YSU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Penguins still seeking leader as league begins

Youngstown State opens Horizon League play Thursday at home against Loyola.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Ten games into the season, Youngstown State women's basketball coach Ed DiGregorio is still looking for a leader for his team.
The Penguins have struggled thus far with a 3-7 record. Thursday night, they will begin play in the Horizon League when they play host to Loyola University of Chicago in a 7 p.m. tip-off at Beeghly Center.
"The young ladies are working very hard," DiGregorio said. "But nobody wants to step up and take the leadership of this team."
The Penguins haven't played in 11 days and DiGregorio said the long layoff is troublesome.
"It's just too long a layoff," he said. "The kids are getting bored in practice and we even try to do different things each day. Games are fun, but practice isn't."
Last time out
In YSU's last game, a 68-59 victory over Akron on Dec. 22, the Penguins put together a solid attack led by senior Maggie Johnston and sophomore Jen Perugini.
But they haven't always been leaders this year.
Johnston is bothered by tendonitis in both knees while Perugini finally showed some of the ability that she had a year ago when she was named the Horizon League's Newcomer of the Year and led the conference in rebounding as a freshman.
"We're ready," Perugini said. "We've been working hard and Loyola beat us three times last year so we've got a score to settle. The layoff has been a long one. Practice just isn't a lot of fun."
Part of the Penguins' slow start this season has been because of the loss of two key personnel for the year.
Two key losses
Junior guard Cathy Hanek, an Ursuline High product, was diagnosed with an inflammatory arthritis before the season and under doctor's orders is sitting out the season. She is being red-shirted and will have two years eligibility remaining.
Top freshman prospect Ashlee Russo, a Boardman High product, underwent offseason ankle surgery and it hasn't responded as hoped. She also has been redshirted for this season.
"I know one thing for sure," DiGregorio said. "If we had Cathy Hanek this year, we'd be 7-3 at this point not 3-7. She would have taken control of the game for us. Right now, we don't have anybody who seems to want to do that."
DiGregorio is working with seven players because his three other freshmen prospects haven't come along as quickly as he had hoped.
"We built a big lead against Akron and when I put the young kids in the game we almost blew that big lead," DiGregorio said.
The Penguins have been very well-balanced in their starting five with three players -- Perugini, Johnston and junior Devin Novak -- averaging more than 10 points a game.
Sophomore Jessica Novak and junior Jessica Forsythe are both averaging more than nine points.
Coming off the bench and adding good support are sophomores Barb Fabianova and Tara Fleming.
The 5-11 Forsythe is ranked third in the Horizon League in rebounding averaging 6.8 per game and Perugini is seventh with a 6 average.
Novak, a pure shooter, lead the team hitting on 51.4 percent of her shots and is second in the league from 3-point range hitting 54.2 percent.
Ramblers are struggling
Loyola carries a 3-8 record into the contest but won their Horizon League opener at UW-Milwaukee on Monday night.
The Ramblers are led by sophomore Clara Henderson who is averaging 13.2 points a game and senior Sarah Hamilton with a 10.3 mark.
Loyola defeated the Penguins twice during the regular season last year and then knocked them out of the Horizon League tournament in the opening round, 76-60.