Women hope for return to Beeghly

The Penguins must win in Green Bay on Thursday to play host to the next round.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Youngstown State junior Kristy Gaudiose would love to play another game this season at Beeghly Center.
But Gaudiose and the rest of the YSU women's basketball team know the only way that can happen is for the seventh-seeded Penguins (8-19) to knock off No. 2 seed UW-Green Bay (22-5) Thursday night in Green Bay, Wis.
YSU and Green Bay are one of four games in the Horizon League post-season tournament quarterfinals. They will tip-off at 8 p.m. at the Phoenix Sports Center.
Designated host
Youngstown State has been named the designated host for the tournament's semifinal and final rounds Saturday and Sunday, but the Penguins must win Thursday in order to host the semifinals. If YSU loses the semifinals will be played at the highest remaining seed in the tournament.
"It would be fantastic," said Gaudiose, the 5-foot-7 guard from Poland who leads the Penguins in scoring (11.3 points per game).
"First off, just beating Green Bay up there would be an emotional high, but then to be able to come back home and play before our fans would be just unbelievable," Gaudiose said.
"We are a totally different team now than when we played them earlier this year," she said. "In our last game up there we could have won, but we made way too many turnovers."
Lost twice to Phoenix
The Penguins lost to the Phoenix, 74-49, on Jan. 14 at the Beeghly Center, but in their second meeting Feb. 16 they played the Phoenix tough before falling, 81-69.
"We committed 24 turnovers, which they turned into 31 points and that was the ball game," said YSU coach Tisha Hill.
"The key Thursday night will be taking care of the basketball," Hill said. "Green Bay is very good at making you turn the ball over and we can't let them do that."
Green Bay, which has won or shared the Horizon League regular season championship eight consecutive years, finished tied this year with UW-Milwaukee at 14-2.
Unfortunately for the Phoenix, both of their losses came against Milwaukee and the Panthers earned the No. 1 seed in the tournament.
"Green Bay is still a phenomenal team and they continue to have great success, but Milwaukee kind of put a chink in their armor this season," Hill added.
Won at Green Bay last year
YSU has also won at Green Bay as recently as last season, when they upended the Phoenix 60-56 and snapped their long home winning streak.
"That was a great win and we've got it plastered all over our locker room and the highlight film of that game is going constantly," said Hill.
"Green Bay has all-around talent, maybe not quite as good as in previous years, but you know that they're going to be ready for us on Thursday," she added.
As a No. 7 seed the Penguins aren't expected to have great success against the No. 2 seed on their home floor.
"We've got to take care of the ball and we've got to keep the game in the 60s to have a chance to win," she said.
In other quarterfinal games Thursday, No. 1 seed UW-Milwaukee will play host to No. 8 Loyola at 8 p.m., while No. 3 UIC entertains No. 6 Wright State, also at 8 p.m. No. 4 Butler will play host to No. 5 Detroit at 7 p.m.
mollica@vindy.com