Big run powers YSU over Ohio

Staff report

ATHENS

The Youngstown State women’s basketball team went on a 20-5 run early in the second half and hung on to defeat Ohio 55-47 on Friday at the Convocation Center.

The Penguins (5-4) hit 10 of their first 13 shots in the second half and outshot the Bobcats (3-5) 43.5 to 31.1 percent.

The Penguins defeated the Bobcats for the third straight time, and YSU has won four straight road games for the first time since the 1999-2000 season.

YSU’s Heidi Schlegel scored a game-high 21 points, and both Liz Hornberger and she hit three triples as apiece.

Brandi Brown was held to eight points, ending a stretch of 29 straight games with at least 10 points.

Tenishia Benson had 14 points to lead Ohio.

Youngstown State built a 24-22 lead at halftime, and the Penguins took a 44-29 lead after back-to-back 3-pointers from Schlegel.

Macey Nortey then hit a lay-up to make the score 46-32 with 10:51 left, but YSU cooled down and had to rely on its defense for the next of the period.

Ohio scored the next seven points to cut the margin to 46-39 on Benson’s back-door basket with 8:19 left. Schlegel ended a four-and-a-half minute scoring drought for YSU with two free-throws at the 6:20 mark, and Ohio’s first points in four minutes made the score 48-42.

Ohio’s Porsha Harris scored off of a turnover to make the score 48-44 with 3:30 remaining, but the Bobcats didn’t score again for nearly two minutes.

By then, two free throws from Schlegel, a big 3-pointer from Kenya Middlebrooks and a free throw from Nortey gave the Penguins a 54-44 lead. Middlebrooks’ 3-pointer with 2:17 left was YSU’s first field goal since it started the half 10-for-13.