The Youngstown State University women’s basketball team is looking to earn their second win of the season — and to put an end a two game losing streak while they’re at it — during their game against Miami University.
The Penguins have been shooting poorly over the last two games, hitting only 23 percent from the field against Bucknell University and 30 percent in the loss to West Virginia University.
“It’s a challenge,” said first year head coach John Barnes. “The ball wasn’t going in the hoop, so it’s hard to keep it close.”
Senior guard Liz Hornberger said that her teammates shoot fine at practice and then when game time situation comes around they can’t make their shots.
“People are frustrated,” Hornberger said. “When it comes down to game time you just have to step up and make shots.”
Hornberger said that the team has been working hard at shooting in practice and Barnes has made it a priority.
“We’re going to keep shooting a lot in practice and keep plugging away,” Barnes said.
The only win the Penguins have this year is against Northern Kentucky, where YSU shot 57 percent from three-point range and 39 percent from the field.
Barnes said he is trying to get his team better everyday, and he feels they’ve worked hard and have fought to the end of each game.
“I look at the shots we’re getting and I feel like we’re getting quality open shots — they just are not going in right now,” Barnes said.
In the last two losses, the Penguins have been digging themselves a pretty big hole to get out of. In the first half against Bucknell they were down 31-16, and against West Virginia they went into halftime trailing 45-24.
Hornberger isn’t too fond of losing. She doesn’t like talking to people after a loss, but she said that every loss is a learning experience.
“Everyone of these losses here we have to learn from,” Hornberger said. “So when it comes to conference play we are a better team.”
Hornberger sees that this team isn’t flawless or perfect, but she expects everyone to step up.
“Everyone has to step up,” Hornberger said. “We have to find out these flaws and fix them by conference play.”
Even though the Penguins have lost four of their first five games, Hornberger is still confident that this team can still turn the season around. She said she feels the confidence and attitude in the locker room improving.
“I think we could’ve won all the games, but we’re in a major change right now and no ones going to be perfect,” Hornberger said.
The Penguins are 0-3 all time against the Miami Redhawks at home, but will look to notch their first win against them at Beeghly Center, Wednesday at 5:15 p.m. The game will broadcast live on 1390 WNIO, iHeartRadio and the Horizon League Network.
