March 10, 2008

Seventh-Seeded Guins Host 10th-Seeded Detroit in HL First Round

    The seventh-seeded Youngstown State women's basketball team hosts its first Horizon League Women's Basketball Tournament game when it entertains 10th-seeded Detroit, Monday, at 7:05 p.m. at the Beeghly Center.

Last Time Out
    Youngstown State used a 19-2 late first-half run to build a 10-point halftime lead and staved off a UIC second-half rally to post a 71-62 victory in the regular-season finale on Saturday at the UIC Pavilion.
    Senior Heather Karner led the Penguins with 23 points, including five 3-pointers, and junior Tiara Scott posted a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Junior Ashley Pendleton added 14 points.

The Series
This will be the 22nd meeting between the Penguins and Titans with YSU owning a slim 11-10 advantage in the all-time series. Youngstown State swept the season series from the Titans, winning 74-55 at the Beeghly Center on Jan. 19 and 62-59 at Calihan Hall on Feb. 14. Youngstown State has won four straight contests against the Titans.

Last Time Against Detroit
    Junior Tiara Scott scored a game-high 22 points and junior Velissa Vaughn hit a mid-range jumper with 38 seconds remaining to lift the Youngstown State to a 62-59 over Detroit on on Feb. 14 at Calihan Hall.
    Detroit’s Zemora Davis hit a jumper just under a minute remaining to give the Titans a 59-58 lead.
    After Vaughn’s jumper put the Guins back up by one, senior Heather Karner, who scored 12 points, canned two free throws with 13 seconds left to seal the victory.
The Guins also connected on 14-of-18 from the free throw line in the second half.

Guins Going For First Tournament Win
Youngstown State is looking to pick up its first tournament win since joining the Horizon League in 2001-02. The Guins are 0-7 in Horizon League tournament games and have not won a tournament game since the 1999-2000 season as members of the Mid-Continent Conference.

Scott, Branson Pick Up League Honors
Youngstown State junior Tiara Scott was named to the All-Horizon League Second Team and All-Newcomer Team and senior Lauren Branson was named to the league’s All-Defensive Team. Scott led the Penguins with 15 points per game and averaged 6.6 rebounds per game against Horizon League foes. She also averaged 13 points per game overall and ranked 11th in the league in scoring. Branson, who led the Horizon League with 5.9 assists in league games, averaged 2.1 steals per game in league play. Branson also led the league with 158 assists and 5.5 assists per game in all games.

Karner Two Shy of Record
Senior guard Heather Karner, who has made 78 3-pointers this season, needs two more treys to break the school's single-season record of 79 set by Tiffany Adams in 1992-93. Karner also moved into seventh place on the all-time list with 130 career 3-pointers made in two seasons. Karner tied a career high with five 3-pointers en route to a game-high 23 points in YSU's 71-62 win over UIC on Saturday. She also made five 3-pointers against Valparaiso on Jan. 31 and March 1.

Branson Dishes Dimes
Senior point guard Lauren Branson tallied a season-high 11 assists in the Penguins 71-62 win over UIC on Saturday. Branson ranks fifth all-time with 484 career assists. She needs nine more to move into a tie for fourth and 10 more to gain sole possession of fourth place on the career assists chart.

A Win Will
• Mark YSU’s 14th victory of the season.
• Give Head Coach Tisha Hill her 45th career victory.
• Give YSU its first Horizon League Tournament victory.
• Mark the most wins (14) since the 1999-2000 season.
• Mark the 468th win in program history.

No Love For HK
Despite ranking eighth in scoring and leading the league with 51 3-pointers and 2.83 3-pointers made per game against league foes, Youngstown State senior Heather Karner did not pick up any postseason accolades. Overall, Karner averaged 13.8 points per game, which ranked seventh in the league, and made 78 3-pointers, good for second in the circuit.

Vaughn 20-20 Vision
For the first time in her career, junior Velissa Vaughn has scored at least 20 points in consecutive games after dropping in 21 against Butler on Feb. 28. The Clairton, Pa., native went 6-of-18 from the field, including two 3-pointers, and 7-of-9 from the 3-point line. On Feb. 23, Vaughn scored a career-high 28 points against Cleveland State.

Schloemp Streak at 102
Senior Jessica Schloemp owns a games played streak of 102 straight. Schloemp has also played in 112 of 113 career games. Schloemp also ranks seventh all-time with 112 games played.

Vaughn Turns In Career Night
Junior Velissa Vaughn turned in the best performance of her career in the 82-66 loss to Cleveland State on Feb. 23. Vaughn scored a career-best 28 points on 11-of-20 shooting from the field with four 3-pointers. Her 11 field goals made was also a career-best.

Karner In Century Club
In 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 ninth with 130 3-point baskets.

Branson Nearing Fourth
Senior guard Lauren Branson continues her move up the YSU all-time assist chart. With five assists against Cleveland State on Feb. 23, Branson eclipsed the 450 career assist plateau and now has 484 assists. Branson needs nine more tie move into a tie for fourth place on the all-time assist chart with Caroline McCombs (493, 1994-98).

Branson Nets Academic Award
    Senior Lauren Branson was named Academic All-District IV by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Branson, a 2006-07 Academic All-Horizon League pick, carries a 3.93 grade-point average in special education and is the fourth Youngstown State student-athlete in 2007-08 to earn academic all-district laurels.
    She joins football players Bob Perez and Tom Zetts and volleyball player Jessica Fraley as YSU student-athletes to earn that distinction.
    She also becomes the fifth Youngstown State women’s basketball player to pick up the CoSIDA award.
The last women’s basketball player to earn academic all-district honors was Jen Perugini in 2004-05.

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
With a win, the Penguins will take on No. 2 Wright State, Wednesday, March 12. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. at the Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio.