Smolinski sets YSU record with nine 3-pointers in victory

Staff report

BUFFALO, N.Y.

Senior guard Alison Smolinski made a school-record nine 3-pointers and scored 29 points to lead the Youngstown State women’s basketball team to a 62-36 victory at Canisius on Saturday at the Koessler Athletic Center.

The North Royalton native was 9 for 14 from beyond the arc in the contest and made six of her 3s in the second half as YSU outscored the Golden Griffins 34-15 in the final 20 minutes to pull away. Smolinski broke the previous record of eight, which she shared with Kelsea Newman and Kenya Middlebrooks.

“It felt pretty good out there tonight,” Smolinski said. “I was lacking some confidence lately, and my coaches and teammates have a lot of confidence in me. My teammates do a great job of finding the shooters, and they found me a lot tonight.”

YSU scored the first seven points of the game and led for 39:43 to improve to 6-2 on the season. Smolinski scored eight points in the first four minutes of the game, and her third 3-pointer of the game came at the 9:26 mark of the second period and put YSU up 20-15.

The Penguins held the Golden Griffins scoreless for a stretch of more than eight minutes in the second period, but Canisius hit a pair of late 3s to get within 28-21 at halftime.

Canisius opened the second half with another 3-pointer to close the gap to 28-24, but Smolinski hit 3-pointers on three straight possessions as part of a 12-0 run that put YSU up 40-24 with 5:33 on the clock. The Golden Griffins got no closer than 14 the rest of the game.

Sarah Cash added 12 points, and McKenah Peters added 11 for Youngstown State. Mary Dunn contributed eight points and nine rebounds.