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YOUNGSTOWN -- It hasn't been easy for the Youngstown State women's basketball team.
The Penguins (3-5), who travel to Kent State on Saturday for a 5 p.m. tipoff, are relying more on their freshman class than ever expected.
Junior guard Nikki Arbanas, the team's biggest 3-point threat last season, had an ACL tear on the first day of practice. Senior forward Kelsea Newman tore her ACL at the beginning of the season.
Junior forward and Lordstown native Sarah Cash is day-to-day with nagging knee issues. Cash had an torn ACL her senior year at Lordstown and wore a knee brace her first year at YSU.
Junior Kelley Wright had a sprained ankle, while freshman Natalie Myers was out with a calf strain. Those two are back, but the others were out in Tuesday's loss against Akron.
That's provided an opportunity for freshmen like guard Mailee Jones to see time in the backcourt. The 5-foot-8 player is from San Antonio, Texas. She averages around seven points per game and has started five of the team's eight games.
"Mailee has done a great job for us, especially as a freshman playing a lot of minutes -- starting," YSU coach John Barnes said. "She's got a great attitude. She's in for the team first and foremost. She stays calm out there whether things are going well or not so well. That presence helps us out.
"She's a solid scorer, solid defender. She takes care of the basketball, which are all very important things for our team."
Jones communicates with her teammates and loves to encourage them as well. She shows it on the court.
"One thing I try to focus on is the easy basket," Jones said. "What can I do offensively to get an easy basket? Setting screens, moving without the ball, anything I can do to get an easy basket. I know we all can shoot. We all can do this. Getting the easy basket and making it hard for the other team is what's really important. If I need to communicate with Indiya (Benjamin), Jenna (Hirsch) or Sarah to do anything in my power, I can. I will do that."
Cash has started one game this season and was out Tuesday. She's played less than 20 minutes in each of her seven games.
"It's her pain level," Barnes said. "She can tweak it in a game. If she hits it the right way, she could be out for the game."
Morgan Olson, Mary Dunn and Tamira Ford have filled in for Cash.
"We're trying to find a way to manage it the best we can," Barnes said.
Ford (5-10, Sr., Parma Padua), a graduate transfer from Miami of Ohio, is trying to find minutes with Olson and Dunn. Olson (6-0, Jr., Neppanee, Ind.) is coming off an ACL tear last January, while Dunn, a 6-3 freshman from Washington, Pa., has been earning more minutes with her good play.
"There's a lot of post players that we have. They're all fighting for minutes," Barnes said. "Tamira has been unbelievable for the team. Sarah couldn't practice all summer. Tamira did a great job of fitting in and being a leader, even though she hasn't been around the program. She works really hard as team first. We're really fortunate to have her."
For Barnes, he's fortunate to have plenty of depth on this year's team
"It was huge that we brought in extra post players and had that depth," he said. "You never know how many in one season, losing two starters. I'm very proud of how the team's reacted. How the freshmen have come in and stepped up. It's exciting. It's still really early and we're getting used to the chemistry and how we play together. I hope we keep making steps forward and upward."