LETS PLAY BASKETBALL

By Pete Mollica

Senior Tiara Scott hopes to lead the Penguins

The junior college transfer was the team’s second leading scorer a year ago.

YOUNGSTOWN — Tiara Scott stepped out of a Nebraska community college and right onto the Youngstown State campus with ease a year ago.

The 6-foot senior forward moved into the Penguins’ starting lineup early last season and went on to have an outstanding season. finishing second on the team in scoring, averaging 13.1 points per game, and pulling down 203 rebounds.

Now Scott must step into a leadership role with the Penguins and if her efforts in the team’s two exhibition contests is any example she appears headed for another big season.

She started slowly in the team’s exhibition opener against Ashland, but last Sunday in the second exhibition game she took over with 16 points and 10 rebounds as the Penguins beat Pitt-Johnstown, 71-54.

“It’s been a big change this season, things are being done a lot different from last year under new coach [Cindy] Martin, but I think it’s for the best and we’re really starting to come around now,” Scott said.

“I think we were all a little nervous in the first exhibition game, but you could see a big difference in our overall play in the second one and it’s only going to get better,” she added.

A year ago Scott was named All-Horizon League second team and also the league’s all-newcomer team. She led the Penguins against Horizon League opponents, averaging 15 points per game.

She reached double figures 21 times last year and had six double-doubles. She had her best game in a battle with rival Akron last December when she finished with career highs in points (25) and rebounds (21) in leading the Penguins to an easy victory.

Martin has high hopes for her senior leader.

“Tiara is a skilled power forward that really explodes as she goes to the rim,” Martin said. “She will see a great match-up every game this year and it’s our job as a team to still find ways to get her into scoring position. She is a talented scorer that is getting it done on both ends of the floor.”

Scott knows she has a bigger role this season.

“I’ve just got to go out there every game and do whatever it takes to help this team to win,” Scott said. “It doesn’t matter to me if it’s scoring points, getting rebounds or playing defense, it’s just whatever it takes to get it done.”

Scott knows what it’s like to be a winner since she helped Western Nebraska Community College to a seventh-place national finish as a freshman and a third-place regional finish during her sophomore year. She scored 495 points and had 283 rebounds in her two seasons.

A Denver, Colo., native, Scott also led her high school team, George Washington, to two straight conference championships. She lettered all four years and was captain her final two seasons and was second team all-state as a senior.

Martin brought in a lot of new faces on this year’s YSU team, but Scott said it hasn’t been a problem.

“We’ve really come together as a group, we blend in well and we are really working hard every day to keep getting better,” she said.

The Penguins’ regular-season opener is Saturday when they travel to Kent State for a 2 p.m. tip off. They will play their home opener Nov. 19 when they entertain Buffalo in a 7:05 tip off at Beeghly Center.

mollica@vindy.com