WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

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YOUNGSTOWN, OH - The Youngstown State Penguins had four players in double figures in scoring and shot 51.9 percent from the floor in the game, including 63.0 percent in the first half, to easily run away with a 75-43 win over the University at Buffalo women's basketball team tonight in the Beeghly Center. The win, YSU's first over the Bulls since the 1998-99 season, upped the Penguins' record to 5-4 on the year while Buffalo dropped to 1-7 overall.

Belinda Gibb

Youngstown State began the first half pounding the ball inside to Jen Perugini, who had eight of the Penguins' first 11 points in the first five minutes of the game. YSU opened on a 7-2 run and then used a 10-0 spurt, led by Tara Fleming's six points, to open up a double-digit lead, 21-8, with 10:02 to go in the half. Back-to-back three-pointers by Cathy Hanek, followed by a three-pointer from Kristy Gaudiose and a layup by Perugini, made up an 11-0 run that extended Youngstown State's lead to 22, 37-15, with 2:33 on the clock. The Penguins took a 23-point lead into the lockerroom at halftime, 42-19, and they led by as many as that for the remainder of the game. Buffalo shot just 8-for-27 from the floor in the first half (29.6 percent) while Youngstown State was 17-for-27, including 5-for-9 from three-point range (55.6 percent).

Barb Fabianova got things going for Youngstown State in the second half, scoring its first eight points, including two three-pointers. While the Bulls' shooting continued to struggle, the Penguins put together two 7-0 runs in the second half, with the final one giving them their largest lead of the game, 73-36, with 2:57 remaining. YSU shot 11-for-27 from the floor in the second half (40.7 percent) while the Bulls shot 9-for-26 (34.6 percent).

"This is a very disappointing loss, no question about it," said Buffalo head coach Cheryl Dozier. "We haven't been in many road games this year mainly because of our defense. You can't give up 75 points on the road and expect to win. We didn't show a lot of fight tonight. We need to have intensity every game like we had on Saturday against Niagara, and we need to want to win and be willing to do whatever it takes to win. We'll figure it out. We're much more talented than we showed tonight."

Buffalo sophomore Belinda Gibb (Denmark, Western Australia/Willetton) was the only player to reach double digits in scoring with 10 points. Freshman Heather Turner (West Seneca, NY/Mount Mercy Academy) was a perfect 3-for-3 from the floor for six points, while sophomore Viorica Badinici (Turku, Finland/Central Florida Community College) also added six points and five rebounds. Junior Brooke Meunier (Saginaw, MI/Heritage) finished with five points and five boards.

Fabianova led the Penguins' scorers with 14 points, while Hanek and Perugini chipped in 12 apiece and Gaudiose finished with 11. Fleming had nine points and a game-high seven rebounds, and Lauren Branson dished 11 assists and had three steals. The Penguins outrebounded the Bulls by a 38-29 margin in the game.

The Bulls will look to bounce back and snap their current five-game losing streak when they play at Canisius at 6:30 pm on Saturday, December 18.