Coach Cindy Martin knows that her 2009-10 Lady Penguins team has the potential to win more than the three games last year’s squad walked away with.  Marked improvement over last year against Kent State is proof to the naysayers.  The scrappy YSU women are playing shorthanded with really only seven able bodies right now and fought until the end.  The result was respectable, albeit a loss, as Kent State came away with a 71-55 victory at the Beeghly Center.

The Lady Penguins held the lead for the majority of the first half.  Kent State nabbed the lead at the 13:10 mark, taking a 14-13 lead.  A pair of Rachael Manuel free throws ended a long Youngstown State drought and put an end to the Golden Flashes run.  Macey Nortey hit a nice underhand running layup when she was fouled and hit the bonus toss to pull YSU to within two, a 20-18 deficit.   Kent closed out the half on an 11-4 run and took a 31-22 lead into the break. 

YSU was only 6-29 from the field in the half combined with 11 turnovers and was having an issue with fouls.  Dressing only eight players and having a couple of them with three fouls has to cut back on the aggression YSU would be able to play with defensively in the second half.  Kent’s bench outscored YSU’s 15-0 in the opening half. 

Youngstown State battled to keep things close in the second half, but Kent would not yield any ground.  At the 11:50 mark, the Golden Flashes extended their halftime lead by a point to a 46-36 advantage. 

Kent State would start to pull away, but YSU would show some fight and battle back from trailing by 18 to just 13 on a Nortey three.  Nortey, who finished with a career high 20 points for the Penguins,  then connected on a pair of free throws to chop the lead back to 11.  The lack of numbers and fatigue factor were both seemingly working against YSU with about five minutes left in the game.  Kent State had five offensive rebounds and six shots on one trip down the floor.

When all of the remaining time elapsed, Kent State claimed the victory with a 70-55 verdict.  Give the Lady Penguins some credit for hanging in there against Kent when they could have easily thrown in the towel several times earlier in the game.

Nortey collected her 20 points for YSU on 7-15 shooting and 5-6 on her free throws.    Kent State was paced by Jamilah Humes who tallied 14 for the Golden Flashes.

Coach Martin was not completely disappointed with the effort.  “I am not satisfied, I won’t be satisfied until we cut down the nets here at Youngstown State.  I am happy and proud.  The ladies have alot of fiestiness and we did well with our late game situations.  Last year we lost 95-58 to Kent State, they have a great program over there, so yes, I am happy with the effort tonight.”

Youngstown State (0-3) hosts Canisius this Sunday at 2 p.m. in hopes of getting that elusive first win on the year.  Hang in there Coach Martin, your hard work will pay off eventually.