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1471
YSU Penguin Athletics / Scalzo: McCulloh has strong start to season
« on: March 09, 2011, 06:01:09 AM »
By Joe Scalzo

scalzo@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

On Feb. 19, with 4,000 people in the stands and three more on the bases, YSU sophomore pitcher Kevin McCulloh stood on the mound at Clark-LeClair Stadium in Greenville, N.C., getting ready for the best moment of his Penguin career. (So far.)

The score was tied 0-0 in the bottom of the sixth with one out against East Carolina, a team that had hung 11 runs on the Penguins in their season opener the day before.

“The entire crowd was standing and cheering against me,” said McCulloh, a Boardman High graduate, “And I got a strikeout.

“That was really awesome.”

He got the next batter to ground into a fielder’s choice to end the inning and his outing.

“That was a pretty intense moment,” said McCulloh, whose team eventually lost 1-0 in the bottom of the ninth. “It was like a minor league-type atmosphere.”

After a rough outing against the College of Charleston — no surprise, considering the Cougars outscored the Penguins 35-3 in a three-game sweep — McCulloh pitched another gem on Sunday, holding Cincinnati to one run over six innings to pick up his (and YSU’s) first win of the season.

“I was coming off a tough one against Charleston and I was anxious to get back out there,” McCulloh said. “Right out of the gate, my slider was breaking abnormally and I just had to get the hang of it.

“I walked a couple guys and had some guys in scoring position, which you don’t really want to do, but I was able to get out of those for the most part.”

McCulloh (1-1, 2.70 ERA) has been a bright spot on a pitching staff that has a 9.04 ERA through nine games.

After splitting time between starting and playing shortstop for the Spartans, he spent most of his first collegiate season coming out of the bullpen, making a team-high 28 appearances, including two starts. He went 1-5 with a 4.96 ERA and was fourth on the team in innings pitched.

Coach Rich Pasquale made him a starter in the offseason, although McCulloh said he likes aspects of both roles.

“When you’re in the bullpen, you’re in almost every game, which is cool,” said McCulloh, who throws a fastball, slider, changeup and curveball. “With starting, it’s nice to get a routine down.”

McCulloh is one of six former Spartans on the team, joining sophomore pitcher Patrick O’Brien (who played at Bowling Green last year) and senior outfielders Joe Iacobucci and Armani Johnson (who spent one season at Oakland).

“It’s pretty interesting,” he said. “A couple guys went other places and came back home and it’s nice to play with those guys and some other guys from local places that I’ve known for awhile.”

While the Penguins haven’t been very successful so far this season, McCulloh said playing such good competition will help them once they start league play on March 25.

“Those first two series [against East Carolina and Charleston], those teams are as good as any teams we’re gonna face,” he said. “Charleston, especially. That lineup is one of the best I’ll ever see while I’m here.

“So being able to work through those starts and be relatively successful will help. Come league time, it’ll be like been there, done that.”

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YSU Penguin Athletics / Ladies fall 49-47
« on: March 07, 2011, 10:39:15 PM »
I do not have the story, yet, but listened to the game. We only shot 26%

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The Youngstown State women's basketball team shook off an early injury scare to their leading scorer to pick up an impressive 84-65 victory over Loyola on Saturday afternoon at the Beeghly Center.

Just 43 seconds into the game, sophomore Brandi Brown took an elbow to the nose and lay on the court for a few minutes. The Penguins (6-23 overall and 4-14 in the Horizon League) played inspired basketball for the next seven minutes without Brown and once she returned, YSU was able to run away with its second straight victory.

YSU had five players score in double figures for the first time since January 2004 against the Ramblers. Brown finished with 27, Liz Hornberger had 12, Monica Touvelle had 12, Kenya Middlebrooks finished with 12 and Tieara Jones added 11. For the Ramblers, Monica Albano had a game-high 34 points.

The Guins knocked down a season-best 13 3-pointers and the 82 points was a season high.

YSU built a 14-point halftime lead and maintained a double-figure advantage until the 10:02 mark when Albano connected on a 3-pointer. Just over two minutes later, a free throw by Albano cut the deficit to 60-53 with 7:49 left. That was the closest the Ramblers could get in the second half.

The Guins countered with a 16-5 run to put the game out of reach over the next 4:16 to seize control of the contest.

For the game, YSU shot 46.6 percent making 27-of-58 attempts, including 13-of-30 from behind the 3-point arc. Loyola connected on 49 percent (24-of-49). The Guins had 21 assists on 27 baskets and was 17-of-19 from the free-throw line (89.5 percent), making 17 of their last 18 from the charity stripe.

The Penguins overcame some adversity in the first half when Brown was injured at the 19:17 mark and midway through the first half, Boki Dimitrov exited with a sprained ankle.

YSU was hot from behind the 3-point arc to build a 40-23 advantage, which Loyola (11-18 and 5-13) cut to 14 before the half on a final-second triple by Albano.

Youngstown State drained nine 3-pointers while converting just two from inside the arc. For the half, YSU shot 13-of-34 (38.2 percent) while the Ramblers connected on 40 percent (10-of-25). The big difference was turnovers. The Guins did not turn the ball over in the first 20 minutes while the Ramblers had seven giveaways, five of which came on steals.

Brown took an elbow to the nose and after a some patchwork by trainer Jeff Wills returned to the lineup with 12:16 left in the half. Brown scored 12 points after coming back into the ballgame.

Without the league's leading scorer, YSU led 14-12 in the first seven-and-a-half minutes as Touvelle made two three's, Middlebrooks and Hornberger each connected from behind the arc and Jones scored on a nice fastbreak layup off an assist from Nortey. YSU had trailed 12-11 before Hornberger's three keyed a 10-1 run.

Upon Brown's return the Guins went on a 16-4 to pull ahead 30-16 on a three by Middlebrooks at the 6:19 mark.  In the final 2:20 of the half, Brown had all seven of the Guins' points putting them on top 40-23 with 17 seconds left.

The Penguins are on the road for their first round Horizon League Tournament on Monday evening. YSU will either rematch the Ramblers or visit Detroit. The contest will be live on 570 WKBN in Youngstown and on the Horizon League Network.


FINAL    1    2    T
Loyola (Ill.) (11-18, 5-16 HL)    26    39    65
Youngstown St. (6-23, 4-14 HL)    40    44    84
Youngstown, Ohio (Beeghly Center)
Loyola (Ill.)   Youngstown St.
Pts: ALBANO, Monica - 34    Pts: Brandi Brown - 27
Reb: 2 Players (#41, #55 - 8)    Reb: Tieara Jones - 11
Ast: BOEKE, Brittany - 5    Ast: Tieara Jones - 7
Team Statistics   Loyola (Ill.)   Youngstown St.
Field Goal %    49.0% (24-49 )    46.6% (27-58 )
Rebounds    26    31
Assists    19    21
Turnovers    14    8
Pts off Turnovers    11    15
2nd Chance Pts    6    6
Pts in the Paint    22    26
Fastbreak Pts    2    6
Bench Pts    9    30

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The Youngstown State men's basketball recently concluded the 2010-11 season, a record-breaking campaign highlighted by tightly-contested and exciting games and individual accomplishments and improvements.

Below is a list of team highlights and accomplishments from the 2010-11 season.

    * The Guins averaged 69.1 points per game in 2010-11. It's the highest season per game average since the 2000-01 team averaged 71.1 points per game.
    * YSU scored 2,072 points in 2010-11, marking just the sixth time since 1990-91 that a YSU team has scored at least 2,000 points in a season.
    * The Guins set school records with 235 3-pointers made and 706 3-pointers attempted. Six different Penguins made at least 20 3-pointers in 2010-11.
    * The Guins tied a single-game record with 14 3-pointers made against Butler on Jan. 9, 2011.
    * Guins defeated the 2010 National Runner-Up Butler Bulldogs, 62-60, on Feb. 3, 2011.
    * YSU went 3-2 against teams from the Mid-American Conference and went 7-0 at home against non-league opponents.
    * In 2010-11, the Penguins played in 15 games that were decided by 10 points or less.
    * The Guins scored at least 70 points in 15 games – the most since 2006-07.
    * YSU led the Horizon League with 7.8 3-pointers made per game.
    * Senior Vytas Sulskis led the team with 13.1 points per game, scoring 392 points. Sulskis finished his career ranking 16th on the YSU all-time scoring list with 1,311 career points.
    * Sulskis made 43 3-pointers this season and finished his career ranked second with 169 career 3-pointers made.
    * Sulskis also tied the school record for most games played in a career with 120.
    * Sophomore Damian Eargle was named to the 2011 Horizon League All-Newcomer Team. Eargle averaged 11.3 points per game and led the Horizon League with 91 blocks and 3.0 blocks per game.
    * Eargle also ranked sixth in rebounding at 6.0 per game and seventh in field-goal percentage at .516.
    * Freshman Kendrick Perry ranked fourth in the league with 4.1 assists per game and second with a 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio (122-to-57).
    * Sophomore Blake Allen led the Horizon League with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.2 (74-to-34).
    * Damian Eargle's 91 blocks rank second on the YSU single-season list and he already ranks fourth on the YSU career list.
    * Junior Ashen Ward led the team with 50 3-pointers made. He is the first player to make at least 50 3-pointers since Quin Humphrey made 65 in 2006-07. Ward also ranked tied for eighth in the Horizon League with 1.7 3-pointers made per game.
    * Kendrick Perry's 122 assists mark the third straight season a YSU player has recorded at least 100 assists in a season. It is also the fifth time in the last six years that a player has accomplished that feat.  His 122 assists are the most by a freshman since Lacy Jones' 132 in 1990-91 and are the fourth most a YSU freshman.
    * Over the last 12 games, Kendrick Perry averaged 13.3 points, 5.0 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game while shooting 49.2 percent from the field. Over that span, he increased his season points per game average from 6.5 to 9.0.
    * Blake Allen averaged 10.1 points per game over the last 17 games of the season. He made 39 3-pointers and dished out 56 assists. In the first 13 games of the year, Allen averaged just 3.1 points per game and made just eight 3-pointers.
    * Blake Allen ranked second on the team with 47 3-pointers made.

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Youngstown -- Sophomore Brandi Brown scored a career-high 35 points and posted her 12th double-double of the season with 11 rebounds to lead the Youngstown State women's basketball team to a 72-58 win over UIC on Thursday evening at the Beeghly Center.

Brown is the first player to score at least 30 points since Heather Karner scored 34 against Cincinnati on Nov. 10, 2006.

Brown connected on 11-of-18 from the field and tied a school single-game record by going 12-for-12 from the free-throw line. The last time a YSU player shot 100 percent from the free-throw line with a minimum of eight makes was Heather Karner (8-for-8) against UIC on Jan. 6, 2007.

The Guins, who improved to 5-23 overall and 3-14 in the Horizon League, also went 17-for-17 from the free-throw line, just the second time in school history that a team has made 100 percent of its charity tosses in a game with a minimum of 10 free throws made. The last time was at Oakland

UIC falls to 14-14 overall and 9-8 in the Horizon League.

The Flames, who trailed by as many as 20 points, 43-23, early in the second half, attempted a comeback and whittled the deficit down to nine, 60-51, with 7:22 to go.

The Guins, however, never caved and quickly re-established a double-digit lead on Tiera Jones' old-fashioned three-point play to expand their lead to 63-51.

The Flames flirted with cutting the deficit back to single digits after a Taylor Foulks jumper brought them within 10, 65-55, at the 5:14 mark.

 A jumper by Brown and a 3-pointer by Kenya Middlebrooks ballooned the Guins' advantage back to 15 points, 70-55, with 1:57 left to out the game out of reach.

Trailing, 12-11, with 12:14 to go in the first half, the Guins used a 16-2 run over the next four-and-a-half minutes to take a commanding 27-14 lead with 7:41 to go.

A jumper by Brown, who scored 17 first-half points, and a 3-pointer by Liz Hornberger sparked the Guins' run and gave YSU a four-point edge, 16-12.

After a jumper by  UIC's Briana Hinkle, the Guins scored 11 straight points to cushion their lead to 13 points.

Hornberger's second 3-pointer and jumper by Brown, Maryum Jenkins, Jones and another jumper by Brown accounted for the Guins' 11-0 spurt.

Five straight points by the Flames trimmed the deficit to eight points, 27-19, but the Guins kept the pressure on by scoring 14 of the next 18 points to take an 18-point lead at the intermission, 41-23.

Brown, who made 7-of-11 field-goal attempts in the first stanza, and Middlebrooks ignited the Guins second big run of the half with 3-pointers, and Macey Nortey scored all six of her points in the final four minutes of the half – two layups and two free throws.

The first eight minutes of the half featured four ties and seven lead changes.

After making just five of their first 15 field-goal attempts, the Guins rallied to convert 10 of their last 19 shots, and made four  of their five 3-pointers in the final 11 minutes.

The Guins host Loyola on Senior Day, Saturday, March 5. Tipoff is slated for 1:05 p.m.

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Indianapolis, Ind. -- Youngstown State freshman pitcher Casey Crozier was named the Horizon League's Pticher of the Week for the week of Feb. 28, the league announced on Monday.

Crozier is the first YSU pitcher since Karlie Burnell on March 26, 2007, to be named the Horizon League Pitcher of the Week.

Crozier picked up her first two career victories, first save and first shutout over the weekend.

Crozier struck out five in a complete-game win over Delaware State on Feb. 26 while allowing just five hits.

Crozier fired a two-hit shutout over Siena with four strikeouts and zero walks.

On the season, Crozier owns a record of 2-1 with an earned-run average of 2.66 and 18 strikeouts.

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The ninth-seeded Youngstown State men's basketball team (9-20, 2-16 Horizon League) takes on the fourth-seeded Valparaiso Crusaders (21-10, 12-6 Horizon League) in the first round of the 2011 Horizon League Championship on Tuesday, March 1. Tipoff is slated for 8 p.m. EST at the Athletics-Recreation Center.

Tipoff Notes
• This is the 32nd meeting between Youngstown State and Valparaiso in a series that dates back to 1989. The Crusaders own a 24-7 advantage in the all-time series and have won the last 12 contest. The Crusaders swept the season series from the Penguins, winning 79-55 in Valparaiso on Jan. 7 and 86-76 in overtime in Youngstown on Feb. 5. The last time the Guins defeated the Crusaders was a on Jan. 15, 2000, at the Beeghly Center. The last time the Guins won at Valparaiso was a 69-66 win on Jan. 24, 1998.

• The Guins and Crusaders have met twice in the postseason when both were members of the Mid-Continent Conference. Valparaiso defeated the Guins in the 1998 Mid-Con championship game, 67-48, and in the 1995 second round, 77-52.

• Youngstown State Head Coach Jerry Slocum is one of 18 active coaches with more than 600 career victories. He currently ranks tied for sixth among active Division I coaches with 638 career wins. Valparaiso Head Coach Homer Drew also has 638 career victories.

• Sophomore Damian Eargle was named to the 2011 Horizon League All-Newcomer Team. Eargle is averaging 11 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game while shooting 51.7 percent from the floor. Eargle also led the Horizon League in blocks per game and his 86 blocked shots ranks second on the Youngstown State single-season list, yet was left on the league's all-defensive team by the league's coaches. He also ranks seventh in the Horizon League in rebounding and seventh with 4.0 defensive rebounds per game. The 6-foot-7 forward has scored in double figures 14 times and posted two double-doubles.

• With nine 3-pointers made against Green Bay on Feb. 24, the Guins have pushed the school 3-point record to 232 3-pointers made. The Guins have also set the 3-pointers attempted mark at 690. The old record was 578 set in 2005-06.

• Sophomore Blake Allen scored a career-high 26 points with a career-best six 3-pointers in a 94-87 overtime loss to Milwaukee on Feb. 26.

• Over the last 11 games, freshman Kendrick Perry has been one of the Guins' most productive players. Perry is averaging 13 points, 3.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game during that span. He has scored in double figures eight times and is shooting 50.5 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from 3-point range. He also owns an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.8.

• Senior Vytas Sulskis has played in every game since he arrived at Youngstown State. He currently ranks second with 119 games played. After the first tournament game, Sulskis will tie John Barber (2003-08) for the most games played in a career.

• With a block against Milwaukee on Feb. 26, sophomore Damian Eargle moved into second place on the Youngstown State single-season blocks list with 86. The only other player in school histor to record at least 85 blocks was Ricky Tunstall, who posted 138 in 1982-83. Eargle passed Tunstall for second on the list as well. In 1983-84, Tunstall blocked 83 shots.

• Senior Vytas Sulskis continues to move up the Youngstown State all-time 3-point chart. With two 3-pointers against Milwaukee on Feb. 26, Sulskis has 43 3-pointers made this season and ranks second all-time with 169 career 3-pointers. He just surpassed Quin Humphrey (165, 2003-07) and Mike Alcorn (166, 1990-94). Sulskis' season-high for 3-pointers made was 46 in 2007-08.

• Junior Ashen Ward scored 23 points with six 3-pointers made against Bowling Green on Feb. 19. He leads the team with 50 3-pointers made this season and ranks sixth in the Horizon League with 1.9 3-pointers made per game. Ward has also surpassed his career total of 47 3-pointers made entering the 2010-11 season. He has 97 career 3-pointers made.

• After dishing out a three assists against Milwaukee, freshman Kendrick Perry pushed his total to 117 assists on the season. He ranks fourth in the Horizon League with 4.0 assists per game and leads the league with a 2.2 assists-to-turnover ratio (117-to-54). This is the third straight season and the fifth time in the last six years a YSU player has tallied at least 100 assists.

• The Guins set a single-game record with 35 3-point attempts against Detroit on Feb. 16. The previous record was 33 set earlier this season against Samford on Nov. 12 and tied against Akron on Nov. 20, and Wilberforce on Jan. 11.

• Sophomore Damian Eargle tied a career high with 25 points in the 91-79 loss at Detroit on Feb. 16. The last time Eargle scored 25 points in a game was against Appalachian State in 2009 when he played at UNC-Greensboro. Eargle posted 11 rebounds and five blocks against the Titans.

• Senior Vytas Sulskis ranks 16th on the YSU all-time scoring list with 1,300 career points and is just the 16th player in school history to score at least 1,300 points in a career. He became the 32nd player in school history to reach 1,000 points in a career after scoring 22 against Saint Francis (Pa.) on Nov. 27.

• Senior Vytas Sulskis tied a career high with 26 points against Wright State on Feb. 7. He made nine straight field goals and six consecutive 3-pointers against the Raiders.

• With 26 points against Wright State on Feb. 7, senior Vytas Sulskis recorded his sixth 20-point performance of the season.

• The Guins' 11 3-pointers made against Bowling Green on Feb. 19 marked the ninth time this season they have made at least 10 3-pointers in a game. The Guins have also tried at least 20 3-pointers in 22 out of 29 games this season.

• Against Butler on Jan. 9, Youngstown State tied a single-game record with 14 3-pointers. It marked the fifth time that has been done in school history. The last time YSU made 14 3-pointers was against UIC in 2007.

• Junior Ashen Ward set a career-high with 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the floor, including seven 3-pointers, in the Guins' 71-69 win over UIC on Dec. 30.

• With its 94-87 overtime loss to Milwaukee on Feb. 26, Youngstown State has now lost 11 straight games that have gone into extra periods. The last time the Guins on in overtime was against Chicago State in 2001.

A Win Will
• Improve YSU to 10-20 overall.

• Mark YSU's first road win of the season

• Mark the program's eighth win over Valparaiso and the first since 2000.

• Snap a 12-game losing streak to Valparaiso.

• Mark YSU first Horizon League Tournament win since 2007 and the first road tournament win since 2003.

• Mark Head Coach Jerry Slocum's 639th career victory and his 59th at Youngstown State.

• Mark YSU's 993rd victory in the program's history.

The Valparaiso Series
This is the 32nd meeting between Youngstown State and Valparaiso in a series that dates back to 1989. The Crusaders own a 24-7 advantage in the all-time series and have won the last 12 contest. The Crusaders swept the season series from the Penguins, winning 79-55 in Valparaiso on Jan. 7 and 86-76 in overtime in Youngstown on Feb. 5. The last time the Guins defeated the Crusaders was a on Jan. 15, 2000, at the Beeghly Center. The last time the Guins won at Valparaiso was a 69-66 win on Jan. 24, 1998.

Guins in the HL Tournament
The Penguins own a Horizon League tournament record of 2-9 since joining the league in 2001-02. The Guins' two wins came against Green Bay, 66-61, on March 4, 2003, in Green Bay, Wis., and against Detroit, 82-80, on Feb. 27, 2007.

Last Time Out
Sophomore Blake Allen scored a career-high 26 points to lead four Guins scoring in double figures in a 94-87 overtime loss to Milwaukee on Feb. 26. Senior Vytas Sulskis scored 18 points while sophomore Damian Eargle posted 17 points and freshman Kendrick Perry added 13 points.

Sulskis Moves into Second
Senior Vytas Sulskis continues to move up the Youngstown State all-time 3-point chart. With two 3-pointers against Milwaukee on Feb. 26, Sulskis has 43 3-pointers made this season and ranks second on that list with 169. Sulskis' season-high for 3-pointers made was 46 in 2007-08.

Scoring Uprising
The Guins are averaging 69 points per game this season, which is the most since the 2000-01 campaign. The last time the Guins averaged more than 70 points per game was during the 2000-01 season. The Guins have scored at least 70 points 14 times this season and own a record of 6-8 in those games. It is also the most times scoring at least 70 since the 2000-01 season when they scored at least 70 in 15 games.

3-Point Record Expansion
With nine 3-pointers made against Green Bay on Feb. 24, the Guins pushed their 3-point record to 232.

Ward Taking Aim
Junior Ashen Ward leads the team with 50 3-pointers made this season and ranks sixth in the Horizon League with 1.8 3-pointers made per game. He is the first player to make at least 50 3-pointers in a season since Quin Humphrey in 2006-07. Entering this season, Ward had made 47 3-pointers. He has made 97 3-pointers in his career.

February Close Encounters
In the last 16 games the Guins have played in the month of February, 12 have been decided by eight points or less and seven have been decided by four points or less. Over the last four Februarys, the Guins have played in 12 games that have been decided by four points or less and own a record of 5-7 in those contests.

Close Shaves
Since the Guins' Jan. 9 game at Butler, five of the last 14 games have been decided by five-points or less and 10 have been decided by 10 points or less. The Guins own records of 1-4 and 2-8 in those games, respectively.

Slocum In Elite Company
Youngstown State Head Coach Jerry Slocum is one of just 10 active Division I head coaches with at least 600 career victories. Slocum currently ranks tied for sixth on that list with 638 career coaching victories.

To the Point
Youngstown State's two point guards - Blake Allen and Kendrick Perry - are two of the best in the Horizon League at taking care of the ball. The two have combined for 189 assists and committed just 87 turnovers for an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.2.

Sulskis Now 16th
Senior Vytas Sulskis ranks 16th on the YSU all-time scoring list with 1,300 career points and is just the 16th player in school history to score at least 1,300 points in a career. He became the 32nd player in school history to reach 1,000 points in a career after scoring 22 against Saint Francis (Pa.) on Nov. 27.

Eargle Climbing Blocks Chart
Sophomore Damian Eargle is quickly climbing the YSU single-season blocks chart. His 86 blocked shots rank second on the single-season list. Only Ricky Tunstall, in 1982-83 and 1983-84, has blocked more shots in a season. He is just the second player in school to post at least 80 blocks in a season.

Penguin Block Party
As a team, the Guins have 142 blocks, almost doubling the 71 by their opponents. It also ranks as the second most in school history - just 25 shy of the school record.

Guins Tied School Mark
With their 14 3-pointers against Butler on Jan. 9, the Guins tied a school record for most 3-pointers in a game. It marked the fifth time in school history that has been accomplished. The last time the Guins made that many 3-pointers was against UIC on Feb. 3, 2007.

Last to Score 30
With 30 points against Loyola on Jan. 9, 2010, DeAndre Mays set a career-high and became the first player to score at least 30 points since Keston Roberts scored 31 against Detroit on Feb. 27, 2007. Mays' performance was the 10th time under Jerry Slocum a player has scored at least 30 points in a game. YSU had just 10 30-point plus performances from Feb. 1988 to Dec. 2005.

Guins Sign Zuiker
Youngstown State signed 6-foot-9 forward Cale Zuiker (ZIKE-er) to a national letter of intent during the early signing period. Last season as a junior, Zuiker, who scored 312 points last year, was a unanimous First-Team All-Wisconsin Valley Conference selection after averaging 13 points, five rebounds, two assists and three blocks per game.

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Indianapolis, Ind. -- Sophomore Damian Eargle was named to the Horizon League All-Newcomer Team in a vote by the league's head coaches, sports information directors and selected media outlets, the league office announced on Monday.

Eargle is averaging 11 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game while shooting 51.7 percent from the floor.

Eargle also led the Horizon League in blocks per game and his 86 blocked shots ranks second on the Youngstown State single-season list, yet was left on the league's all-defensive team by the league's coaches. He also ranks seventh in the Horizon League in rebounding and seventh with 4.0 defensive rebounds per game.

The 6-foot-7 forward has scored in double figures 14 times and posted two double-doubles.

The Guins take on Valparaiso in the first round of the Horizon League Championship, Tuesday, March 1, at 8 p.m. EST.

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YSU Penguin Athletics / Football Locker Room
« on: February 26, 2011, 06:31:51 PM »
Here is a virtual tour of the new football locker room




1480
YSU Penguin Athletics / Pesky Penguins Push Milwaukee to OT Before Falling
« on: February 26, 2011, 04:34:57 PM »



The Youngstown State men's basketball put forth a gutty effort on Saturday afternoon at the Beeghly Center taking eventual league Champion Milwaukee to overtime. However, the Penguins came up short falling 94-87  to the Panthers in the regular-season finale.

The Penguins (9-20 overall and 2-16 in the Horizon League) had two chances to win it in the final seconds of regulation, but two shots just missed.

After UWM's Tone Boyle missed the second of a two-shot free-throw situation, the Penguins had the ball with the contest tied at 82. Kendrick Perry settled the offense down and drove to the basket, but his off-balance shot missed. Sophomore Damian Eargle had an open putback just rim out before time expired send the game the extra session.

In overtime, Milwaukee outscored the Guins 12-5 and never trailed.

Leading the way for YSU was freshman Blake Allen who finished with a career-high 26 points and a career-best six 3-pointers. Senior Vytas Sulskis had 18 before fouling out in overtime, sophomore Damian Eargle had 17 and freshman Kendrick Perry finished with 13.

In regulation the contest featured 21 ties and 17 lead changes.

A highly-competitive and hard-fought first half by both teams featured 12 ties and six lead changes. It was only fitting that the game was deadlocked at 41 at halftime.

Allen led the way with 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field and made both of his 3-pointer attempts.

The biggest lead for YSU was 33-28 at 11:12 while Milwaukee's lead was three on two occasions (5-2 and 39-26).

The Penguins trailed 28-27 before six free throws gave them their five-point cushion.

Two DuShawn Brooks free throws put them in front by one, two by Sulskis made it a three-point game and two more by Allen put YSU in front 33-28 with 4:52 left in the half.

Milwaukee answered back scoring five consecutive points on two Anthony Hill free throws and a 3-pointer by Ja'Rob McCullum. McCallum and Hill led the Panthers with 23 points each.

From that point, Allen and McCullum exchanged pairs of 3-pointers and two Hill free throws game UWM a 41-39 lead with 1:40 remaining. YSU tied the contest with 50 seconds left on a basket by Brooks.

YSU shot 52 percent making 13-of-25 from the field while UWM was 12-of-27 (44.4 percent) in the first half. Both teams made 12 free throws and combined for 24 personal fouls.

The Penguins return to action on Tuesday night when they play in the first round of the Horizon League Tournament. YSU will be on the road, however, their opponent is still to be determined. The contest will be carried live on 570 WKBN and the Horizon League Network.

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The Youngstown State men's basketball team (9-19, 2-15 Horizon League) closes out the regular season and celebrates Senior Day when it hosts Milwaukee (17-12, 12-5 Horizon League), Saturday, Feb. 26. Tipoff is set for 1:05 p.m. at the Beeghly Center.

Tipoff Notes
• This is the 29th meeting between Youngstown State and Milwaukee in a series that dates back to 1972. The Panthers own a 23-5 advantage in the all-time series and have won the last three contests. In the last meeting, Milwaukee came away with a 76-67 victory at U.S. Cellular Arena on Dec. 2, 2010. Senior Vytas Sulskis scored a team-high 18 points while junior Devonte Maymon added 16 points against the Panthers. In the last meeting at the Beeghly Center, the Panthers were victorious, 69-59, on Jan. 22, 2010. The last time the Guins defeated the Panthers was a 70-68 win on Feb. 14, 2009.

• Youngstown State Head Coach Jerry Slocum is one of 18 active coaches with more than 600 career victories. He currently ranks sixth among active Division I coaches with 638 career wins.

• With six 3-pointers made against Green Bay on Feb. 24, the Guins have pushed the school 3-point record to 223 3-pointers made. The Guins have also set the 3-pointers attempted mark at 665. The old record was 578 set in 2005-06.

• Over the last 10 games, freshman Kendrick Perry has been one of the Guins' most productive players. Perry is averaging 13 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game during that span. He has scored in double figures seven times and is shooting 51.6 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from 3-point range. He also owns an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.1.

• Senior Vytas Sulskis has played in every game since he arrived at Youngstown State. He currently ranks tied for second with 118 games played. After today's game and the tournament game, Sulskis will tie John Barber (2003-08) for the most games played in a career.

• With four blocks against Green Bay on Feb. 24, sophomore Damian Eargle moved into second place on the Youngstown State single-season blocks list with 85. The only other player in school histor to record at least 85 blocks was Ricky Tunstall, who posted 138 in 1982-83. Eargle passed Tunstall for second on the list as well. In 1983-84, Tunstall blocked 83 shots.

• Senior Vytas Sulskis continues to move up the Youngstown State all-time 3-point chart. With two 3-pointers against Bowling Green on Feb. 19, Sulskis has 41 3-pointers made this season and ranks second all-time with 167 career 3-pointers. He just surpassed Quin Humphrey (165, 2003-07) and Mike Alcorn (166, 1990-94). Sulskis' season-high for 3-pointers made was 46 in 2007-08.

• Junior Ashen Ward scored 23 points with six 3-pointers made against Bowling Green on Feb. 19. He leads the team with 50 3-pointers made this season and ranks sixth in the Horizon League with 1.9 3-pointers made per game. Ward has also surpassed his career total of 47 3-pointers made entering the 2010-11 season. He has 97 career 3-pointers made.

• After dishing out a career-high nine assists against Bowling Green, freshman Kendrick Perry pushed his total to 114 assists on the season. He ranks fourth in the Horizon League with 4.1 assists per game and leads the league with a 2.2 assists-to-turnover ratio (114-to-51).This is the third straight season and the fifth time in the last six years a YSU player has tallied at least 100 assists.

• The Guins set a single-game record with 35 3-point attempts against Detroit on Feb. 16. The previous record was 33 set earlier this season against Samford on Nov. 12 and tied against Akron on Nov. 20, and Wilberforce on Jan. 11.

• Sophomore Damian Eargle tied a career high with 25 points in the 91-79 loss at Detroit on Feb. 16. The last time Eargle scored 25 points in a game was against Appalachian State in 2009 when he played at UNC-Greensboro. Eargle posted 11 rebounds and five blocks against the Titans.

• Senior Vytas Sulskis ranks 17th on the YSU all-time scoring list with 1,282 career points and is just the 18th player in school history to score at least 1,200 points in a career. He needsseven more points to move into 16th place on the all-time list. He became the 32nd player in school history to reach 1,000 points in a career after scoring 22 against Saint Francis (Pa.) on Nov. 27.

• Senior Vytas Sulskis tied a career high with 26 points against Wright State on Feb. 7. He made nine straight field goals and six consecutive 3-pointers against the Raiders.

• With 26 points against Wright State on Feb. 7, senior Vytas Sulskis recorded his sixth 20-point performance of the season.

• The Guins' 11 3-pointers made against Bowling Green on Feb. 19 marked the ninth time this season they have made at least 10 3-pointers in a game. The Guins have also tried at least 20 3-pointers in 22 out of 28 games this season.

• Against Butler on Jan. 9, Youngstown State tied a single-game record with 14 3-pointers. It marked the fifth time that has been done in school history. The last time YSU made 14 3-pointers was against UIC in 2007.

• Junior Ashen Ward set a career-high with 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the floor, including seven 3-pointers, in the Guins' 71-69 win over UIC on Dec. 30.

• With its 86-78 overtime loss to Valparaiso on Feb. 5, Youngstown State has now lost 10 straight games that have gone into extra periods.

A Win Will
• Improve YSU to 10-19 overall and 3-15 in the Horizon League.

• Mark YSU's 10th home of the season and mark the first time YSU won 10 games at home since the 2006-07 season.

• Mark the program's sixth win over Milwaukee and the first since 2009.

• Snap a three-game losing streak to Milwaukee.

• Mark Head Coach Jerry Slocum's 639th career victory and his 59th at Youngstown State.

• Mark YSU's 993rd victory in the program's history.

The Milwaukee Series
This is the 29th meeting between Youngstown State and Milwaukee in a series that dates back to 1972. The Panthers own a 23-5 advantage in the all-time series and have won the last three contests. In the last meeting, Milwaukee came away with a 76-67 victory at U.S. Cellular Arena on Dec. 2, 2010. Senior Vytas Sulskis scored a team-high 18 points while junior Devonte Maymon added 16 points against the Panthers. In the last meeting at the Beeghly Center, the Panthers were victorious, 69-59, on Jan. 22, 2010. The last time the Guins defeated the Panthers was a 70-68 win on Feb. 14, 2009.

Tournament Possibilities
The Penguins are currently the ninth-seed in the upcoming 2011 Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship. Below are some pertinent scenarios regarding the Penguins' possible seeding and first-round tournament opponent.

• YSU clinches the ninth-seed with a win AND/OR a UIC loss at Valparaiso.

• As the ninth seed:

-- the Guins will face Valparaiso IF Cleveland State, Butler, Milwaukee and Valparaiso all win.

-- if Cleveland State loses to Green Bay, Valparaiso defeats UIC and Butler defeats Loyola, YSU will play at Cleveland State.

-- the Guins will visit Butler IF CSU, Milwaukee and Valparaiso win and a Butler loses.

• YSU will clinch the 10th seed with a loss to Milwaukee AND a UIC win over Valparaiso.

• As the 10th seed:

-- YSU will play Cleveland State if CSU and Butler finish tied or CSU loses to Green Bay or Butler defeats Loyola.

-- YSU will play Butler if CSU defeats Green Bay AND Butler loses to Loyola.

Last Time Out
Sophomore Damian Eargle and freshman Kendrick Perry each scored a game-high 19 points and junior Ashen Ward added 10 points, but the Guins fell to Horizon league foe Green Bay, 71-60, at the Beeghly Center. Eargle and Ward also grabbed seven rebounds each.

Sulskis Moves into Second
Senior Vytas Sulskis continues to move up the Youngstown State all-time 3-point chart. With two 3-pointers against Bowling Green on Feb. 19, Sulskis has 41 3-pointers made this season and moved into second place on that list with 167. Sulskis' season-high for 3-pointers made was 46 in 2007-08.

Scoring Uprise
The Guins are averaging 68.4 points per game this season, which is the most since the 2000-01 campaign. The last time the Guins averaged more than 70 points per game was during the 2000-01 season. The Guins have scored at least 70 points 13 times this season and own a record of 6-7 in those games. It is also the most times scoring at least 70 since the 2000-01 season when they scored at least 70 in 15 games.

3-Point Record Expansion
With six 3-pointers made against Green Bay on Feb. 24, the Guins pushed their 3-point record to 217.

Eargle Ties Career High
Sophomore Damian Eargle tied a career high with 25 points in the 91-79 loss at Detroit on Feb. 16. The last time Eargle scored 25 points in a game was against Appalachian State in 2009 when he played at UNC-Greensboro. Eargle posted 11 rebounds and five blocks against the Titans.

KP3 Charity
Freshman Kendrick Perry dished out a career-high nine assists against Bowling Green on Feb. 16 and now has 112 assists. This is the third straight season and the fifth time in the last six years a YSU player has tallied at least 100 assists. Perry also ranks fourth in the Horizon League with 4.1 assists per game

Ward Taking Aim
Junior Ashen Ward leads the team with 50 3-pointers made this season and ranks sixth in the Horizon League with 1.9 3-pointers made per game. He is the first player to make at least 50 3-pointers in a season since Quin Humphrey in 2006-07. Entering this season, Ward had made 47 3-pointers. He has made 97 3-pointers in his career.

February Close Encounters
In the last 15 games the Guins have played in the month of February, 11 have been decided by eight points or less and seven have been decided by four points or less. Over the last four Februarys, the Guins have played in 12 games that have been decided by four points or less and own a record of 5-7 in those contests.

Close Shaves
Since the Guins' Jan. 9 game at Butler, five of the last 14 games have been decided by five-points or less and nine have been decided by 10 points or less. The Guins own records of 1-4 and 2-7 in those games, respectively.

Slocum In Elite Company
Youngstown State Head Coach Jerry Slocum is one of just 10 active Division I head coaches with at least 600 career victories. Slocum currently ranks sixth on that list with 638 career coaching victories.

To the Point
Youngstown State's two point guards - Blake Allen and Kendrick Perry - are two of the best in the Horizon League at taking care of the ball. The two have combined for 181 assists and committed just 81 turnovers for an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.2.

Sulskis Nearing 16th
Senior Vytas Sulskis ranks 17th on the YSU all-time scoring list with 1,280 career points and is just the 18th player in school history to score at least 1,200 points in a career. He needs seven more points to move into 16th place on the all-time list. He became the 32nd player in school history to reach 1,000 points in a career after scoring 22 against Saint Francis (Pa.) on Nov. 27.

Eargle Climbing Blocks Chart
Sophomore Damian Eargle is quickly climbing the YSU single-season blocks chart. His 85 blocked shots rank second on the single-season list. Only Ricky Tunstall, in 1982-83 and 1983-84, has blocked more shots in a season. He is just the second player in school to post at least 80 blocks in a season.

Penguin Block Party
As a team, the Guins have 139 blocks, almost doubling the 69 by their opponents. It also ranks as the second most in school history - just 28 shy of the school record.

Guins Tied School Mark
With their 14 3-pointers against Butler on Jan. 9, the Guins tied a school record for most 3-pointers in a game. It marked the fifth time in school history that has been accomplished. The last time the Guins made that many 3-pointers was against UIC on Feb. 3, 2007.

Last to Score 30
With 30 points against Loyola on Jan. 9, 2010, DeAndre Mays set a career-high and became the first player to score at least 30 points since Keston Roberts scored 31 against Detroit on Feb. 27, 2007. Mays' performance was the 10th time under Jerry Slocum a player has scored at least 30 points in a game. YSU had just 10 30-point plus performances from Feb. 1988 to Dec. 2005.

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YSU Penguin Athletics / Slocum: Penguins lacked effort in loss to Green Bay
« on: February 25, 2011, 05:51:59 PM »
By Jon Moffett

jmoffett@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

If the Youngstown State men’s basketball team is going to put a run together before the Horizon League tournament, they’d better do it in a hurry.

Coach Jerry Slocum said the team lacked the effort and will to win in its game against Green Bay at Beeghly Center on Thursday. The Penguins lost 71-60 and never seemed to have a rhythm.

“We didn’t have a good effort tonight,” Slocum said. “It’s as simple as that. We did not play hard and it was our worst effort we’ve had in the last three weeks.”

The Penguins (9-19, 2-15 Horizon League) had a hard time scoring. They shot 37 percent from the field and 67 percent at the foul line. But the Penguins went 1-of-6 at the line in the first half. They made all nine of their attempts after the intermission.

Freshman guard Kendrick Perry led the Penguins, who had spurts of life in the second half, with 19 points. Sophomore forward and Warren Harding High graduate Damian Eargle also had 19 points, adding four blocks.

Eargle now has 85 blocked shots on the year, which puts him in second place for the most in school history in a single season. He surpassed Ricky Tunstall’s 83 blocks in the 1983-84 season. Tunstall also holds the record with 138 blocks the previous season.

Perry said it is both disappointing and frustrating to lose at home, especially after an emotional 83-76 win over Bowling Green a few nights earlier.

“I think we were just content,” said Perry, who also had three rebounds, two assists and two steals. “I think we got on our little run and then we got lazy. We didn’t get back in transition, they scored a couple of easy buckets and then we were never able to come back from it.”

The Penguins’ run came with 15:01 left in the second half. Down 42-27, YSU went on a 7-0 run to cut the lead to eight. But the Phoenix (14-16, 8-9) stifled any comeback attempt by the Penguin offense to defeat them for the second time this season.

“We dug ourselves a hole early, and then it’s hard to climb out of that hole when you get so far deep at the beginning of the game,” Perry said. “We just didn’t come tonight. We didn’t show up.

“We were content with our win over Bowling Green and we just thought we were going to come in here and get this win,” he added. “But they came with a lot more energy. They just wanted it more.”

Slocum said it’s disappointing a performance like Thursday’s came so late in the year, and so close to when the Penguins have to focus on the conference tournament. YSU has one game, a home contest against Milwaukee, before heading to the tournament.

“We’ve played some very, very good basketball this month and to take a step back tonight effort-wise was very disappointing,” Slocum said.

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YSU Penguin Athletics / Cold Spell Does in Penguins as Green Bay Wins 71-60
« on: February 25, 2011, 01:13:38 AM »


Youngstown -- The Youngstown State men's basketball team was outscored 28-7 over a 14-minute span into the second half and could never recover, losing 71-60 to Green Bay on Thursday evening at Beeghly Center.

Freshman Kendrick Perry did his best to bring the Penguins back, scoring 16 of his 19 points in the second half. Sophomore Damian Eargle also had 19 points, seven rebounds and four blocks for the Penguins.

Bryquis Perine scored 19 points for Green Bay, which shot 54.2 percent in the second half. Rahmon Fletcher added 18 points.

YSU leading scorer Vytas Sulskis battled foul trouble all night and was held to two points.

Youngstown State led by six twice in the first 11 minutes of the game but scored just five points in the final 9:45 of the first half. Green Bay closed out the period on an 18-5 run to give it a 30-23 halftime advantage.

An Eargle bucket capped a 7-0 run that gave the Penguins a 16-10 lead with 11:09 remaining. Eargle scored again to give the Guins an 18-12 advantage with 9:46 to play, but that was YSU's last field goal for four-and-a-half minutes.

Green Bay scored nine straight points and reclaimed the lead at 21-18 on a Perine triple with 6:04 to play. Ashen Ward hit a jumper to get the Guins to within 21-20, and Blake Allen made a lay-up with the shot clock running out to make the score 25-22. Green Bay then hit a trey and a jumper in the final two minutes, and YSU was limited to a DuShawn Brooks free throw.

YSU did not make a 3-pointer in the final 13 minutes of the first half.

Fletcher scored the first four points of the second half to give Green Bay its first double-digit lead, and the Phoenix jumped up to a 40-25 advantage with 16:27 remaining.

YSU's second 7-0 run in just over four minutes cut Green Bay's lead to 47-41 with 10:35 left, but the Phoenix scored the next five points to go up 52-41 with nine minutes remaining.

Green Bay eventually upped its lead to 60-46 with 4:54 remaining, and YSU was not able to get closer than eight the rest of the way. The Phoenix went 14-for-22 from the free-throw line in the second half.

Perry was 6-for-13 from the field and 5-for-7 from 3-point range. Eargle was 8-for-15 and Allen was 3-for-6, but the other four Penguins who took a shot went a combined 5-for-26.

Youngstown State will play its final regular-season game on Saturday against Milwaukee at 1:05 p.m.. Sulskis and fellow senior Dan Boudler will be honored prior to the contest as they play their final game at Beeghly Center.

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YSU Penguin Athletics / Youngstown State Men's Basketball Facility Tour
« on: February 24, 2011, 03:29:42 PM »
Youngstown State Men's Basketballl Facility Tour




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Casey Hill Wins 3-Meter, Relay Records Shattered on Day One

Cleveland -- Youngstown State sophomore diver Casey Hill won the Horizon League 3-meter diving championship by 0.15 points, freshman Megan Ciampa posted the school's second-best time in the 1,000 free and both YSU relay squads set records on Wednesday at the Busbey Natatorium.

"We are off to a great start," Head Coach Matt Anderson said. "All of our 1,000 freestylers had career-best times lead by Megan (Ciampa) had the school's second-fastest time in YSU history. As great as that all is, the highlight of the evening was Casey winning the three-meter diving with an awesome come from behind victory on her last dive."

Hill's six dive total of 284.20 which barely defeated Kelsey George of Milwaukee who had a 284.05. CSU's Kacey Cummings placed third with a 279.85. Hill's score was just .25 off of her career best set in February 2010.

Hill is the first YSU diver to win a league title since Kalyn Leveto won the one-meter in 2005 and first three-meter winner since 2004, also by Leveto.

In the opening relay of the meet, the Penguins finished sixth in 200-yard freestyle Relay. The time of 1:36.66 in the event by Kirstin Walker, Audria Grubbs, Alana Kane and Nishani Cicilson establishes a new school record breaking old mark of 1:37.18 set in 2008.

Freshman Megan Ciampa finished ninth in the 1,000-yard freestyle with the second-best time in school history of 10:28.48. Freshman Brittany Vigar finished 16th with a season and career-best time of 10.47.53 and Kim Kurtz was 19th with a 10:57.12, which was a season-best by 27 seconds. Also in the 1,000, Katie Wolf was 23rd with a career-best time of 11:02.85 and Elli Stevens was 29th with a personal-best 11:37.17.

The Penguins posted a school-record time of 1:46.59 in the 200-yard medley relay to place sixth. Cicilson, Samantha Roberts, Laura Paz and Alana Kane teamed up to break a record that was previously set in 2009 (1:48.53).

Also in the three-meter dive, senior Amanda Carpin was 10th with a 209.75.

In the team standings, the Guins are in fifth place after picking up 92 points on day one. Green Bay has jumped out to first place with a score of 155.

Anderson said he is optimistic things will continue to go well for the Penguins on Thursday and beyond.

"Overall it was an oustanding start to the meet," Anderson said. "I can't wait to see what's ahead of us for the next three days."

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