Women host Kent State in WNIT opener
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YOUNGSTOWN -- Mady Aulbach put it simply.
"I think the biggest thing about this year is we don't want the season to end," the Youngstown State guard said.
After a disappointing showing in the Horizon League Tournament, the Penguins now have second life. YSU (24-6) this evening will host regional rival Kent State (18-11) at 5:30 p.m. at the Beeghly Center in the opening round of the WNIT.
The Penguins earned a spot in the tournament as an automatic qualifier after winning the Horizon League regular season crown, alongside IUPUI, who is in the NCAA Tournament.
The game will be part of a double-header at Beeghly, as the YSU men host Morgan State at 8 p.m. in The Basketball Classic.
"I think there's a lot of excitement among the team and the community and our supporters," YSU coach John Barnes said. "With a double-header with the men, it should be an outstanding crowd, and we're really looking forward to it."
After the Penguins fell to Oakland in the Horizon League quarterfinals, Barnes said the team took a few days off to process things and take a little break. Upon reconvening, the players were "ready to go," Barnes added.
First up in their postseason journey is a tough Golden Flashes squad that finished 18-11 overall and faced a couple common opponents with YSU. Kent State was swept by Akron (62-61 at home and 73-64 on the road), a team Youngstown State defeated 57-55 in its home opener in November. But, the Golden Flashes upset Penn State, 81-74, and the Nittany Lions topped YSU in December, 78-58.
In addition, the Flashes knocked off then-No. 19 UCLA, 75-69, back in November.
The teams have met 45 times in their histories, with KSU holding a 31-14 lead. The Flashes also enter on a 4-game streak in the series, though they haven't met since 2019, an 82-73 OT victory for KSU. This will be the first postseason matchup between the programs.
"It's going to be extremely difficult," Barnes said. "Kent State beat UCLA; they beat Penn State. They've went on some six-, seven-game winning streaks. They're very talented. You have to be at your best to beat them, so it's going to be a challenge to say the least."
Katie Shumate paces KSU with 12.1 points per game, while three others also scores in double figures -- Lindsey Thall (11.3), Nila Blackford (10.8) and Casey Santoro (10.5). Bridget Dunn adds 9.4 points per game as well, and Kent State scores just under 69 points per game.
The Flashes enter having lost four of their last six games, but were on a six-game win streak before that.
As for YSU, Barnes hinted that the Penguins should be back to full strength now. Starting guard Malia Magestro missed the Oakland game with a lower-body issue.
"We were able to get some players back, get them fully charged and get past their injuries and being sick and stuff," he said. "So hopefully we go in with everything we have and play great."
The Penguins ended the regular season winning six of their last seven games prior to being knocked off by the Golden Grizzlies.
Magestro scores 10 points per game, while Lilly Ritz leads with 17 per game and chips in 9.7 rebounds. Chelsea Olson adds 11.2 points, 4.7 assists and 6.1 rebounds.
With the short notice of who its opponent would be, Aulbach said YSU has focused on itself in its practices.
"I think more than anything this week, we're focusing on us and just kind of going back to the principles of good, hard-nosed defense, have a lot of fun and play like every game can be your last," she said. "Because at this point, it really can be."