Correspondent photo / Robert Hayes. YSU redshirt freshman Danielle Cameron drives and scores in the first half during her career-high 18 point outing in the Penguins' 65-46 win over Wright State on Tuesday night at Zidian Family Arena.

YOUNGSTOWN — After a sprint through the first month-and-a-half of the season, the Youngstown State women’s basketball team made good use of its nine-day break without a game last week.

The extra practice time during the week off gave the Penguins time to fine-tune things on both ends of the floor, while also emphasizing player development. The extra prep time did wonders for redshirt freshman Danielle Cameron, especially after she missed most of last season with an injury.

Cameron was hot right from the opening tip on Tuesday night, leading YSU with a career-high 18 points, as the Penguins pulled away from Wright State in the second half for a 65-46 victory in their Horizon League home opener.

“I think I talked in our press conference how important this week was for our young kids, and Dani in particular,” head coach Melissa Jackson said. “She’s only a redshirt freshman. Didn’t play a lot of college basketball last year — only like a game and a half, so she needed that time. We needed that time in the gym to get a lot of shots up to work on that player development.

“I had an inkling that she might have a good night because she practiced so well. Her shot looked fantastic this week. Hopefully this gives her a lot of confidence, because that kid can really shoot the ball, can really play and we needed her tonight.”

Cameron paced YSU in the first half with three steals and 11 points — which was just one shy of her previous career high set in the season-opening win over Thiel, while knocking down a pair of threes and getting to the free-throw line. In the second half, she added another three and finished a pair of layups.

“It felt good. But in the end, I just wanted to get the win,” Cameron said. “They beat us three times (last season), so that was in the back of our minds during prep and practice and shootaround. It does really feel nice for shots to finally start falling for me. But in the end, I just wanted to win.”

With Wright State opening the game in a smaller guard-leavy lineup, the Penguins had to get accustomed to playing at the faster pace with its size and two-post lineups.

It didn’t help that forward Sophia Gregory picked up two early fouls in the first quarter and had to sit the entire second quarter. But YSU weathered the Raiders’ early surge.

Leading by six, Wright State had its largest lead of the night midway through the second quarter. But the Penguins ended the half on a 7-0 run and outscored the Raiders 10-2 over the final four minutes to take a two-point lead into the locker room.

“I think that we started to buckle down on defense, just do what we practiced and what the game plan was. We didn’t really execute that well in the first half, and that’s why it was much closer,” Cameron said. “Those runs, it comes from us getting stops. If we don’t get stops, we don’t have momentum going into the offense. So I think it all starts on the defensive end.”

With just under three minutes left in the third quarter, the Penguins clung to a 41-40 lead. Due to three deadball offensive rebounds, a jump ball tie-up and YSU two turnovers, the ball stayed on Wright State’s end of the court for an extended stretch. However, the Raiders came away from that sequence scoreless, as YSU forced the Raiders into seven straight missed shots.

Then, fueled by a 3-pointer and steal and fast-break layup by Paulina Hernandez, YSU closed the third quarter on a 10-2 run that created some separation.

“The whole week of prep for Wright State was our defense and defending them and really growing with our one-on-one defense without fouling,” Jackson said. “I thought we did a much better job of that in the second half. To mention that sequence, we really got down and guarded some people.”

The Penguins’ defensive momentum from that stretch continued into the fourth quarter as YSU pulled away, outscoring the Raiders 15-4 during the period.

Wright State’s 46 points was its lowest point total of the season, as the Penguins also forced the Raiders into a season-high 20 turnovers.

WSU’s Breezie Williams led the Raiders with 10 points. But those all came in the first half, as YSU held her scoreless in the second half. Casey Santoro was the other Penguin to score in double figures alongside Cameron, finishing with 15 points.

“In the fourth, we had some unbelievable defensive stops,” Jackson said. “I thought switching Erica (King) on to Breezie Williams was a key to the game. Plus Sarah (Baker)’s on-ball defense — it really just shows the versatility of our post players that our four and fives can really guard like that.”

The Penguins now head down south to Miami, where they will play Florida International and UMass in the FIU Holiday Classic on Friday and Saturday, respectively.