By Marissa Masano / The Jambar
Head Coach Melissa Jackson earned her 100th career win as the Youngstown State University women’s basketball team swept its road trip through Michigan.
The Penguins picked up their eighth straight victory on Jan. 29 at Calihan Hall on the campus of Detroit Mercy University. YSU improved to 8-4 in Horizon League play with the 69-53 victory.
Redshirt freshman Danielle Cameron posted a game-and career-high 19 points. For the third time in her past three games, Cameron knocked down five 3-pointers.
Sophomore Erica King went 5-for-5 overall from the field and 4-for-4 from beyond the arc in a 14-point performance.
DMU only led once on its first possession of the first quarter. A turnover and two missed 3-point attempts allowed YSU to take the lead with scores on the ’Guins’ next two possessions.
Cameron knocked down her first 3-pointer of the evening and forced the Titans to call an early timeout. After the break, YSU scored 11 of the next 13 points as King made two consecutive 3-pointers.
The Penguins only allowed eight points over the first 10 minutes and held a 15-point lead at the end of the first quarter.
Cameron opened the second quarter with another 3-pointer as the lead grew to 18 points. The Titans responded with a 3-pointer, but Cameron knocked down another 3-pointer on the Penguins’ next possession.
With under two minutes left in the half, Cameron made back-to-back 3-pointers. YSU led 45-26 at halftime.
Detroit Mercy never reduced the gap to single digits for the rest of the game. The Penguins’ largest lead came in the third quarter when junior Paulina Hernandez’s three-point play gave the team a 26-point advantage.
YSU was outscored in the fourth quarter but by that time, it was too late for the Titans, who shot 3-for-22 from 3-point range and gave up 17 turnovers.
The Penguins kept the momentum going in a quick turnaround game Jan. 31 as YSU traveled 30 minutes to face Oakland University.
Youngstown State outscored the Grizzlies in the second half to complete a come-from-behind victory, 72-20. With the win, YSU improved to 16-7 overall and 9-4 in conference play.
Sophomore Sophia Gregory led the Penguins with 15 points, while sixth-year Casey Santoro added 14. Redshirt freshman Sarah Baker and King also reached double figures with 11 and 12 points, respectively.
YSU opened the first quarter with two turnovers in the opening minute, and the issue persisted throughout the first 10 minutes of play. The Grizzlies’ first 3-pointer of the contest came off a Penguin turnover, and a missed three by Gregory allowed Oakland to score its second straight triple to lead 8-2.
During its next two possessions, Oakland knocked down two more 3-pointers to extend its lead to 14-6 and eventually posted a 19-12 advantage into the second quarter. YSU committed five turnovers and went 1-for-5 from beyond the arc in the opening frame.
Oakland’s lead grew to 10 twice in the second quarter, but each time the Penguins responded with baskets in the paint to trim the deficit back to single digits.
The Penguins pulled within one point of the Grizzlies multiple times during the third quarter. Santoro’s free throw at the 4:14 mark made the score 42-41, and a free throw by King cut it to 44-43.
With under a minute remaining, YSU grabbed its first lead, 46-44, on a 3-pointer from King. Oakland answered with a triple of its own to take a one-point advantage into the fourth quarter.
Gregory’s layup at the 8:28 mark of the fourth quarter gave the Penguins the lead and sparked an 8-0 run. YSU took control for good during an 11-0 stretch that began at the 7:55 mark.
The Penguins extended the advantage to double digits with 2:37 left, and Baker’s layup with under 30 seconds remaining gave the team its largest lead of the night at 14.
With the victory, Jackson earned her 100th career win. Following the game, she emphasized the importance of road success while looking to return home.
“We wanted to be 1-0 at Detroit. We wanted to be 1-0 at Oakland. We’re so excited to get back to our home crowd, our fans. Penguin Nation, we need you to come out and support the team,” Jackson said.
YSU opens February with a three-game homestand that starts Feb. 5 against the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m., and the game will stream on ESPN+.