Newman, YSU rain 3-pointers on Oakland

Staff report

ROCHESTER, MICH.

Kelsea Newman matched a Youngstown State record with eight 3-pointers and the Penguins tied a team mark with 16 in a 96-77 win over Oakland on Saturday.

It was the Horizon League opener for both teams.

The barrage of 3-pointers helped YSU set a record for points in a Horizon League game and the most in any contest since Jan. 18, 2005.

Newman wasn’t the only one with individual highlights. Indiya Benjamin had 21 points and 13 assists while committing just two turnovers. She became the first Penguin to have at least 20 points and 10 assists in a game since Danielle Carson on Feb. 22, 1986. In addition to Newman’s eight triples, Benjamin and Nikki Arbanas both had three, and Jill Blacksten and Alison Smolinski each had one.

YSU is now 5-0 for the second straight year and the fourth time as a Division I program. The game was much different than YSU’s first four victories. YSU had not allowed more than 54 points in its first four games, and it had scored above 55 just once.

Olivia Nash scored 15 points, and Elena Popkey added 14 for Oakland (3-2).

Popkey scored the first four points of the game, but two 3-pointers by Newman were part of an 8-0 YSU run that put it ahead 8-4. Oakland led again briefly at 13-11 after a Nash 3, but Morgan Olson scored six points in the final 2:18 to help YSU lead 17-15 after a period. The Penguins then proceeded to have their three highest-scoring periods of the season.

The lead changed hands six times in the second period before YSU began to pull away. Nash put Oakland up 33-32 at the 5:11 mark before Benjamin hit two free throws to spark a 9-0 Penguins run. Newman hit a step-back 3-pointer for her fourth triple of the half to put YSU up 46-38 in the final minute, and the Penguins led 46-37 at the break. Benjamin had 13 points on her own in the second period.

YSU went ahead by double digits for the first time at 52-42 when Smolinski banked in a 3, the Penguins’ 10th of the contest.

YSU shot 51.6 percent from the field and 48.5 percent (16-for-33) from 3-point range.The Penguins visit Bucknell at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday