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YSU women withstand Lake Erie

By John Vargo 3 min read

YOUNGSTOWN -- McKenah Peters fell to the floor in the last two minutes of the first quarter. The junior forward was directly across from the Youngstown State University women's basketball bench.

Peters, a 5-foot-9 post, has taken the lion's share of bumps and bruises early this season as she's adjusting to her new role near the basket.

On Wednesday, a Lake Erie College player clocked Peters in her left eye, one that was already bruised in Sunday's loss to nationally-ranked Indiana. She exited the game, then returned a couple of minutes into the second quarter, scoring two quick buckets.

"Honestly, I turned to sprint back and somebody was right there," Peters said. "It caught me by surprise and I fell down. I'm OK, I'm tough, I can take it."

YSU coach John Barnes wasn't surprised at his junior's resilience.

"The kid was right there and ran into her," Barnes said. "McKenah is the last person I worry about in terms of toughness. No matter what's going on, she's going to get up and get after it."

Peters wasn't going to take this lying down. She and her teammates got past the NCAA Division II opponent at the Beeghly Center, 83-48.

Peters led the Penguins with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Jen Wendler had 13 points and Taylor Petit and Maddie Schires added 12 each. Ashley West led Lake Erie with 12.

Peters was seen multiple times trying to rip away a loose basketball from a Lake Erie player, even taking a charge which jostled her along the baseline in the fourth quarter.

There was Peters, not having her vision impaired, looking around to find an open player numerous times in the third quarter.

She made her own fortune happen with eight seconds left in third as she completed a three-point play to make the Penguins' lead 64-38 after three quarters. YSU outscored the Storm 21-10 in that 10-minute stanza.

Peters began the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer from the right corner as the Penguins led 67-38.

"I've been in a shooting slump lately," Peters said. "Watching that ball go in the hoop and hearing the crowd cheer like that kind of put a boost in my confidence a little bit more. It makes the game even more fun.

"That (third quarter) got us out of the slump a little bit and boosted our energy level. We just put it to them."

Barnes kept hollering throughout the game for the team to keep pressuring, dictating for his young team, which has 10 active players due to injuries, to keep fighting through a feisty Lake Erie team that lived up to its nickname in the first half.

"They run kind of a bundle offense," he said. "If you allow their guards to stand out there and survey what's going on and make pinpoint passes, it can be tough. I thought we did that early on."

YSU had 12 of its 18 turnovers in the first half, limiting itself to about three in the second half.

"That's way too many," Barnes said. "Once we started taking care of it and pressuring a little more, it helped us out a lot."

As for Peters, she had to tend to her black-and-blue left eye after the hard-fought contest.

"I guess just ice it a little bit and rest," she said. "I need some sleep. I'm tired."

Friday, YSU takes on Muskingum, waking up for an 11 a.m. tipoff.

Starting at /week.