Valparaiso rolls past Penguins

special to the vindicator

VALPARAISO, Ind. — Valparaiso shot 53.3 percent and got 21 points from Lauren Kenney as the Crusaders celebrated its Pink Zone game with an 80-28 win over Youngstown State on Saturday at the Athletics-Recreation Center.

Valpo’s Lauren Kenney scored 21 points, made 10-of-13 from the field and grabbed eight rebounds in 18 minutes to lead all scorers. Laura Richards added 11 points on 5-for-6 shooting.

Brandi Brown scored 12 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead YSU (0-24, 0-13).

Valpo made 32-of-60 from the field and 13-of-15 from the free-throw line. YSU was 9-for-54, including 0-for-9 from 3-point range, and 10-for-14 from the free-throw line.

Brown hit two free throws out of a media timeout to make the score 9-4 in the first half, but Valparaiso scored the next 11 points and led 20-4 when Kenney completed a three-point play with 12:37 on the clock. The Crusaders went up by more than 20 for the first time when Kenney made a lay-up for her 13th point of the half at the 5:18 mark.

Kaitlyn March hit a jumper to make the score 31-12, but Valpo (7-16, 4-8) scored the next seven points and held a 40-16 lead at the end of the half.

Valpo sank nine of its first 17 shots while YSU started 2-for-17 as the Crusaders played zone for most of the half. The Crusaders finished 17-for-35 in the first half while YSU was 7-for-30. Brown and Jenkins had six points apiece to lead YSU.

Early in the second half, the Penguins scored four straight points to get the deficit to 42-20 in just over a minute into the second half, but Valpo scored the next 22 points in just over six minutes to go up 64-20.

YSU will play its next three games at home, starting with a contest against Cleveland State on Feb. 20. Tip-off against the Vikings is set for 2:05 p.m.