YSU BASKETBALL Men and women seek road rebound

The men face struggling Duquesne in a rare New Year's Eve game.
YOUNGSTOWN -- Both Youngstown State basketball teams are in action today.
The men's team (3-7) plays on New Year's Eve for only the third time in history, when it visits Duquesne. Game time at the Palumbo Center in Pittsburgh is 1 p.m.
The Penguins are coming off a 70-56 home setback to Saint Francis (Pa.) on Wednesday. YSU held a 43-41 lead with just under 10 minutes remaining, but the Red Flash went on a 15-0 run and never looked back. Brian Radakovich had his second career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Duquesne (2-10) suffered a 74-63 loss at Robert Morris on Wednesday. The Dukes have dropped three straight and are just 1-3 at home this season.
The Penguins' last game on New Year's Eve was in 2002, at Loyola of Chicago. The first time was other games on New Year's Eve on just two other occasions in school history. The first time was during the 1947-48 season.
Kieron Achara scored 19 points to lead four Duquesne players in double figures on Wednesday night. Bryant McAllister leads Duquesne averaging 15.5 points per game while Achara is second at 12.5 per game. Achara averages a team-high 7.2 rebounds per game. Free-throw shooting has been a strong point of the team. Duquesne leads the nation at 79.8 percent.
Starting with the 2005 portion of their schedule, the Penguins will play 14 of their final 16 games against Horizon League opponents, beginning with a Jan. 3 contest at home against Illinois-Chicago.
Women vs. Xavier
The Youngstown State women's team continues a four-game road trip against Xavier (Ohio) of the Atlantic-10.
The game will begin at 2 p.m. at the Cintas Center. The Penguins are 6-5 overall, while Xavier is 5-4.
The Penguins last played on Tuesday, losing 67-43 to Detroit in a Horizon League game. Senior Barb Fabianova led Youngstown State with nine points as the Penguins shot just 33 percent.
Xavier's last game was a 75-67 win over Kentucky on Tuesday. Junior All-American candidate Tara Boothe leads the Musketeers with 16.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Boothe is shooting 46.4 percent from the floor and 74.5 percent at the free throw line. Santana Granderson is also scoring in double figures (11.8) and Miranda Green is at 9.9 per game. Xavier is averaging 66.2 points per game while giving up 58.
Youngstown State continues its road trip and returns to Horizon League play against Illinois-Chicago on Jan. 6, at 8 p.m. The Penguins also visit Wright State on Jan. 8 at 1 p.m. in the Nutter Center.