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More disappointment for YSU women
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YSU's Tiara Scott (21) loses control of the ball as it slips between herself and Green Bay's Lavesa Glover (5). Only to recover it quickly and score 2 points to make it YSU 42- GB 54 during the 2nd period at Beeghly
By Pete Mollica
The Phoenix pulled a 20-20 — a 20-point victory for its 20th win in 21 games. YSU played well for 20 minutes.
YOUNGSTOWN — After playing their best first half of a game this season the Youngstown State women’s basketball team just ran out of gas in the second half.
The Penguins (2-13, 0-4 Horizon League) battled the best team in the Horizon League on even terms for 20 minutes, even leading twice in the half, but then UW-Green Bay (11-3, 3-0) took over and pulled away to beat the Penguins 62-42, the 20th win in 21 games against YSU.
The Penguins were still within two points (35-33) with 15 minutes remaining in the game, but they tired and the Phoenix outscored them 26-7 to win going away.
The loss was disappointing in the fact that YSU senior Nikita LaFleur came up with a career-effort, scoring 25 points and pulling down 14 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season and sixth of her career.
She was also a perfect 10-for-10 shooting from the field, something that hasn’t happened in a YSU women’s game since 1995 when Kristy Echelberry was 9-for-9.
“I was happy with my play, but I’d rather have a victory,” said LaFleur. “We just got very tired in the second half and we let things get away from us.”
YSU coach Cindy Martin wasn’t happy with the Penguins committing 23 turnovers.
“We just had way too many,” she said. “We executed very well in the first half, especially getting the ball inside to Nikita. It also helped that their post player [Lavesa Glover] was in early foul trouble and that made things a little easier.”
LaFleur and senior Tiara Scott accounted for 34 of the Penguins’ points as Scott finished with nine. Those two combined were 14-of-14 from the floor, while the rest of the Penguins contributed just eight points and were 2-of-32 from the field. YSU was also just 1-of-11 from 3-point range.
The Phoenix, who have never lost at Beeghly Center, put four players in double figures led by Kayla Tetschlag with 16 points.
Only four players scored for the Penguins, but Martin said that was because the Penguins have been working hard to get the ball inside to the post players.
“We’ve also got a lot of young guards who have been put in some very pressure situations and have done a pretty good job,” she said.
The Penguins now have a week off before returning to action when they will meet Cleveland State next Saturday at 2:05 p.m. at Beeghly Center.
LaFleur was almost a one-woman show in the first half.
The 6-foot-2 senior scored 18 of the Penguins’ 25 points and she did it on 8-for-8 shooting from the field. The other seven points came from Scott, who was 3-of-3 shooting as the Penguins shot 50 percent for the half.
After Scott scored the game’s opening bucket, LaFleur scored the next six straight points and the Penguins jumped out to an 8-2 advantage.
But then YSU hit a four-minute slump when the Penguins didn’t score a point, committed four turnovers and allowed Green Bay to take a 9-8 lead with 16:28 left in the half.
The Phoenix kept control of the contest over the next 10 minutes and led by as many as six points (18-12) before the Penguins battled back.
Trailing 21-15 the Penguins went on a 10-2 run and regained the lead (25-23) with 2:55 remaining, but again they went over two minutes without scoring and the Phoenix responded by scoring the final eight points of the half to take a 31-25 lead at the intermission.
mollica@vindy.com