YSU women stay perfect with blowout

Staff report

OXFORD

Liz Hornberger scored a career-high 18 points, and the Youngstown State women’s basketball team scored 51 points on 63.6-percent shooting in the second half to defeat Miami (Ohio) 76-56 on Sunday.

The Penguins improved to 4-0 for the first time since the 1996-97 season and won at Miami for the first time since 1979. The RedHawks appeared in the WNIT last season and were picked to win the East Division of the Mid-American Conference prior to this year.

Hornberger scored 12 of her points in the second half, and Heidi Schlegel scored all 12 of her points in the second half in her first game of the season. Brandi Brown added 18 points while Shar’Rae Davis had 12 points.

Following a sloppy first half that saw the teams tied at 25 after 27 combined turnovers, Youngstown State scored 13 points in the first 4:14 of the second half to go up 38-30.

Jessica Rupright made a bucket for Miami to cut the deficit to six, but Hornberger answered with her second triple of the period to start a five-point run for the Penguins. The RedHawks did not get closer than eight the rest of the game.

Hornberger made 6-of-8 from beyond the arc, and Davis was 4-for-6 from the field. Davis’ 12 points came in 14 minutes as she battled foul trouble throughout the contest.

The Penguins shot a season-best 47.1 percent overall while Miami shot 37.7 percent. Although the Penguins had 19 turnovers, only four of those came in the second half. Youngstown State will remain on the road to play Northern Kentucky on Tuesday at 7 p.m.