YSU women host Wofford to open new year
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YOUNGSTOWN -- The Youngstown State women's basketball team certainly will be challenged early in its schedule.
Coming off a WNIT appearance and picked first in the preseason Horizon League poll, the Penguins open their season tonight with a team also fresh off a WNIT season in the Wofford Terriers (7 p.m., ESPN.com, 1390 AM WNIO).
That kicks off a month of November that also includes road trips to Penn State and Akron and a home game with St. Francis-Brooklyn.
"Everything that we're doing is to get us ready for the (Horizon League) and ultimately, we're trying to make the NCAA Tournament," YSU coach John Barnes said of the schedule. "Most likely, that's going to have to mean winning the conference tournament, so pretty much everything we've started since summer is preparing us for tournament time and hopefully making a run and getting into the NCAA Tournament."
Wofford, which went 17-14 in 2021-22, was picked second in the preseason Southern Conference poll. The Terriers return a talented guard-forward tandem in Jackie Carman, a Twinsburg native, and Lilly Hatton.
Carman (5-foot-8) averaged 12.4 points and 2.7 rebounds per game in 2021-22, while Hatton (6-foot-1) scored 9.7 points and grabbed 5.8 boards per game. They lead a roster that features a steady mix of youth and experience.
Annabelle Shultz provides depth in the Wofford backcourt after playing in all 31 games last year and scoring 6.6 points per game, and sophomore guard Sydnee Richetto is back after playing in 26 games and averaging 4.5 points per game. Helen Matthews joins them after scoring 5.6 points per game in 2021-22.
"Really good returning players, and very well-coached," Barnes assessed of the Terriers. "They're tough, hard-nosed and smart. I'm glad we have them at home, and it's going to be a challenge. It's going to be great for us. I think win or lose, it'll help make us better for the next game and for conference play."
YSU's selection at No. 1 in the Horizon League preseason poll is the program's first, and caps an offseason that featured plenty of hype thanks to the transfer portal. The Penguins nabbed guards Shay-Lee Kirby (Austin Peay) and Dena Jarrells (Chattanooga) as well as forward Emily Saunders (Tennessee), all of which were AAU teammates with returning guard Paige Shy, a past transfer from Marshall.
In addition to Shy, the Penguins return the bulk of their contributors from a season ago, including Malia Magestro, Mady Aulbach and Megan Callahan in the front court and preseason All-Horizon League First Team selection Lily Ritz in the post.
"It's a lot of pressure," Ritz acknowledged. "But we really have to own up to it. It doesn't come easily, and we've struggled at times in practice. But we had a team meeting (last week), and we just really focused on how we need to communicate more and talk more, and that's how we're going to win these games."
Ritz added she feels the roster is "well-rounded" with a mix of shooting talent and post players. It's also one with plenty of experience, even after the graduation of Chelsea Olson.
"For the most part, everyone's had a lot of Division I experience, which I think will really help us," Magestro said. "Everyone kind of knows what our expectations are here, so I think coming into this team, (the transfers) know that there are big shoes to fill."
jwhetzel@tribtoday.com