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YSU women snap losing streak to Wright State
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Youngstown State senior forward Heidi Schlegel shoots under pressure from Wright State forward Tayler Stanton (21) and guard Courtney Boyd (23) during their Horizon League game Thursday at YSU’s Beeghly Center. The Penguins edged the Raiders, 75-70, to take over the No. 2 spot in the conference standings and drop Wright State to No. 3. Schlegel posted 19 points and a team-high 13 rebounds.
Youngstown State snaps losing skid to Raiders
By Joe Scalzo
Youngstown
Youngstown State women’s basketball coach John Barnes has been trying to get his standout freshman point guard Indiya Benjamin to shift from being a playmaker to a scorer.
On Thursday night, the message got through.
With YSU’s second-leading scorer, Latisha Walker, in foul trouble and Wright State’s Tay’ler Mingo looking capable of playing for the Raiders’ men’s team, Benjamin took over down the stretch, scoring a career-high 22 points to lead the Penguins to a 75-70 win over the defending Horizon League tournament champions at Beeghly Center.
“She was really a scorer in high school, so we’ve been trying to reiterate to her, ‘We need you to look to score. We need you to attack the basket, to look for your shot,’” Barnes said. “I feel like it clicked tonight.”
Benjamin scored 16 points in the final 15 minutes on a mixture of driving layups, pull-up jumpers, free throws and one 3-pointer. She added seven rebounds — no small feat for someone generously listed at 5-foot-6 — and four assists for the Penguins (14-3, 3-1).
YSU lost all three meetings by double digits last season against WSU.
“Coach has been telling me lately to attack more,” said Benjamin, who was averaging nine points per game and whose previous career-high was 17 points. “I knew we had to win this game, so I just came out with the mindset of, ‘We all got to attack.’ So I was attacking.”
Senior Heidi Schlegel added 19 points, 13 rebounds and three assists and freshman Nikki Arbanas had 12 points and four assists. Sarah Cash (Lordstown) came off the bench to post five blocks with nine points, including a crucial 3-pointer with three minutes left that stretched YSU’s lead to eight points, 69-61, and prompted an eruption from the Penguin bench.
“What a huge 3 down the stretch,” Barnes said. “For her as a freshman to step in and make that was just exciting for everyone. I’m most happy for her.”
Added Benjamin (Cash’s roommate): “We’re gonna party tonight. ... Just kidding.”
Wright State drubbed YSU 90-78 in last year’s Horizon League tournament semifinals en route to its first NCAA tournament appearance, but the Raiders lost preseason player of the year Kim Demmings to an ACL tear in the season opener and are clearly not as dynamic. Mingo — the league’s leading scorer at 23.2 points per game — scored 23 points in the second half alone, but YSU did just enough on everyone else.
“She’s amazing,” Benjamin said of Mingo. “I’m trying to pay attention to the game and watch her. She was our main goal [defensively] and she dropped 30. But we came out with the win, so that’s all that matters.”
YSU improved to 7-0 at Beeghly Center and moved ahead of the Raiders in the league standings, one game behind Green Bay, which handed the Penguins their only league loss.
“It’s a huge win,” Barnes said. “I think Wright State is neck-and-neck with Green Bay and they’re gonna be there right at the end.”