By Joe Scalzo
scalzo@vindy.com
YOUNGSTOWN
With two games left in the regular season, YSU men’s basketball coach Jerry Slocum hasn’t spent much time worrying about who he’s going to play in the first round of next week’s Horizon League tournament.
But his assistants have.
“They’ve kind of figured out what our percentages are, that if this happens we’ll be playing Milwaukee again, if this happens we could end up playing Cleveland State,” Slocum said. “I’m just trying to get ready for these two games.”
The Penguins (9-18, 2-14 Horizon) are tied with UIC for last in the 10-team conference and need to win one of their final two games to avoid back-to-back 2-16 seasons. First up is Green Bay at 7:05 Thursday, a team that beat YSU 74-59 on Dec. 4.
The Phoenix have lost five straight, but the last four have been by three points or fewer.
Saturday, the Penguins host Milwaukee on Senior Night (or, more accurately, Senior Afternoon, since it’s a 1:05 p.m. start). It will be the final home games for seniors Vytas Sulskis and Dan Boudler.
Sulskis has played in all 117 games over the past four years and will likely finish his career tied with YSU’s John Barber (2003-08) for first in that category with 120. Boudler has been a solid backup in the post, appearing in all 16 games.
“I’m really proud of those two guys,” Slocum said. “I think they have both had really good seasons and they’re two guys who have been committed to Youngstown State University and me and this program.”
YSU beat Bowling Green Saturday night to improve to 3-2 against Mid-American Conference teams and best its overall win total from last season. A win this week would likely move the Penguins ahead of UIC (7-22, 2-15) for ninth in the league standings.
“We want a real positive finish to the season,” Slocum said.
“We’re just working hard to get ready for these two games and then we’ll know Saturday night who we’ll play [in the tournament] and prepare accordingly.”
YSU’s women’s basketball team is coming off a heartbreaking loss to Wright State on Saturday. The Penguins had a one-point lead with 13 seconds left and were at the free throw line but missed the front end of a one-and-one and eventually lost 70-67.
YSU (4-22, 2-13) plays its final road game of the season Saturday at Cleveland State, which defeated the Penguins 86-65 on Jan. 29.
“We have to come out at the beginning of the game ready to play and not let up,” said junior Kenya Middlebrooks, who felt the team came out flat against the Vikings in the first meeting. “We can’t let them get easy baskets and we have to hit shots and take care of the ball.
“That was pretty much the problem [in the first meeting].”
The Penguins have already bested their win total from the past two seasons combined but need to win their last three games to avoid finishing last in the Horizon League for the third straight year. Valparaiso, who lost twice to the Penguins, is ninth with a 4-11 conference mark.
“We’re still pushing, still keeping our heads up,” said Middlebrooks, the team’s second-leading scorer with 8.6 points per game. “We’re still trying to get another one.”
