Rust-buster: YSU women subdue UIC

The Penguins overcame a slow start to win their Horizon League opener.

By PETE MOLLICA

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

YOUNGSTOWN — The Youngstown State women’s basketball team didn’t show much rust after a 13-day layoff.

The Penguins opened play in the Horizon League with a 73-62 victory over Illinois-Chicago Thursday at Beeghly Center.

YSU (6-6, 1-0) never trailed in the contest and led by as many as 18 points in the second half. Even when the Flames cut the lead to eight points, the Penguins never panicked and kept right on rolling.

“We came out and played with so much intensity tonight,” YSU coach Tisha Hill said. “We were playing at home and it was the conference opener and we just wanted to make a statement tonight.”

The Penguins started slowly, but once they got rolling the Flames were never really a threat.

“I’m sure the slow start had a lot to do with our long layoff, but we handled it very well,” Hill said.

The Penguins put four players in double figures, led by senior Heather Karner with 19. Junior Tiara Scott was right behind with 18 points. Junior Velissa Vaughn added 12 and junior Kelsey Gurganus scored 10.

Senior Jessica Schloemp scored five points, but the 6-foot-3 center pulled down a game-high 18 rebounds as the Penguins outrebounded UIC, 43-41.

“They didn’t do a very good job boxing out on us and I just took advantage of everything I could get,” Schloemp said.

The Penguins shot only 38.8 percent from the field, 34.3 in the second half, but they forced UIC into 18 turnovers, while committing just nine themselves. They got 14 points off those turnovers.

UIC (4-8, 0-1) had three players in double figures led by Cassie Johnson and Briana Hinkel with 14 points each.

Neither team could find the range during the early minutes of the contest. The first basket didn’t come until the 15:40 mark of the half and the Flames made just two of 12 shots over the first 10 minutes of the contest.

The Penguins took full advantage of the Flame’s cold shooting and jumped out to a 16-5 lead and led by as many as 15 points over the first half.

YSU led by as many as 15 points in the half and led 39-25 at intermission.

The Flames came out the second half and quickly cut into the Penguins lead and with 11:43 remaining had whittled the lead down to eight points 49-41 after Johnson converted a three-point play.

Then the Penguins went on a 12-2 run over the next five minutes and quickly built the lead up to 18 points 61-43 with 6:09 remaining.

Illinois-Chicago got the lead down to 10 points but never got any closer the rest of the way.

The Penguins will return to action on Saturday at home when they play host to Horizon League opponent Loyola of Chicago in a 3:30 p.m. tipoff at Beeghly. The game will be part of a doubleheader with the YSU men playing host to Loyola in the opener at 1:05 p.m.

mollica@vindy.com