WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Youngstown State aces Akron

Cathy Hanek scored 22 points to rally the Penguins in the second half.
YOUNGSTOWN -- Students at Youngstown State embark on a week of final exams to end fall semester. The women's basketball team earned all A's on their court test Sunday.
Senior Cathy Hanek scored a career-high 22 points, half of which came in the key stretch of the game, and freshman point guard Lauren Branson had a career-best 11 points, leading the Penguins to a 61-48 victory over Akron at Beeghly Center.
"I have a sense this team is growing," said Youngstown State coach Tisha Hill. "They are starting to keep their focus together for 40 minutes."
Second-half sharpshooting
Hanek scored 15 points in the second half, when the Penguins went from as much as a five-point deficit to a 17-point lead.
Her first basket came with 15:20 remaining and started the Penguins on a 24-2 run. She added three 3-pointers in the rally, which was completed by two Aliyah Sabree free throws at the 6:02 mark, giving Youngstown State a 53-36 lead.
"I owe a lot of credit to Lauren and Aliyah," said Hanek, a graduate of Ursuline High. "They penetrate and make great passes to me."
Youngstown State is now 4-3, matching its win total from last year. Hanek said the attitude in the locker room mirrors that improvement.
"I think we're building confidence every day," she said. "Obviously, when you're winning everyone is more upbeat. Our goal is to just keep playing better every day."
Youngstown State struggled the first 25 minutes of the game. The Penguins shot just 31.3 percent from the field (10-of-32) in the first half and committed turnovers on five of their first six possessions of the second half.
But the Zips couldn't take a decided advantage, although they scored the first six points after the intermission to take a 30-27 lead.
But from that point, Youngstown State took control. After an exchange of baskets, the Penguins went on a 13-0 run that spanned nearly 6 1/2 minutes between Akron baskets, to take a 42-34 lead with 9:47 to go.
The run was interrupted by an Akron basket, but the Penguins put together another rally of 11 points, extending their lead to 53-36 with 6:44 remaining on a Sabree's free throws.
Strong play in the middle
"I like the way our posts are establishing themselves," said YSU coach Tisha Hill.
Jen Perugini had her fifth double-double of the season, 13 points and 14 rebounds, while Barb Fabianova had seven points and eight rebounds.
"Jen knows how to get things done," said Hill. "She's been fighting through some injuries and other things."
Akron got back to within 11 points, 56-45, with 3:34 to go, but two free throws by Branson at the 2:51 mark kept the Penguins in control.
After an Akron 3-pointer, Hanek put the game away with her final 3-pointer, making it 61-48 with a minute to go.
Hill likes the way Branson has matured in her short college career. The 5-foot-6 graduate of Cincinnati McNicholas High had six assists Sunday.
"She is still making 'freshman mistakes,' " said the coach, "but she's gaining confidence everyday from her teammates."
Akron was exasperated by cold shooting and poor ball handling. The Zips finished 18-for-60 (30 percent) and committed 18 turnovers.
Niles High graduate Lori Krezeczowski scored nine points and had six rebounds, and Leetonia High graduate Jessica Deville had a rebound off the bench.
Lindsay Hemmelgarn had 11 points and five rebounds for Akron.
Slow start
The Penguins started cold from the field, missing 12 of their first 14 shots. Yet they trailed only 10-5 before two Perugini free throws started a 6-0 run that gave Youngstown State an 11-10 lead with 10:02 remaining in the first half.
Akron took a pair of three-point leads after that, the last time at 22-19 on a layup by Jae Conn with 5:40 to go.
The Penguins went on another 6-0 run, taking the lead on a pair of free throws by Branson with 3:22 remaining, then expanding it to three points, 25-22, on a Michelle Holmes layup 37 seconds later.
The teams traded baskets in the final 1:33, giving Youngstown State a 27-24 lead at the intermission.
Youngstown State will play host to Eastern Michigan, the defending Mid-American Conference champion, Saturday at 4:30 p.m. as part of the men's and women's doubleheader. The men play Bowling Green at 2 p.m.