Three-Point Barrage Leads Women's Basketball Past Valparaiso, 92-79

    Valparaiso, Ind. -- The Youngstown State women's basketball made 14 3-pointers and erased a nine-point second-half deficit to earn its first Horizon League road win in a 92-79 victory over Valparaiso on Thursday evening at the Athletics and Recreation Center.

    Senior Heather Karner led four Penguins scoring in double figures with 21 points while junior Tiara Scott poured in 20 points and grabbed nine boards. Junior Velissa Vaughn added 16 points and senior Jessica Schloemp recorded a double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds.

    YSU's 14 3-pointers is tied for the second-highest total in school history.

    Trailing 60-51 with 16 minutes remaining in the game, the Penguins uses a 15-1 run over the next four minutes to take a 66-61 lead, which they would never relinquish.

    After  jumpers by Kelsey Gurganus and Schloemp brought the Guins within six, Schloemp drained a 3-pointers, Scott converted a layup and senior Lauren Branson's steal and layup put the Penguins ahead 62-61. Vaughn buried a 3-pointer at the 11:32 mark to give the Guins a five-point cushion.

    The Penguins (10-9, 5-3 Horizon League) lead ballooned to 10, 80-70 with six-and-a-half minutes left but the Crusaders (9-10, 4-4 Horizon League) cut the deficit to three after a 7-0 run.

    Vaughn, however, scored the next five points on a layup and 3-pointer to cushion the Penguins advantage to eight, 85-77, with 2:55 remaining.

    The Crusaders would not get any closer. 

    In the first half, the Penguins, who made 8-of-18 3-pointers in the first half, and Crusaders battled through the first seven minutes evenly before Valparaiso went on 9-0 run to take a 25-17 lead midway through the stanza.

    YSU answered with a 15-7 run - keyed by two 3-pointers by Karner - over the next five minutes to knot the game at 32-32. at the 5:31 mark after two free throws by Jessica Schloemp.

    The Crusaders, who shot 51.7 percent before halftime, built a five-point edge before Karner hit her fourth triple of the half and converted two charity tosses to tie the game at 37-37 with 4:28 remaining.

    After Valparaiso's Leah Hochstetler drained a 3-pointer to give the Crusaders a 40-37 edge, Kelsey Gurganus responded with a 3-pointer and Schloemp's put-back  gave the Guins a 42-40 lead with 2:08 left.

    Valparaiso scored six of the next eight points to take a 46-44 lead into the lockerroom at the intermission.
    The Guins play the third of three straight road contests at Butler, Saturday, Feb. 2. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. (EST) at Hinkle Fieldhouse.