Penguins go cold, drop opener to Colonials

Youngstown State missed its last 11 shots against Robert Morris in the 68-60 loss.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- The Youngstown State women's basketball team went cold at the wrong time Friday night, and the Penguins dropped their season opener to Robert Morris College, 68-60.
YSU was leading, 53-47, with 9:12 remaining in the contest after senior Ashlee Russo hit a 3-point goal, but the Penguins didn't have another field goal the rest of the way.
"It was just a lack of concentration and really from a group of upperclassmen," said YSU head coach Tisha Hill.
"There's really no excuse because that's what we do every day in practice is shoot the ball and shoot free throws," she said. "And then to come out and go over nine minutes without a bucket ..."
The Penguins also missed seven free throws in the second half.
Holmes leads YSU
Senior Michelle Holmes led the Penguins with 16 points, while junior Kristy Gaudiose added 11, but eight of those came in the first half.
The difference was Robert Morris' Natasha Summerville, who came off the bench to score 23 points, 17 of them in the first half. Princess Alston added 10 for the Colonials, who were also playing their season opener.
"We definitely have to learn something from this loss," said Hill. "We have to go to Ohio next week and it will be a whole different look and we better be ready.
The Penguins shot just 20 percent from the field in the second half, hitting 5-for-25 (31.5 percent), while the Colonials shot 51.9 percent from the field in the second half and 46.4 for the game.
The Penguins were out-rebounded, 38-35, with Holmes pulling down seven rebounds and Tess Cooley getting 11 for Robert Morris.
Penguins surge
After trailing in the early moments of the second half, 40-38, the Penguins caught fire and went on a 17-7 run to take a 55-47 lead with 8:30 remaining.
The Penguins were 0-11 from the field the rest of the way, including 6-for-10 from the foul line with a half dozen turnovers in between.
"You can't win if you can't put the ball in the hole, but I know we are better shooters than that and I know we are going to get better," Hill said.
The two teams battled evenly all throughout the first half of play, although the Colonials held a 36-34 lead at intermission.
The Penguins started slowly and didn't get their first field goal until 16:22 when Gaudiose connected.
The Penguins took a 6-5 lead on a Jessica Schloemp jump shot with 15:46 remaining, before the Colonials brought Summerville off the bench.
The 5-8 junior scored the next nine points for the Colonials and Robert Morris took a 16-9 lead with 12:54 remaining.
YSU bounces back
But the Penguins came right back as Lauren Branson hit two straight buckets and Holmes added five more points, and the Penguins were back on top, 17-16, with just under 11 minutes left in the half.
The teams battled back and forth with the score tied four different times before the Penguins took a 30-27 lead on Gaudiose's 3-point goal.
Freshman Nikita LaFleur added a rebound bucket with 3:50 remaining for a 32-27 lead, and the Penguins still led, 34-28, with 2:38 left in the half.
Robert Morris, however, scored the final eight points of the half, including two by Summerville at the buzzer for the 36-34 lead.