Great Scott
Junior Tiara Scott is taking the Horizon League by storm. Halfway through the Horizon League slate, Scott ranks second in field-goal percentage (.596), third in scoring (16.9 ppg), fourth in rebounding (7.3 rpg) and ninth in free-throw perecentage (.804).

Seniors Tabbed Team Captains
Guards Lauren Branson, Heather Karner and Kira Mowen and senior forward Jessica Schloemp have been named team captains for the 2007-08 basketball season.

Karner Nabs Preseason Laurels
Senior Heather Karner was named to the Horizon League Preseason All-League Second-Team in a vote of the circuit’s head coaches, sports information directors and select media. Karner led the Penguins with 10.9 points per game and was named to the all-newcomer team last season.

Up Next
The Guins continue their homestand against Milwaukee, Saturday, Feb. 9. Tipoff is slated for 4:35 p.m. at the Beeghly Center and is part of a men’s and women’s basketball doubleheader.