Dorothy Bowers' jersey to be retired Saturday

The YSU Hall of Fame basketball star is the school's all-time leading scorer.
YOUNGSTOWN -- Dorothy Bowers, Youngstown State University's women's basketball all-time leading scorer with 2,324 career points (1984-88) and a member of the YSU Athletics Hall of Fame, will become the first female in school history to have her number retired.
The ceremony will take place at halftime of Saturday's YSU-UW-Green Bay women's basketball game at the Beeghly Center.
"This is a fitting tribute to one of the best basketball players in the history of Youngstown State," athletic director Ron Strollo said. "Dorothy's on the court accomplishments have stood for nearly 20 years and I am proud to announce that after the 2005-06 season the number 33 will not be worn by a YSU women's basketball player."
Four outstanding years
Bowers' influence on the court and the YSU basketball program was immediately felt. During her freshman campaign, the Youngstown native was selected to the Ohio Valley Conference All-Freshman Team after scoring 254 points (9.4 points per game). She also averaged seven rebounds per game.
In 1985-86, Bowers dominated the hardwood, averaging 23.9 points and 11.6 rebounds as a sophomore while shooting a blistering 56 percent from the floor. That same year she was named second-team All-OVC.
Bowers, who played for former YSU coach Ed DiGregorio, continued her dominance in 1986-87 as a junior with 24.7 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. She was named first-team All-OVC after connecting on 50.8 percent of her field goal attempts.
As a senior, Bowers set the school's single-season scoring record with 783 points, breaking the old mark of 710 set by Wanda Grant in 1980-81. With her 28 points and 11.6 rebounds per game, Bowers was named the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year.
Other YSU records
She also owns the school records for most field goals in a career (977), highest field goal percentage (.544), most points in a single-game (49) and most field goals in a game (21).
Bowers, who owns a career scoring average of 21.5 points per game, also ranks second all-time with 1,083 career rebounds and 370 career free throws made.
Bowers was inducted into the YSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1997.
A two-time graduate of Youngstown State, Bowers earned a bachelor's degree in comprehensive business education in 1990 and a master's degree in education in 1994.
Now the Director of Student Support Services at Jefferson Community College, Bowers and her husband, David Collins, have two children, Doriyon and David.