YSU women avenge loss to Detroit

Staff report

DETROIT

Youngstown State used an early 21-2 run to take control, but had to withstand a Detroit rally to beat the Titans, 70-65, in a women’s basketball game Saturday at Calihan Hall.

The Penguins led by as many as 17 in the first half, and they went 12-for-14 from the free-throw line in the second half to fend off Detroit. YSU snapped a 10-game losing streak in the state of Michigan and avenged a 59-58 loss to Detroit in Youngstown in which the Penguins squandered a 16-point halftime lead.

Heidi Schlegel scored 19 points and had a game-high 16 rebounds. She also became YSU’s career leader in free throws made. The fifth-year senior from Wapakoneta went 11-of-13 from the line, upping her career total to 453. Brandi Brown had the previous record with 443. Indiya Benjamin scored 13 of her 18 points in the second half, and Latisha Walker had 12 points in 12 minutes.

Ellisha Crosby scored a game-high 25 points to lead Detroit.

YSU (17-7, 6-5 Horizon League) is now in fourth place by two games. Detroit dropped to 9-14 overall and 4-6 in league play.

Detroit (9-14, 4-6) scored the first four points of the game, but YSU scored the next nine points to start its 21-2 run that made the score 21-6. Krista Pietropola and Kelsea Newman finished the spurt with back-to-back 3-pointers, and YSU’s lead ballooned to 25-8 at the 7:41 mark when Schlegel made her record-breaking free throw.

The Titans shaved the lead down to 33-23 at halftime, and they scored 10 straight points to get within 49-45 with 8:28 remaining. Benjamin stopped the run and a scoring drought of almost six minutes with a 3-pointer at the 7:44 mark, and Nikki Arbanas made two free throws with 3:59 left to put the Penguins ahead 60-49.

Five straight points by Darianne Seward and back-to-back Crosby 3-pointers allowed Detroit to get within four. The Titans made it a one-possession game, 66-63, on a Rosanna Reynolds triple with 11 seconds remaining. Schlegel hit four free throws to push the lead to 70-63, and Seward made a bucket as time expired for the final margin.

YSU will play two Horizon League road games this week, starting with a contest at 8 p.m. Thursday at Milwaukee. The Penguins visit Valparaiso at 2:35 p.m. on Saturday.