The Youngstown State men's basketball team (14-11, 9-6 Horizon League) looks to pick up its 15th victory of the season when it visits Horizon League foe Green Bay (10-14, 6-8 HL), Tuesday, Feb. 14. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. at the Resch Center and can be heard on 570 WKBN-AM.
The Green Bay Series
This is the 31st meeting between Youngstown State and Green Bay in a series that dates back to 1993. Green Bay owns a 23-7 advantage in the all-time series, but the Guins won the last out this season, 77-47, at the Beeghly Center. A win on Tuesday night would mark the first time YSU has won consecutive games over the Phoenix and mark the first season sweep over the Phoenix. The Guins have not won in Green Bay since a 65-61 victory on March 4, 2003.
About Green Bay
Green Bay is currently 10-14 overall and in eighth place in the Horizon League with a 6-8 league mark. The Phoenix, however, play well at the Resch Center, which is indicative by their 9-2 home record. Alec Brown leads the Phoenix with 13.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per game and he ranks second in the Horizon League with 3.0 blocks per game. Keifer Sykes is also averaging in double figures with 10.3 points per game.
No Sophomore Slump
Sophomore Kendrick Perry, who was named the Horizon League Player of the Week (Feb. 6), is having a tremendous second season for the Guins. Perry, who has scored at least 20 points six times this season, leads the Horizon League in scoring with 16.2 points per game and a 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio. He also ranks second in steals per game (2.4) and third in assists per game (4.0). Over the last five games, Perry is averaging 24.6 points 3.4 assists and 3.2 steals per game while shooting 56.2 from the field.
Allen in Top 10
With a 3-pointers made against Valparaiso on Feb. 9, junior Blake Allen made his 121st career 3-pointer at Youngstown State. He currently ranks 9th all-time. He needs six more to move into eighth place. He also has 74 3-pointers this season, which ranks second on the single-season list. He is 19 shy of breaking the single-season record of 92 set by Craig Haese in 2000-01.
A Win Will
• Improve YSU to 15-11 on the year and 10-6 in the Horizon League.
• Mark YSU's most league wins since joining the Horizon League in 2001-02,
• Mark YSU's most overall wins since 2000-01.
• Mark YSU's seventh road win of the season.
• Mark the program's eighth win over Green Bay.
• Mark the first season sweep over Green Bay and the first time YSU won consecutive games over the Phoenix.
• Guarantee YSU a winning Horizon League record for the first time in school history.
• Guarantee the first winning regular-season record since 2000-01.
• Mark Head Coach Jerry Slocum's 653rd career victory and his 73rd at Youngstown State.
• Mark YSU's 1,007th victory in the program's history.
Need to Hit the Glass
Coaches often talk of the importance of rebounding and for the Guins it is vital to success. When the Guins outrebound their opponents they own a record of 9-0.
Guins Set League Mark
With Kendrick Perry's weekly award, Youngstown State became the first program in Horizon League history to have five different players earn player-of-the-wee accolades. Perry joins senior DuShawn Brooks (Dec. 5), junior Damian Eargle (Jan. 2), senior Ashen Ward (Jan. 9) and junior Blake Allen (Jan. 23) as recipients of the award this year.
To Catch a Thief
With a career-high seven steals against Loyola on Feb. 5, sophomore Kendrick Perry set the YSU sophomore record for steals in a season with 56. He currantly has 61 steals this season and just four more to set the single-season mark for steals. With 101 career steals, Perry also needs just three more to move into 10th on the all-time list.
200 3's in Back-to-Back Season
For the first time in school history, the Guins have made at least 200 3-pointers in consecutive seasons. The Guins made 11 against UIC on Feb. 2 to reach the mark and now have 217 made 3-pointers, which are the second most in school history. Last season, the Guins made a school record 235 3-pointers. The previous record was 199 made during the 1997-98 school year.
Eargle Has Chance For 1,000
In under three seasons of playing college basketball, junior Damian Eargle has scored more than 800 points with 869. Eargle needs just 131 more points to reach 1,000 for his entire career, which includes 268 points during the 2008-09 season at UNC-Greensboro. Last season, Eargle ranked second on the squad with 339 points for an average of 11.3 points per game.
Perry On His Way to 700 Points
Sophomore Kendrick Perry could become the 33rd player in school history to score 1,000 career points. In just 55 career games, Perry has scored 675 points and needs 325 more to reach the coveted plateau. For his career, he is averaging 12.3 points per game, including a 16.2 points per game scoring average this year.
Ward Now Into 6th
With 44 3-pointers this season, senior Ashen Ward now ranks sixth all-time with 141 career 3-pointers. He needs three more to move into fifth place on the list.
Hold Under 70
Another ingredient for the Guins to be successful is to hold their opponents under 70 points. YSU is 14-4 when not allowing its opponents to score 70 points or more.
KP Hits Career High
Sophomore Kendrick Perry scored a career-high 30 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field, including four 3-pointers. Perry became the first YSU player to score 30 points since DeAndre Mays scored 30 against Loyola on Jan. 9, 2010.
Perry First Soph With 30 in 20 Years
With his 30-point performance against Milwaukee, Kendrick Perry became the first YSU sophomore to score at least 30 points since Mike Alcorn scored 35 on Feb. 24, 1992.
Allen Had Career Night
Junior Blake Allen set a career scoring high with 27 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field against Milwaukee on Jan. 20. Allen also tied a career high with seven 3-pointers against the Panthers. He made seven 3-pointers against Penn State on Nov. 23, 2011. It also marked his third 20-point outing this season.
Eargle Block Party
Junior Damian Eargle has recorded a block in every game this season. He has posted multiple blocks in 22 of 25 games and has swatted at least three blocks in 20 games.
KP Back-to-Back 100-Assist Seasons
With three assists against Valparaiso on Feb. 11, sophomore Kendrick Perry reached to 100-assist mark for the second straight season. He is the first place since DeAndre Mays (2008-10) to post back-to-back 100-assist seasons. It also marks the fourth straight year and the sixth time in the last seven seasons that a YSU players has recorded at least 100 assists in a season.
The Starting Line
• The Guins have had the same starting lineup in all 25 games.
• Four starters are averaging in double figures in all games.
• All five starters are scoring in double figures in Horizon League games only.
• Each starter has posted at least one 20-point outing.
• Four starters rank in the top 20 in scoring in the Horizon League.
• Starters account for 89 percent of the Guins' scoring.
Guins Setting Record Pace
The Guins have made 217 3-pointers in 25 games this season for an average of 8.7 3-pointers made per game. They are on pace to break the school's single-season mark of 235 set last year. If YSU continues this pace over the next five guaranteed games, they will finish the season with 260 3-pointers made.
Eargle Second to 100 Blocks
Junior Damian Eargle has 101 blocks in 25 games this season, which ranks second on the YSU single-season list. He needs 38 more to set the single-season mark of 138 set by Ricky Tunstall in 1982-83. His 91 blocks last season now rank third on the list.
Up Next
The Guins visit former Ohio Valley Conference foe Austin Peay, Saturday, Feb. 18, in the 2012 Sears Bracketbusters. Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. EDT in Clarksville, Tenn.
Eargle Now Second
Junior Damian Eargle has moved into second place on the YSU career blocks chart in just 55 games played. Eargle has 192 blocked shots. The only player ahead of Eargle is Ricky Tunstall, who recorded 221 career blocks. He needs 30 more blocks to set the school's all-time blocks record. Counting his 57 blocks at UNC-Greensboro, Eargle has reached 249 blocked shots for his entire college career.
Guins Set 3's Mark Again
For the third time this season, the Guins tied the school single-game record with 14 3-pointers made in a game against Buffalo on Dec. 10. The Guins tied the school single-game mark with 14 3-pointers game against Penn State on Nov. 23. and Notre Dame College on Nov. 15. The previous time YSU made 14 3 pointers in a game was against Butler on Jan. 9, 2011. Against the Bulls, the Guins also tied the school single-game mark for most 3-point field goals attempted with 35.
