YSU to face Cincinnati in WNIT
Penguins, Bearcats
will meet Thursday
By Brian Dzenis
YOUNGSTOWN
For the third time in program history, Youngstown State’s women’s basketball team is playing in the WNIT.
The Penguins will travel to Cincinnati’s Fifth Third Arena on Thursday to face the Bearcats. The time and broadcast information is still being determined.
It’s the second time YSU (22-9, 13-5 Horizon League) has made the WNIT under head coach John Barnes, who previously took the team there during the 2014-15 season. YSU first made the WNIT under Barnes’ predecessor, Bob Boldon, during the 2012-13 season.
“We are extremely excited to be invited to participate in the WNIT,” Barnes said. “The team has worked very hard to earn this opportunity to play against some of the best teams in the country. Sarah Cash, Alison Smolinski and Melinda Trimmer, our three seniors, have done an outstanding job leading us to this postseason berth, and I couldn’t be happier for them to get another opportunity to represent YSU in this national tournament.”
Youngstown State was last in the WNIT as an at-large selection in 2015 when it lost an opening-round contest to Duquesne, 72-54, at Beeghly Center. The Penguins earned the Horizon League’s automatic bid in 2013, and they went on to beat Indiana State 63-51 at Beeghly Center in the first round. YSU’s run ended at Toledo in the round of 32 with a 61-43 loss at Savage Arena.
YSU set program records with 13 Horizon League victories and 16 home wins. YSU lost 55-53 in the semifinals of the Little Caesars Horizon League Women’s Basketball Championship to Green Bay, which earned the conference’s automatic bid to the WNIT. Green Bay has also made the WNIT and should YSU advance to the Sweet 16, could face a rematch with the Phoenix. Green Bay hosts Kent State on Thursday.
Cincinnati earned the American Athletic Conference’s automatic bid into the WNIT after going 21-10 overall and 12-4 in conference play. The Bearcats finished third in the standings behind UConn and UCF, which are both headed to the NCAA Tournament. YSU will play at Cincinnati for the first time since the 2012-13 season and will take on the Bearcats for the first time since 2013-14, which the Bearcats won, 83-62.
Cincinnati fell to UCF in the American semifinals with a 66-58 loss. Prior to the tournament loss, Cincinnati had won five of its last six games.
YSU and Cincinnati shared one common opponent this season: Pittsburgh. The Penguins beat the Panthers, 64-55, on Nov. 13. The Bearcats lost to the Panthers, 65-48, on Nov. 16.
The winner between Youngstown State and Cincinnati will play either Northern Iowa or Minnesota.
YSU is playing in a postseason tournament for the fifth time in the last seven seasons. In addition to playing the WNIT in 2013 and 2015, the Penguins played in the Women’s Basketball Invitational in 2016 and 2018.