YSU women fall to WVU in opener

Staff report

Morgantown, W.Va.

Youngstown State shot less than 20 percent from the field and had more turnovers than baskets in losing 69-37 to West Virginia on Friday night in the season opener.

The Penguins, who play at IUPU-Fort Wayne on Sunday, trailed only 26-15 at halftime despite making just 5 of 27 shots.

Brandi Brown led Youngstown State with 12 points and eight rebounds, but her scoring came on 3-of-15 shooting from the field, including 1-of-7 from 3-point line.

The Mountaineers shot 59 percent (16 of 27) in the second half and were led by guard Taylor Palmer with a career-high 33 points on 12 of 23 shooting. She was 8 of 16 on 3-pointers.

wd a huge size advantage around the basket, blocked 12 shots.

The rest of the Mountaineers were 0 for 10 from 3-point range.

Monica Touvelle, Heidi Schlegel and Melissa Thompson had five points apiece for the Penguins, who fell behind 13-0 before Touvelle’s 3-pointer with 12:50 remaining.

West Virginia led by double digits until Macey Nortey scored on YSU’s first possession of the second half. That made it 26-17, but the Mountaineers scored the next 10 points and held Youngstown State scoreless until the 15:45 mark.

Palmer’s eight 3-pointers also set a school record for a sophomore, breaking the record of seven set by Christie Lambert against Syracuse in 1997.

“I thought in the second half, Taylor Palmer started hitting some 3s,” said West Virginia coach Mike Carey. “I told Taylor to just keep shooting. The shots were wide open.”

Christal Caldwell added 15 points and seven rebounds for the Mountaineers.

Asya Bussie added eight points and eight rebounds.

“We started moving the best in the second half when we went a little smaller with Crystal Leary inside and we started heating up a little bit with our traps and getting up the lanes a little bit more,” said Carey. “I thought even Christal Caldwell started taking it off the dribble and taking some shots.”

The Mountaineers shot 42 percent (28-of-67) from the field and 31 percent (8-of-26) from the 3-point line.