Women's Basketball Preview, Part 5: Youngstown State

Oct. 31, 2007

What a difference a year makes. Heading into the 2006-07 season, the Youngstown State women's basketball team faced the daunting challenge of playing the year without a senior class and just three players with two years of Division I playing experience.

Needless to say, it was an inexperienced group.

In gearing up for the start of the 2007-08 campaign, the composition of Tisha Hill's squad is almost in direct contrast to the make up of the previous year's team.

Four seniors, six juniors, three sophomores, 13 letterwinners and 10 players with at least two years of collegiate playing experience give Hill the most veteran team of her tenure.

That team familiarity coupled with the return of 93 percent of the scoring and 88 percent of the rebounding and six players who started at least 15 games, the 2007-08 Penguins look to be in position to make a surge up the Horizon League ladder.

"It is very instrumental to our program to have an entire returning squad back that fully understands our system and vision" Hill said. "The addition of both Kelsey (Gurganus) and Tiara (Scott) in the lineup will certainly assist in a very powerful returning roster.

"The pendulum has swung and we know where our talent can take us."

Backcourt
Not only is this an upperclass-laden team, but the squad's collective depth and versatility are team's strongest attributes, especially in the backcourt.

Of the 13 players, eight are listed as guards.

That number of backcourt choices gives Hill a myriad of alternatives and multiple looks to show the opposition, which may include three- and four-guard sets.

"The speed and creativity of our guards is very exciting," Hill said. "The shooters can shoot and the penetrators are such a threat with their versatility."

Running the point for the fourth year is senior Lauren Branson. A three-year starter, Branson's responsibilities will be to distribute the ball and be the team leader on and off the court. The only "natural" point guard on the squad, Branson has 62 career starts, has appeared and started in 28 consecutive games and ranks seventh on the all-time assists chart with 326.

"Branson continues to demand the most out of herself and her teammates," Hill said. "She's a constant leader and has the passion you want from a player."

Juniors Monique Godfrey and Velissa Vaughn each posted solid sophomore campaigns averaging 10.8 and 8.2 points per game, respectively. Both also have experience at the point and the off-guard positions.

Godfrey's and Vaughn's improvements from year one to year two were significant. Godfrey led the Penguins with a 12.1 scoring average against Horizon League opponents and Vaughn connected on 47.9 percent of her 3-pointers against league foes.

Add Southern Miss transfer Kelsey Gurganus into the fray and the Penguins have three players which can be used interchangeably between the point and two-guard slots. Gurganus, a redshirt junior, played in 56 games while with the Golden Eagles and started 24 games as a freshman.

"Kelsey brings an added threat to the perimeter," Hill said. "She creates very well and really gets out and goes."

Senior Heather Karner, the team's leading scorer last season with 10.9 points per game, headlines the three-guard/small forward options for the Penguins. Karner, who scored 34 points against Cincinnati last season, made a team-high 52 3-pointers last season and was named to the Horizon League All-Newcomer Team.

"At any point Heather can break loose and be a threat from anywhere on the floor," Hill said. "Her scoring capability is tremendous and continues to be a consistent threat from outside."

Sophomore Toni Roscoe, who was granted a medical redshirt last season, may be the team's purest 3-point shooter and is poised to make significant contributions this season.

Senior Kira Mowen and sophomore Kaitlyn March are also expected to compete for time in the back court. Last season, Mowen played in 22 games while March in appeared in 10 contests.

Frontcourt
Numbers-wise, the Penguins' frontcourt may appear not as deep as the backcourt, but like the old cliche appearances can be deceiving.

"We've always had the size we've needed inside," Hill said. "Now, with a new focus, our bigs have shown the athleticism and power to get it done.

"There is no one dimension to any of the posts and they've committed to using their talents effectively on the court."

Led by senior Jessica Schloemp, the low-block is composed of five multitalented players who give the Penguins varied strengths.

Schloemp, a 6-3 forward, has logged 1,669 minutes in 83 career games and averaged six points and 4.8 rebounds per game while nursing a foot injury last season. Schloemp has the ability to be a difference maker after posting nine points and 7.1 rebounds per game, which ranked third in the Horizon League, as a sophomore.

"Jess continues to be one of the hardest workers day in and day out," Hill said. "She has the ability to score from behind the arc as well as inside.

"She's made great strides in her tenure as a Penguin."

Junior Ashley Pendleton gained invaluable experience during her sophomore campaign appearing in 27 games and averaging 5.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.

Over the last five contests of the year, Pendleton averaged 9.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game and scored a career-high 14 points against Butler in the Horizon League quarterfinals.

"This kid can flat out play," Hill said. "Ashley has truly stepped up her consistency inside and has established herself as a power player."

Hill infused more athleticism to the post with the addition of junior college transfer Tiara Scott, who has two years of immediate eligibility. Scott played 58 games in two years at Western Nebraska Community College where she helped the Lady Cougars to a two-year mark of 55-5 and averaged 8.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game during her career.

"The addition of Tiara will really give us an advantage inside," Hill said. "She has caught on fast and knows she can score over defense.

"Her speed up the floor will benefit our transition game."

During the 2005-06 season, Scott played with Karner and averaged 7.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while shooting 47.3 percent from the floor and 79.6 percent from the free throw line. As a sophomore, Scott averaged 9.6 points and 5.2 boards per game and posted a field-goal percentage of .536 and a free-throw percentage of .847.

In the middle, the Penguins have two imposing forces in 6-foot-2 junior Nikita LaFleur and 6-foot-4 sophomore Anjalia Lyons. The duo combined for 8.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game and blocked a total of 45 shots.

"Nikita continues to be a defensive presence," Hill said. "She's a very good shot blocker, she is able to get out and go with the change of possession."

Hill also added a second Southern Miss transfer in 6-foot-3 center Rachael Manuel who will have two years of eligibility after sitting out the 2007-08 campaign to fulfill NCAA transfer requirements.

Manuel played 58 games over the last two seasons and averaged 12.8 minutes per game during her tenure with the Golden Eagles.

Last season, Manuel played in all 30 games and averaged 1.2 points and 2.4 rebounds as a sophomore. During her freshman season, she posted 1.8 points and 1.3 rebounds per game.

Coming out of Grayslake High School, Manuel was a three-year letterwinner, named to the Chicago Tribune's Top 25 Players and rated as on of the top 100 posts in the nation by The adidas All-Star Girls Report.

--Story provided by Youngstown State office of sports information.