By Matthew Peaslee
mpeaslee@vindy.com
YOUNGSTOWN
Here, midway through the 2011-12 basketball season, Kenya Middlebrooks has noticed it. She’s seen it, felt it and experienced it every time she and her Youngstown State teammates step on the court.
Disrespect.
“Some teams still don’t look at us like a good team,” Middlebrooks said. “They look at us from last year, still. We have to continue to get wins so they can see us differently.”
The Penguins already have eight wins, two more than last year and, well, eight more than the winless year before that.
They picked up their second conference win last week in a come from behind victory over Valparaiso. YSU trailed by as many eight in the second half, but it was Middlebrooks that turned on the jets and scored 13 of her team-leading 18 points in the final 20 minutes. The Penguins were a perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line in the second half and shot 48 percent from the field, compared to just 25.9 percent in the first half.
That effort alone separates last season from this one, according to the senior guard.
“It just shows you how far we’ve come,” Middlebrooks said. “Last year we may have given up a bit. This year we’re kind of tougher and we stick with it and continue to try to make plays.”
While the team has developed more confidence in themselves — and the win total shows it — there still is one critic out there that isn’t yet pleased.
Head coach Bob Boldon.
“I tell them everyday they’re not very good,” Boldon said.
Good as in 2011 WNBA champions Minnesota Lynx — they are not. But good as in players improving with each game — they definitely are.
Boldon clearly sees that.
“I’ve been pretty happy with our overall performance for the most part,” said the second year head coach. “We’re trying to get better everyday and then what comes with it — comes with it.”
In the end, that’s wins, and the Penguins are doing a better job winning now than they have in five years.
Youngstown State has a chance to match its Horizon League win total from last season this weekend with a pair of conference game at the Beeghly Center. Loyola is in town tonight at 7:05 p.m. with UIC visiting on Saturday at 2:05 p.m.
Much os this week’s preparation has focused on defense as the Ramblers’ offense averages 65.1 point per game. Boldon says they run a lot of variation plays from one set where there will be four or five options that the Penguins need to be aware of.
Middlebrooks is ready.
“I don’t think we’re intimated by it,” she said. “The coaches do a great job scouting and running plays in practice to where it will be a little bit easier. We’ll get on the court and know what they’re going to be doing.”
The anticipation could only do so much, though. The Penguins have to execute and practice what they preach. Boldon will always be observing, ready to pop in some viewing material, positive or negative, after the game.
“We watch tape to point out the things we don’t do very well in case they don’t believe me when I tell them they’re not very good,” he said.
For Middlebrooks and the Penguins, their goal is to make believers out of him — and the league.
