Penguins rally for 80-71 victory

By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Youngstown State women's basketball team came to life in the final 11 minutes and it was enough to pull out an 80-71 victory in Wednesday's home opener over Saint Louis University at Beeghly Center.
The Penguins (2-3) trailed by 10 points, 57-47, with a little more than 11 minutes remaining, but then erupted for a 13-0 run. They never trailed the Billikens again.
YSU put four players in double figures led by seniors Michelle Holmes and Ashlee Russo with 16 and 13 points. Sophomore Jessica Schloemp added 13 and freshman Monique Godfrey came off the bench to score 11.
"I'm just so proud of the way they just turned it up a notch in the second half and overcame that early adversity," YSU coach Tisha Hill said.
"We called a time out in that second half and I wanted a group in there that was going to play good defense and that's what we got," Hill said.
Penguins held lead
Saint Louis (1-3), which was led by Tyler McIlwraith who had a game-high 20 points, came back to tie the game again at 60-60, but the Penguins never let them back in the lead.
Freshman Toni Roscoe hit her second 3-point shot of the half to put YSU back on top 63-60 and the Penguins built on that to pull ahead 70-62 with 4:19 remaining.
The Penguins made six of 10 free throws in the final two minutes to put the game away.
Hill also got a good look at some of her younger players as all six freshmen saw action in the contest.
"We had some young kids step up tonight, including Monique [Godfrey]," Hill said.
The 5-8 freshman from Cleveland helped the Penguins on both ends of the court and on the boards. She finished with seven rebounds and six assists.
"I just went in there and played hard, I knew that I didn't want to lose," Godfrey said.
Closely contested
The first half was a close battle with neither team holding more than a five point lead at any time.
The first three minutes were spent trading baskets, until the Penguins took an 8-5 lead on Russo's second bucket of the game.
Saint Louis came back to score six straight points and take an 11-8 margin before YSU behind Holmes and Schloemp put the Penguins back on top, 12-11.
After the game was tied at 16, sophomore My'Kea Cohill hit a 3-point shot and Holmes scored inside to put the Penguins ahead 21-16.
The Billikens tied the game at 26-26 and then McIlwraith and Rachel Diener connected on two 3-point goals each the rest of the way to keep Saint Louis on top 38-34. Kristy Gaudiose added two free throws in the final second to cut the lead to 38-35 at halftime.
The Penguins will be back at home on Monday when they entertain former Mid-Continent Conference opponent Oakland (Mich.) University in a 7 p.m. tip-off at Beeghly Center.
mollica@vindy.com