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1216

YSU Penguin Athletics / Scalzo: Penguin reserves struggling

« on: January 17, 2012, 05:58:32 AM »

By Joe Scalzo

scalzo@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

The Youngstown State men’s basketball team needs a better backup plan.

After entering the season as the team’s biggest question mark, the Penguin bench has not lived up to even modest expectations, something that grew more obvious in last week’s road losses to Valparaiso (76-62) and Butler (71-55).

The Penguin reserves did not score a point in the loss to Valparaiso and had just four against Butler.

For the season, YSU’s bench is averaging just 8.8 points per game — 13 percent of the Penguins’ 66.5 points per game — and no reserve is averaging more than Nate Perry’s 2.2 points per game.

“Disappointing,” said YSU coach Jerry Slocum. “I’m not surprised by ... the fact that we’re up and down because young guys are up and down.

“Shawn [Amiker] and Nate and Josh [Chojnacki] and Fletch [Larson] they go some games where they’ve really helped you and they looked really intense and they were ready to play. And this trip, we didn’t get as much production as we needed to.”

All of YSU’s reserves are either freshmen or sophomores, due in part to the fact that YSU lost two juniors after last season.

Forward Tre Brewer (who played in all but one of YSU’s games last fall before transferring to Cal State San Bernardino) and guard Devonte Maymon (who appeared in 20 games before transferring to Kentucky Wesleyan) would have given the Penguins more depth and experience.

Add in freshman guard Sheldon Brogdon, who left last year’s team after four games, and it’s easy to see how YSU got so young, so fast.

“I really don’t want to comment on that,” Slocum said of the departures. “A lot of times it’s addition by subtraction. We want guys who want to be here.”

Maymon, incidentally, is no longer on Kentucky Wesleyan’s roster after playing seven games for the Division II program and Brogdon never appeared on Walsh University’s roster after announcing he would transfer to the NAIA program. Brewer is still at CSUSB and is the Division II team’s second-leading scorer at 12.5 points per game.

While some of YSU’s poor bench production can be explained by a lack of playing time — Chojnacki leads the reserves with just 9.5 minutes per game — Slocum has repeatedly said those backups need to show they deserve more minutes, both in practice and in games.

“They know they’ve been inconsistent,” Slocum said. “We need to keep going to them and having faith in them and get them those early minutes in games is really crucial for me so they can get their feet wet and get some confidence.”

In fact, the whole team could probably use a confidence boost after what Slocum called “our worst effort of the year.”

“We played very poorly,” he said. “We did not match the intensity that came at us.”

1217

YSU Penguin Athletics / Ladies Frantic Comeback Forces Overtime Before Falling to Flames

« on: January 14, 2012, 05:39:14 PM »

The Youngstown State women's basketball team scored seven points in the final 62 seconds of regulation to force overtime, but UIC regrouped in the extra session as the Penguins dropped a hard-fought 76-68 decision to the Flames on Saturday afternoon at the Beeghly Center.
Trailing 63-56 with just over a minute left in regulation, Kenya Middlebrooks ingnited the comeback by draining a 3-pointer.  After three straight turnovers, Monica Touvelle faked Taylor Foulks in the air, dribbled to her left and knocked down a 3-pointer with 15.9 seconds remaining.
On the ensuing inbounds pass, Tieara Jones and Middlebrooks forced Shamiea Green to lose the ball out of bounds as just 0.3 seconds ticked off the clock.
Kelsea Fickiesen drove the lane and was fouled with 11.3 seconds left. Fickiesen's first shot rimmed out, but her second was good. UIC had one final chance to win in regulation, but Fickiesen stole the inbounds pass, raced 50 feet up the court and her desparation shot came up just short.
In overtime, UIC caught fire making 4-of-5 shots. Foulks opened the extra period with a 3-pointer and after two YSU turnovers she drained another triple. Touvelle connected from 3-point range with 2:00 left, but the Flames scored eight straight points to earn the victory.
With the loss, the Penguins are now 8-8 overall and 2-3 in the Horizon League. UIC improves to 10-7 and 3-3.
Leading the way for the Penguins was Brandi Brown who scored 25 points and had eight rebounds. Touvelle scored a career-best 19 points.
For the game, UIC shot 56 percent (28-of-50) and was 13-of-16 from the line. YSU was 26-of-61 from the field (42.6 percent), 14-of-39 (35.9 percent) from behind the 3-point arc and 2-of-7 from the free-throw line. The 14 3-pointers were one shy of the school record.
YSU trailed by as many as 12 with 11 minutes left in regulation before finally tying the contest in the waning seconds.
YSU came out strong scoring 11 of the game's first 14 points. After Middlebrooks drained a 3-pointer for the Guins' first basket of the game, Brown followed with eight straight points and knocked down a pair of 3-pointers.
However, the Penguins went scoreless for the next 6:12 while the Flames proceded to score 12 straight points building a 15-11 advantage. A 3-pointer by Nortey stopped the run and pulled the Guins within 15-14.
Touvelle drained a 3-pointer and Brown knocked down a jumper at th 7:17 mark putting the Penguins in front 19-16, but the Flames regained the lead 21-19 on a 3-pointer by Foulks with 5:20 remaining.
YSU led 24-23 with 3:40 left in the first half, but the Flames closed on a 7-0 run to grab a 30-24 advantage at halftime. Foulks had five of UIC's final seven points in the half.
The first half featured five lead changes and two ties. YSU shot 34.6 percent from the field making 9-of-26 shots, including hitting 6-of-16 3-point attempts. UIC was 10-of-22 (45.5 percent) and 4-of-8 from behind the 3-point line.  The teams combined for 26 turnovers, 15 of which were by YSU.
Brown had 12 points and five rebounds while knocking down five of the Guins' nine field goals. The four other made field goals were all 3-pointers by guards.
The Penguins return to action on Thursday when they begin a two-game swing through Wisconsin with a contest against No. 12 Green Bay. Tipoff at the Kress Events Center is set for 8 p.m. and can be heard on 570 WKBN

1218

YSU Penguin Athletics / Ladies late Push Not Enough in Tough 82-77 Loss to Loyola

« on: January 13, 2012, 06:39:02 AM »

Youngstown -- Some late hot shooting by the Youngstown State women's basketball team made things interesting, but the Penguins ran out of time in an 82-77 setback to Loyola on Thursday night at the Beeghly Center.

Loyola, which held an 11-point edge at halftime, led by as many as 18 early in the second half. The Ramblers were up by 13 with two-and-a-half minutes left when the Penguins got hot. YSU hit four consecutive 3-pointers and five straight field goals overall to get within four with 11 seconds left.

Simone Law scored 18 of her 21 points in the second half, and Monica Albano scored 15 in the second half as Loyola held on. The Penguins scored 53 points in the second half, including 15 points in the final 2:26.

Brandi Brown had 20 of her game-high 26 points in the second half and was 12-for-13 from the free-throw line. Kenya Middlebrooks, Heidi Schlegel and Monica Touvelle all finished with nine points.

The Ramblers went on an 11-2 run early in the second half to go up 46-26 after an Albano triple with 17:23 on the clock. A Schlegel 3-pointer cut the margin to 12 with 14 minutes remaining, and a Touvelle trey made the score 58-48 with just under 11:56 left. Law scored on four straight possessions to help Loyola keep pace.

Law's free throw made the score 60-48 with 11:03 remaining, and the lead ranged between 12 and 15 points for almost six minutes until two Brown free throws made the score 69-58 with 5:07 remaining.

Touvelle's 3-pointer with 2:26 remaining started YSU's hot streak and made the score 75-65. Loyola answered each of YSU's first two triples with a deuce, and the Ramblers hit three free throws in the final 17 seconds.

Troy Hambric added 12 points, and Ayrealle Beavers had 10 for the Ramblers, which blocked seven shots. The Ramblers held a 32-22 edge in the paint and a 13-4 advantage on fast-break points.

YSU shot just 25.8 percent in the first half as Loyola took a 35-24 lead into the locker room.

The Penguins led 9-4 following back-to-back 3-pointers from Middlebrooks and Liz Hornberger, but Loyola knotted the score after a three-point play from Patrice King. A Kelsea Fickiesen rebound and put-back put YSU back up 11-9, but that was the Guins' final lead of the half.

Katie Kortekamp hit a bucket off a turnover to start a six-point run for the Ramblers that put them ahead 15-11 with 11:48 left in the period. YSU cut the margin to two twice, and the Penguins trailed by just six with five minutes remaining. They didn't score for more than three minutes, and Loyola posted seven straight points to take its largest lead of the half at 33-20.

The Penguins return to action on Saturday when they play host to UIC. Tipoff at the Beeghly Center is set for 2 p.m.

1219

YSU Penguin Athletics / YSU women’s basketball team motivated by disrespect

« on: January 12, 2012, 08:58:59 AM »

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.

1220

YSU Penguin Athletics / WSU's Mays, YSU's Ward Share Men's Basketball Player of the Week Accolades

« on: January 09, 2012, 04:51:34 PM »

INDIANAPOLIS -- Each scoring 20-plus points in both games over the weekend, Wright State junior guard Julius Mays (Marion, Ind./Marion) and Youngstown State senior guard Ashen Ward (Cleveland, Ohio/Villa Angela-St. Joseph) have been named the Horizon League Men’s Basketball Co-Players of the Week, for the week of Jan. 2-8.

The accolade is the second of the year for Mays, making him the first Horizon League men’s basketball player of the season to collect multiple honors, while Ward is the third different Penguin to record player of the week recognition this year.

Continuing his strong play, Mays eclipsed the 20-point mark for the fifth time in six games, scoring 24 points in a 63-62 loss to Butler and following up the effort with 21 in a 73-55 victory over Valparaiso. The 1-1 mark kept Wright State (9-9, 4-2 Horizon) within a half-game of first place in the conference. The junior went 12-of-23 from the field and 18-for-19 at the free-throw line.

Ward helped lift Youngstown State (9-6, 4-1 Horizon) to its best start since joining the Horizon League, knocking down 7-of-10 three-pointers as the Penguins defeated Loyola, 68-64, before a 71-50 win against UIC. The senior recorded 21 points in the overtime victory on Thursday before finishing with 22 on Saturday, marking the first time in his career he scored at least 20 points in consecutive games.

In conference play, Mays is leading the League in scoring at 18.0 ppg, while Ward is tied for fifth at 14.6 ppg. Since returning from injury on Dec. 20, Mays is averaging 21.5 ppg; Wright State is 5-1 in that stretch.

Mays will be featured in the Horizon League Network Game of the Week when Wright State visits Green Bay (6-9, 2-3 Horizon) on Saturday, Jan. 14, at 2 p.m. ET. The Raiders will open the weekend at Milwaukee (11-6, 4-1 Horizon) on Thursday, Jan. 12, in an 8 p.m. ET tip on the Horizon League Network.

Tied with the Panthers and Cleveland State atop the League ladder, Ward and Youngstown State hit the road on Friday, Jan. 13, heading to Valparaiso (10-7, 3-2 Horizon) for an 8:05 p.m. ET contest on HLN. The Penguins wrap up the weekend at Butler (9-8, 3-2 Horizon) at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, Jan. 15, with HLN covering the game.

Top Performers for the Week:
-- Andrew Smith, Butler (Jr., F) - Smith knocked down two key three-pointers late in Butler’s 63-62 win at Wright State, leading the Bulldogs with 19 points. The total was the fifth time this year Smith led Butler in scoring.

-- Trey Harmon, Cleveland State (Sr., G) - Returning from injury, Harmon knocked down a career-best six three-pointers in 69-48 victory over Loyola. Harmon’s 20 points matched a season high.

-- Ray McCallum, Detroit (So., G) - Two nights after recording 22 points in a last-second loss to Valparaiso, McCallum handed out seven assists and added 12 points as Detroit knocked off Butler, 76-65. In his 50th career game, the sophomore went over 700 points for his career on Friday.

-- Keifer Sykes, Green Bay (Fr., G) - The freshman scored a career-best 20 points in Green Bay’s 64-63 defeat at Milwaukee, marking the third time in his last five games that Sykes has scored 17 or more points. In conference play, Sykes is shooting 54.2 percent from the field.

-- Walt Gibler, Loyola (Sr., F) - Gibler extended his double-digit scoring streak to 10 games, moving within 58 points and 28 rebounds of becoming the 18th player in Loyola history to reach 1,000 points and 500 rebounds. The senior tallied 26 points and 11 rebounds in a 68-64 overtime loss at Youngstown State.

-- Paris Gulley, Milwaukee (Jr., G) - For the first time in his career, Gulley led Milwaukee in scoring in consecutive games, leading the Panthers with 18 points against Green Bay after a 16-point output at Western Michigan. The junior knocked down 54.5 percent of his three-pointers on the week.

-- Ryan Broekhoff, Valparaiso (Jr., F) - Broekhoff tallied his eighth double-double of the year at Wright State, an 18-point, 14-rebound effort. The junior has led the Crusaders in rebounding in 13 of 17 games this year, leading the Horizon League with 9.4 per game.

Men’s Basketball Players of the Week:
November 14: D’Aundray Brown, Cleveland State
November 21: Kevin Van Wijk, Valparaiso
November 28: James Haarsma, Milwaukee
December 5: DuShawn Brooks, Youngstown State
December 12: Trey Harmon, Cleveland State
December 19: Andrew Smith, Butler
December 26: Brennan Cougill, Green Bay
                           Julius Mays, Wright State
January 2: Damian Eargle, Youngstown State
January 9: Julius Mays, Wright State
                   Ashen Ward, Youngstown State

1221

YSU Penguin Athletics / Middlebrooks Leads Penguins to 55-48 Win at Valpo

« on: January 07, 2012, 04:56:11 PM »

Valparaiso, Ind. -- Kenya Middlebrooks scored 13 second-half points, and the Youngstown State women's basketball team battled for a 55-48 victory at Valparaiso on Saturday afternoon at the Athletics-Recreation Center.

The Penguins led just 47-45 and had four seconds on the shot clock with 1:40 remaining when Brandi Brown hit a bucket in traffic on an inbound pass. Valpo hit a free throw on its possession, and YSU went 6-for-6 from the free-throw line in the final 1:09 to pull away.

Youngstown State improves to 8-6 overall, which is its best start since the 1999-200 season, and 2-1 in Horizon League play. Valpo, which dressed seven players and played just six, dropped to 4-11 and 0-4.

More details to follow.

Youngstown State returns home to host Loyola on Thursday at 7:05 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on 570 WKBN.

1222

YSU Penguin Athletics / Vote to See the Guins on ESPNU on Jan. 20

« on: January 05, 2012, 06:36:49 AM »

Youngstown State men's basketball fans can now vote to see the Guins take on Milwaukee, Friday, Jan. 20, on ESPNU at the Beeghly Center.

Click on the link below and "Like" the ESPNHomeCourt Page and Vote for Youngstown State vs. Milwaukee.

http://www.facebook.com/ESPNHomeCourt

1223

YSU Penguin Athletics / Damian Eargle Named Horizon League Men's Basketball Player of the Week

« on: January 02, 2012, 12:04:38 PM »

INDIANAPOLIS -- Posting his second double-double of the year, Youngstown State junior forward Damian Eargle (Youngstown, Ohio/Warren Harding) has been named the Horizon League Men's Basketball Player of the Week, for the week of Dec. 26-Jan. 1. The accolade is the first of Eargle's career.

Eargle helped Youngstown State (7-6, 2-1 Horizon) snap a four-game losing skid as the Penguins traveled to Cleveland State and knocked off the Vikings, 73-67. The 6-foot-7 junior dominated the post, recording 20 points and 10 rebounds in the win. Eargle went 8-for-11 from the field and hit 4-of-5 free throws, scoring 14 of his points in the second half to help the Penguins overcome a two-point halftime deficit.

Eargle is the second YSU player to garner the award this season after senior DuShawn Brooks was named player of the week on Dec. 5. It is also the first time since 2009-10 that multiple YSU players earned the accolade. That season, Sirlester Martin (Dec. 28, 2009) and DeAndre Mays (Jan. 11, 2010) each won player of the week.

On the year, Eargle is averaging 10.5 points per game and chipping in 7.3 rebounds. The junior ranks among the top shot blockers in the country, swatting 4.1 shots per contest, good for third in the nation. After going two years without a road win in Horizon League play, Youngstown State has collected two in its first three games in the conference.

Youngstown State returns to the Beeghly Center for two Horizon League games this week. Sitting on 999 wins in program history, the Penguins will welcome Loyola (5-9, 0-4 Horizon) for a 7:05 p.m. ET tip on Thursday, Jan. 5, with the Horizon League Network provided coverage. HLN will also air the Penguins' contest with UIC (5-9, 1-3 Horizon) game on Saturday, Jan. 7, with coverage beginning at 7:05 p.m. ET.

1224

YSU Penguin Athletics / Youngstown State beats Cleveland State 73-67

« on: December 31, 2011, 06:46:01 PM »

CLEVELAND (AP)—Damian Eargle scored 20 points and pulled down 10 boards, leading Youngstown State to a 73-67 win over Cleveland State Saturday.

DuShawn Brooks added 17 points and Ashen Ward 15 for the Penguins (7-6, 2-1 Horizon League), who used a run out of halftime to beat the Vikings. Youngstown State has now won two straight after a season high four-game losing slide.

Trailing 31-29 at the break, Eargle dropped in a layup followed by a pair of free throws to help spark a 16-9 run out of halftime to take a lead the Penguins wouldn’t relinquish. The Vikings pulled within one, 59-58, with 4:31 left to play, but an Eargle jumper 36 seconds later sparked a 14-9 run the rest of the way to secure the win.

Jeremy Montgomery led Cleveland State (12-3, 2-1) with a game-high 21 points. The Vikings came in with seven wins in their last eight.


Youngstown State Penguins
Name    Min    FG    3Pt    FT    Off    Reb    Ast    TO    Stl    Blk    PF    Pts
A. Ward    31    4-7    3-5    4-4    0    4    2    2    0    0    0    15
K. Perry    36    3-5    0-1    2-3    0    1    5    3    2    0    0    8
B. Allen    37    3-9    2-5    1-2    0    3    4    2    2    0    1    9
D. Brooks    39    5-8    3-5    4-7    2    7    4    2    0    0    2    17
D. Eargle    25    8-11    0-0    4-5    3    10    0    5    2    1    4    20
F. Larson    9    0-1    0-0    0-0    0    1    0    0    0    0    0    0
N. Perry    4    0-0    0-0    0-0    0    1    1    1    0    0    1    0
D. Cole    3    0-0    0-0    0-0    0    1    1    0    1    0    0    0
S. Amiker Jr.    10    1-1    0-0    0-2    0    0    0    0    1    0    1    2
J. Chojnacki    6    1-1    0-0    0-0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    2
Totals       25-43    8-16    15-23    5    28    17    15    8    1    9    73
Percentages       .581    .500    .652       Team Rebounds: 1

Cleveland State Vikings
Name    Min    FG    3Pt    FT    Off    Reb    Ast    TO    Stl    Blk    PF    Pts
D. Brown    35    7-13    2-2    4-4    2    3    0    1    1    0    3    20
T. Harmon    22    2-7    0-3    0-0    0    2    1    2    0    0    1    4
J. Montgomery    37    7-10    6-8    1-2    0    5    3    4    2    0    3    21
T. Kamczyc    35    3-7    1-5    0-0    1    4    6    2    1    0    2    7
A. Pogue    19    1-3    0-0    0-0    0    2    0    0    0    0    2    2
S. Douglas    10    0-0    0-0    1-2    0    1    1    0    0    0    0    1
L. Ndaye    4    0-0    0-0    0-0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0
A. Grady    22    2-7    0-1    3-4    3    5    1    1    0    0    3    7
C. Lee    13    2-5    1-2    0-0    0    0    1    2    0    0    4    5
I. Nwamu    3    0-0    0-0    0-0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0
Totals       24-52    10-21    9-12    6    22    13    12    4    0    18    67
Percentages       .462    .476    .750       Team Rebounds: 2
Game Info

Technical Fouls:
    None

Arena:
    Wolstein Center, Cleveland, OH

Attendance:
    3,513

Officials:
    Bill Jacobson, Chris Beaver, Bryan Anslinger

1225

YSU Penguin Athletics / Women's Hoops Closes 2011 on High Note With 70-48 Win Over Cleveland State

« on: December 31, 2011, 06:22:35 PM »

Youngstown -- Behind 23 points from Brandi Brown, the Youngstown State women's basketball team opened up Horizon League play with a 70-48 victory over Cleveland State on Saturday at Beeghly Center.

The Penguins scored 12 straight points early to take a 14-2 lead, and they led by double digits for the final 32:54 of the game.

YSU, which was picked to finish 10th in the Horizon League's preseason poll, snapped a nine-game losing streak against Cleveland State. The Vikings were picked to finish second in the conference standings. The win also gave the Penguins their 11th win in 2011. They had three wins combined the previous two calendar years.

YSU is now 7-5 and has surpassed its six-win total from the 2010-11 season. Cleveland State dropped to 5-7.

Brown's 23 points came on an efficient shooting day in which she was 7-for-11 from the field, 3-for-4 from 3-point range and 6-for-6 from the free-throw line. She also finished with 12 rebounds in 29 minutes. Heidi Schlegel added 16 points, and Monica Touvelle had 12.

Shalonda Winton had 17 points and 13 rebounds for Cleveland State in 40 minutes. The junior forward was 5-for-15 from the field and committed seven of CSU's 23 turnovers.

The Penguins made seven 3-pointers in the first half and got a big lift from Touvelle's 4-for-4 effort from distance to take a 35-22 lead at the break.

The Penguins never trailed in the first half and scored 12 straight points once the game was tied at 2-2. A Destinee Blue jumper cut the margin to nine, but Touvelle's hot streak started with a triple at the 10:35 mark that made the score 17-5. She hit all four of her triples in a two-minute span, and her final one gave YSU a 26-9 cushion with 8:41 to go.

The Vikings got the deficit down to 11 with less than a minute to go, but Macey Nortey's lay-up put YSU ahead 13 at halftime.

A Kenya Middlebrooks triple triple gave the Penguins their largest lead at 43-24 a minute-and-a-half into the second half. Schlegel's free throw made the score 44-26 at the 17:13 mark, but Cleveland State scored the next eight points to trim the margin to 44-34 with 13:30 to play. Tieara Jones hit a free throw to stop the spurt, and a big Brown triple with 12 minutes left was YSU's first field goal since Middlebrooks' triple at the 18:33 mark.

A Winton bucket made the score 50-39 with 9:25 left, but YSU's defense did not allow another field goal for nearly eight minutes. Brown hit another triple to push the score to 14, and she made two free throws at the 4:43 mark that sparked a 12-0 run that gave YSU a 66-42 lead with 2:02 left.

YSU shot 43.8 percent overall and 42.9 percent from beyond the arc. Cleveland State shot 34 percent overall and was just 2-for-13 from distance. YSU outscored the Vikings 28-12 off turnovers.

YSU's next game will be at Butler on Thursday at 7 p.m. The contest will be broadcast live on 1390 WNIO and the Horizon League Network.

FINAL    1    2    T
Cleveland State (5-7, 0-1 HL)    22    26    48
Youngstown State (7-5, 1-0 HL)    35    35    70
Youngstown, Ohio - Beeghly Center

Cleveland State   Youngstown State
Pts: WINTON, Shalonda - 17    Pts: Brandi Brown - 23
Reb: WINTON, Shalonda - 13    Reb: Brandi Brown - 12
Ast: WINTON, Shalonda - 3    Ast: Macey Nortey - 7
Team Statistics   Cleveland State   Youngstown State
Field Goal %    34.0% (17-50 )    43.8% (21-48 )
Rebounds    33    33
Assists    9    15
Turnovers    23    20
Pts off Turnovers    12    28
2nd Chance Pts    12    5
Pts in the Paint    24    18
Fastbreak Pts    4    4
Bench Pts    14    16

1226

YSU Penguin Athletics / Women's Basketball Hosts Cleveland State Today at 2PM

« on: December 31, 2011, 08:18:53 AM »

The Youngstown State women's basketball team will close 2011 and open Horizon League play on Saturday when it plays host to Cleveland State at Beeghly Center. Tip-off against the Vikings is set for 2:05 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on 1390 WNIO and the Horizon League Network. YSU is coming off a 54-47 loss at Stony Brook on Tuesday, and Cleveland State beat Lake Erie 62-48 on Wednesday.

Top Story lines

    The Penguins have already matched their win total from all of last season with their 6-4 start. YSU picked up its sixth win in the 29th game last year. The Penguins were 3-57 combined in the two years prior to coach Bob Boldon's arrival. YSU last started a season 6-5 in the 2004-05 season.
    YSU is coming off its worst shooting day in more than a month. After shooting at least 40 percent in six straight games, the Penguins shot 25.9 percent Tuesday at Stony Brook.
    The Penguins are 2-8 all-time in Horizon League openers. Their last win came in 2007-08 against UIC. YSU joined the conference in 2001-02.
    Dating back to last season, YSU has won nine of its last 18 games and eight of its last 14. Prior to 17 games ago, YSU had won just seven of previous its previous 85 games.
    YSU's scoring margin is minus-1.0 this year. That's improved from minus-10.6 last year and minus-25.8 two years ago.
    Cleveland State assistant coach Bernard Scott was an assistant at YSU from 2008-10. As the recruiting coordinator, he recruited seven of the Penguins' 10 active players.
    In the latest NCAA rankings (Dec. 18), YSU ranked 14th in the country with 7.8 3-pointers made per game.

Series With Cleveland State

YSU leads the all-time series with Cleveland State 30-25, but the Vikings have won nine straight meetings. Over the last nine games in the series, the Vikings have won by an average of 18.8 points. YSU's last win over Cleveland State was Jan. 27, 2007. The Penguins won nine of the first 10 meetings and 11 straight from 1985 to 1993. YSU has played Cleveland State more than any other team.

Scouting Cleveland State

Cleveland State has won three of its last five games and beat Lake Erie College 62-48 on Wednesday. Despite holding the Storm to 48 points, the Vikings allow a league-high 66.3 points per game. They also rank last in field goal defense. Senior center Destinee Blue averages 14.2 points and leads the conference with a .588 field goal percentage. The Vikings were picked to finish second in the league's preseason poll.

Penguins in League Openers

YSU is 2-8 in its 10 Horizon League lidlifters. YSU is 2-3 at home and 0-5 on the road in those games. The Penguins have opened with Cleveland State three times and are 1-2 in those contests. The win came at Beeghly Center on Dec. 22, 2004. YSU's last win in a conference opener was against UIC on Jan. 3, 2008. The Guins have finished with eight conference wins twice – in 2001-02 and 2007-08. The Penguins were 4-14 in league play last year.

Up Next

YSU's next game will be at Butler on Thursday at 7 p.m. The contest will be broadcast live on 1390 WNIO and the Horizon League Network.

1227

YSU Penguin Athletics / Basketball at Cleveland State 2:00PM

« on: December 31, 2011, 08:15:03 AM »

At a Glance
Date: Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011
Place: Cleveland, Ohio
Arena: Wolstein Center
Tip Time: 2 p.m. EST
Radio: WKBN 570-AM
Play-By-Play: Robb Schmidt
Live Webcast: HorizonLeague.com
Series: CSU, 39-36
Last Meeting: CSU, 86-76, Feb. 12, 2011

The Youngstown State men's basketball team (6-6, 1-1 Horizon League) closes out 2011 and returns to Horizon League action when it visits league-leader Cleveland State, Saturday, Dec. 31. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m. at the Wolstein Center. The game can be heard on 570 WKBN-AM.

The Cleveland State Series
This is the 76th meeting between Youngstown State and Cleveland State in a series that dates back to 1930. The Vikings own a slim 39-36 advantage in the all-time series and have won the last five contests. In the last meeting, Cleveland State defeated the Guins, 86-76, in Cleveland, Ohio. The last time the Guins beat the Vikings was a 64-60 win in front of a nationally-televised audience on ESPNU on Jan 23, 2009. The last time YSU won in Cleveland was a 68-63 win on Jan. 28, 2006.

About Cleveland State
Cleveland State is currently 12-2 overall and 2-0 in the Horizon League. The Vikings have two five-game winning streaks this season and have wins over Vanderbilt, Kent State, Robert Morris and Akron. CSU is coming off a 72-64 win over Toledo on Dec. 28. Leading the Vikings is senior D'Aundray Brown with 12.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.9 steals per game. Trevon Harmon is also averaging in double figures with 11.4 points per game.

Nearing 1,000 Wins
The Guins are approaching a significant milestone in the program's history. YSU has won 998 games and needs just two more to collect the program's 1,000th win.

Eargle Single-Season Blocks Rank 4th
Junior Damian Eargle has 52 blocks in 12 games this season. His total already ranks fourth on the YSU single-season blocks chart. His 91 last season rank second on the list.

Allen Streakin From 3
Junior Blake Allen has made at least one 3-pointer in all 12 games this season and has made at least one in 19 straight contests dating back to last year. He has also made at least three 3-pointers in eight of the 12 games this year. Allen also leads the Horizon League with 3.3 3-pointers made per game. Allen has also made 79 3-pointers in the last 29 games.

A Win Will
• Improve YSU 7-6 on the year and 2-1 in the Horizon League.
• Match YSU's Horizon League win total from last season.
• Mark the first time since 2007-08 the Guins started Horizon League play 2-1.
• Mark YSU's fourth road win of the season.
• Mark the program's 37th win over Cleveland State.
• Mark the first win over Cleveland State since 2009.
• Mark the first win in Cleveland since 2006.
• Mark Head Coach Jerry Slocum's 645th career victory and his 65th at Youngstown State.
• Mark YSU's 999th victory in the program's history.

Last Time Out
YSU held a seven-point lead with 3:46 to go but Robert Morris hit a 3-pointer as time expired to defeat the Guins, 59-56, on Dec. 22. Kendrick Perry led the Guins with 18 points while DuShawn Brooks and Blake Allen scored 16 and 12 points, respectively. Perry, Brooks and Allen each made four 3-pointers. Allen also dished out a career-high eight assists.

Up Next
The Guins return home to host Loyola, Thursday, Jan. 5, at 7:05 p.m. in the Beeghly Center.

Eargle Moves Into Second
Junior Damian Eargle has moved into second place on the YSU career blocks chart in just 42 games played. Eargle has 143 blocked shots. The only player ahead of Eargle is Ricky Tunstall, who recorded 221 career blocks. Counting his 57 blocks at UNC-Greensboro, Eargle has reached 200 blocked shots for his entire college career.

Perry Nearing 500 Points
Sophomore Kendrick Perry could become the 33rd player in school history to score 1,000 career points. In just 42 career games, Perry has scored 457 points and needs just 43 more to reach the mid-way point of the coveted plateau. For his career, he is averaging 10.9 points per game, including a 15.7 points per game scoring average this year.

Brooks Increasing Offensive Production
Senior DuShawn Brooks has increased dramatically his offensive from last season to this year. Brooks has scored in double figures in five of the last seven games, including two 20-point performance. Over that span, Brooks is averaged 13.9 points per game and shot 51.4 percent (36-of-70) from the field and 52.4 percent (22-of-42) from 3-point range. Last year, Brooks reached double digits just six times, scored at least 20 points just once and made a total of 21 3-pointers.

KP Notches Second Double-Double
Sophomore Kendrick Perry recorded his second career double-double with 18 points and 10 assists against Buffalo on Dec. 10. His first career double-double came against Wilberforce on Jan. 11, 2011,when he scored 13 points with 10 rebounds.

Ward Now Ranks 10th
With 15 3-pointers this season, senior Ashen Ward now ranks 10th all-time with 112 career 3-pointers. He needs two more to move into ninth and five more to move into eighth place.

Allen, Brooks Have Chance For Record
Junior Blake Allen and senior DuShawn Brooks are challenging to set the YSU single-season 3-point field-goal percentage record. Brooks is shooting 46 percent from 3-point range and Allen is shooting at a 44.0 clip from behind the arc. The single-season mark was set by Andre Smith (45.9 percent) during the 1993-94 season.

The 86 Percent
The Guins' offense has basically come from its five starters this season. Kendrick Perry, Blake Allen, Damian Eargle, Ashen Ward and DuShawn Brooks combine of an average of 57.4 points per game. As a team, the Guins are averaging 66.8 points per game, which translates into the starters scoring 86 percent of the team's points.

Brooks Named Player of the Week
For his performance last week, senior DuShawn Brooks was named the Horizon League Player of the Week for Dec. 5. Brooks averaged 20.5 points per game and shot 61.5 percent from the field and 64.3 percent from 3-point range. He scored a career-high 24 points against Detroit on Dec. 1 to lead the Guins to a 64-61 win. He also led the team with 17 points in a one-point loss to Wright State on Dec. 3. The last YSU player to earn the award was DeAndre Mays on Jan. 11, 2010.

Guins Setting Record Pace
The Guins have made 117 3-pointers in 12 games this season for an average of 9.8 3-pointers made per game. They are on pace to shatter the school's single-season mark of 235 set last year. If the Guins continue this pace over the next 18 guaranteed games, they will finish the season with 293 3-pointers made.

Last With 10 Assists
With 10 assists against Buffalo on Dec. 10, sophomore Kendrick Perry became the first player to accomplish the feat since DeAndre May did so against Valparaiso on Feb. 13, 2010.

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.

Brooks Had Career Day at Detroit
Senior DuShawn Brooks turned in a career-best performance with 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the floor, including 6-of-9 from 3-point range.

Eargle Third Nationally
Junior Damian Eargle continues to be a one of the top shot blockers in the country. Eargle currently ranks third nationally with 4.3 blocks per game. Last season, he finished the year ranked 10th in the country with 3.0 blocks per game.

Eargle Block Machine
Junior Damian Eargle has tallied at least one block in every game this season. He has also recorded multiple blocks in 10 of 11 games and has posted at least three blocks nine times.

Allen, Perry Score 20
Junior Blake Allen and sophomore Kendrick Perry became the first duo to score at least 20 points in game since Vytas Sulskis (25) and Damian Eargle (24) accomplished the feat against Malone on Dec. 13, 2010. Allen scored 25 and Perry posted 23 against Penn State on Nov. 23.

1228

YSU Penguin Athletics / Student-Athletes Continue Academic Excellence During Fall Semester

« on: December 30, 2011, 01:12:46 PM »

A total of 32 student-athletes recorded perfect 4.00 grade-point averages during the fall semester to highlight the standout academic performances by the Penguins. Overall, 11 of YSU's 16 programs had cumulative GPAs of 3.00 or better in the fall.

Student-athletes with 4.00 grade-point averages in the fall were Drew Dosch (Baseball), Michael Podolsky (Basketball), Craig Goubeaux (Baseball), Brandi Brown (Basketball), Harrison Martin (Baseball), Kelsea Fickiesen (Basketball), David Saluga (Baseball), Liz Hornberger (Basketball), Greg Smith (Baseball), Devan Matkin (Basketball), Nick DeKraker (Football), Aislynn Merling (Golf), Marc Kanetsky (Football), Heather Coonfare (Soccer/Track and Field), Eric Myers (Football), Nicole Kline (Soccer), Steve Zaborsky (Football), Allison Ludwig (Soccer), Sarah Gabel (Softball), Kate Peterlin (Soccer), Jordan Ingalls (Softball), Kearsten Sego (Soccer), Kari Tridle (Swimming), Alison Viola (Soccer), Marta Burak (Tennis), Dan Skiba (Track and Field), Maria Puppo (Tennis), Katelyn Heney (Track and Field), Hannah Ropp (Track and Field), Anna Pompeo (Track amd Field), Nicole Rymer (Track and Field) and Brittany Stockmaster (Track and Field).

Of the group of 32, 16 have cumulative grade-point averages at Youngstown State, including Kline and Ingalls who are seniors this year.

The soccer team posted the highest GPA of the semester with an impressive 3.44. Of the 23 student-athletes on the squad, 20 had semesters of 3.00 or higher. The softball program was second recording a 3.40 GPA with 15 of 20 student-athletes finishing above 3.00 in the term. The best performance by a men's program was the tennis team which had a 3.27 GPA.

Overall, 183 of 348 student-athletes (53 percent) finished with a GPA higher then 3.00 in the fall semester. The entire group combined for an impressive 2.94 cumulative grade-point average.

Besides the 11 teams that had 3.00 GPAs, three others posted at least a 2.83 cumulative GPA.

1229

YSU Penguin Athletics / Pennsylvania Standout Emily Rohanna Signs With Women's Program

« on: December 30, 2011, 01:07:23 PM »

Youngstown State women's golf coach Roseann Schwartz announced that Emily Rohanna, a standout golfer from Waynesburg, Pa., has signed with the Penguins. Schwartz has a special connection to Rohanna, who is her granddaughter.

Rohanna, who graduates from Waynesburg High School this spring, will bring some impressive credentials with her to Youngstown when she joins the program in the fall of 2012.

She is a two-time Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) Division II   Champion taking medalist honors in 2010 and 2011.

At the 2011 PIAA State Championships held at she placed ninth held at the Heritage Hills Golf Resort & Conference Center in York, Pa. Rohanna carded a two-round total of 16. After shooting an 88 on day one, she rebounded with an impressive 78 to earn a state medal as a top-10 finisher.

Rohanna was third in the 2011 PIAA regionals and twice won WPIAL sectional championships (2010 and 2011). At the regionals held at Tom's Run Golf Club in Blairsville, Pa., she finished with a six-over-par 78 to advance to the state meet this past fall.

At the WPIAL meet in 2011, she carded a 79 for a four-shot victory at the Longue Vue Club Course in Verona, Pa.

A four-year letterwinner she was a member of the boys team each year at Waynesburg. She helped lead the program to the Division title all four seasons.

In other tournament action of note, she placed third at the Boys Tri-Cada High School Tournament (2011), was runner-up at the Golfweek Midwest Tournament held at the University of Kentucky in November (Age Division 15-18) and was a PGA Junior Tri-State Qualifier.

Rohanna's older sister, Rachel, is a member of the women's golf team at Ohio State.

1230

YSU Penguin Athletics / Women's Basketball's Road Winning Streak Ends at Stony Brook

« on: December 28, 2011, 05:39:16 AM »

Stony Brook, N.Y. -- The Youngstown State women's basketball team shot 26 percent and trailed the entire way in a 54-47 loss at Stony Brook on Tuesday evening at Pritchard Gymnasium.

The Penguins, who had shot 40 percent in six straight games, saw their road winning streak stopped at five. YSU dropped to 6-5 while Stony Brook won for the second straight game to improve to 3-10.

Brandi Brown had 12 points and 18 rebounds for YSU, and Kenya Middlebrooks added 11. Macey NOrtey added eight points, four assists and six steals for the Penguins. Dani Klupenger scored eight of her 11 points in the first half for Stony Brook.

The Penguins were outscored 17-3 off turnovers despite committing two fewer miscues.

Up 26-23 at halftime, Stony Brook scored the first four points of the second half to go up 30-23. A Brown triple cut the score back to 32-29 at the 13:19 mark, but the Seawolves got the margin back to six at 37-31 with 10:49 remaining.

The lead ranged from three to five for more than three minutes until a Middlebrooks trey made the score 43-41 at the 7:01 mark. Heidi Schlegel's bucket with 4:14 remaining kept the margin at two, 45-43, but that was the Penguins' last bucket of the game.

Neither team scored for almost two minutes, and the Seawolves went up 50-45 on a Jessica Previlon bucket off an offensive rebound with 2:32 left. Two Sam Landers free throws pushed the lead to 52-45 with 15 seconds remaining, and Schlegel and Tamiel Murray traded a pair of free throws for the final margin.

Youngstown State battled through a sloppy first half to trail just 26-23 at halftime. The Penguins shot just 25 percent, but Stony Brook managed 35.7 percent. The Penguins were 3-for-17 from 3-point range and 4-for-11 inside the arc.

Stony Brook led the entire first half and was deadlocked with YSU at 3-3 and 7-7. A Brown lay-up with 11:46 left made the score 11-9, but the Penguins went without a field goal for four minutes as the Seawolves built a 20-11 lead.

A Liz Hornberger triple sparked a six-point run for the Penguins as Stony Brook went without a field goal for more than five minutes. Klupenger's trey put the Seawolves ahead 23-17, and a Middlebrooks triple cut the margin to 23-21 at the 1:22 mark. Klupenger answered with another trey for the Seawolves, and Brown made two free throws with 31 ticks left to make the score 26-23 at the break.

Middlebrooks had eight points in the opening period, and Brown had 12 of the Penguins' 18 rebounds. Klupenger had eight points, and Previlon had seven for the Seawolves.

Youngstown State will begin its 11th season of Horizon League play on Saturday against Cleveland State. Tipoff at Beeghly Center against the Vikings is set for 2:05 p.m.


FINAL    1    2    T
Youngstown State (6-5)    23    24    47
Stony Brook (3-10)    26    28    54
Stony Brook, N.Y. (Pritchard Gymnasium)

Youngstown State   Stony Brook
Pts: Brandi Brown - 12    Pts: KLUPENGER, Dani - 11
Reb: Brandi Brown - 18    Reb: PREVILON, Jessica - 9
Ast: Macey Nortey - 4    Ast: LANDERS, Sam - 4
Team Statistics   Youngstown State   Stony Brook
Field Goal %    25.9% (14-54 )    38.9% (21-54 )
Rebounds    35    44
Assists    8    13
Turnovers    18    20
Pts off Turnovers    3    17
2nd Chance Pts    14    10
Pts in the Paint    16    22
Fastbreak Pts    4    5
Bench Pts    8    17