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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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1487
YSU Penguin Athletics / Casey Hill Wins 3-Meter, Relay Records Shattered on Day One
« on: February 24, 2011, 12:18:36 PM »
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."
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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YSU Penguin Athletics / Moffett: swimmers and divers prepare for Horizon League championship meet
« on: February 23, 2011, 11:01:18 AM »
Youngstown State swimmers and divers prepare for Horizon League championship meet
By Jon Moffett
jmoffett@vindy.com
YOUNGSTOWN
Couples traditionally receive something made of tin or aluminum for their 10th anniversaries. But Matt Anderson is hoping for something a little more golden.
Anderson, the swimming coach at Youngstown State, and his team are celebrating their 10th trip to the Horizon League championship meet. The four-day meet begins today at the Busbey Natatorium on the campus of Cleveland State.
And Anderson said this could be the best conference meet he’s seen in a long time.
“This is maybe the most competitive meet I have seen in my eight years I have been a part of the Horizon League,” he said. “Legitimately, there are probably five or six teams that have a shot at jostling around to make the top three and potentially win it.”
The Penguins are one of those teams, Anderson said. But it’s going to take a lot to knock off the top two or three teams.
Green Bay has won the meet for the past six years and eight times overall. Milwaukee has claimed the second spot the past three years and won it in 2001. The Panthers also have nine third-place finishes. And when Milwaukee isn’t in second place, it’s been Wright State in their place.
YSU has never placed better than fifth place in its nine trips to the meet.
So in order for the Penguins stop eating the bubbles of their conference opponents, it’s going to take flawless efforts by YSU’s key swimmers and divers. And Anderson said there is hope.
“It’s going to be a very tight meet all the way through,” Anderson said. “But if we swim well, step up to race and do the things we’re capable of doing, we can be in that mix.”
The meet kicks off with preliminary races and dives at 10 a.m. each day. The finals take place at 5:30 p.m. that same day. Anderson said athletes are locked into their spots depending on their individual performances in the prelims.
The top eight times in the preliminary races will earn the top eight final places in the race, even if a time in places nine through 16 are better. So in many ways, the prelims are just as important — if not more — than the finals.
“There is a huge emphasis on the prelims, because if you don’t make it in the morning, there is no night for you,” he said. “You see it all the time where someone had an off day in the morning, and a great swim at night and they should be in the top eight places. Well, they can’t.”
How the athletes prepare is different, too.
Take sophomore roommates Casey Hill and Samantha Roberts, for example.
Hill said she sometimes psychs herself out before dives at this level.
“A lot of it, for me, is mental preparation,” Hill said. “Mentally preparing myself for a huge meet like this is important for me to be able to dive as well as I have been.”
Hill admits that she is a perfectionist and often lets the dive become bigger than it is to her. But she said she uses that to fine-tune her craft.
Roberts is the complete opposite.
With the tips of her hair dyed pink and a laid-back attitude, Roberts said it’s her job to keep Hill in check and just go with the flow.
“Maybe for the first race I’m a little nervous, but after that I’m fine,” she said. “I’m kind of just a laid-back person and I just put everything behind me. I’ve worked too hard just to get here, so if I’m nervous and I psych myself out, I wouldn’t be able to do as well as I would have if I had a positive attitude.”
Roberts said she was asked to be Hill’s roommate personally by diving coach Nick Gavolas in order to keep her sane.
“He was just like, ‘you two need to be roommates again next year because you’re the only one who knows how to calm her down,’” she said, laughing. “I’m just a laid-back type of person.”
By Jon Moffett
jmoffett@vindy.com
YOUNGSTOWN
Couples traditionally receive something made of tin or aluminum for their 10th anniversaries. But Matt Anderson is hoping for something a little more golden.
Anderson, the swimming coach at Youngstown State, and his team are celebrating their 10th trip to the Horizon League championship meet. The four-day meet begins today at the Busbey Natatorium on the campus of Cleveland State.
And Anderson said this could be the best conference meet he’s seen in a long time.
“This is maybe the most competitive meet I have seen in my eight years I have been a part of the Horizon League,” he said. “Legitimately, there are probably five or six teams that have a shot at jostling around to make the top three and potentially win it.”
The Penguins are one of those teams, Anderson said. But it’s going to take a lot to knock off the top two or three teams.
Green Bay has won the meet for the past six years and eight times overall. Milwaukee has claimed the second spot the past three years and won it in 2001. The Panthers also have nine third-place finishes. And when Milwaukee isn’t in second place, it’s been Wright State in their place.
YSU has never placed better than fifth place in its nine trips to the meet.
So in order for the Penguins stop eating the bubbles of their conference opponents, it’s going to take flawless efforts by YSU’s key swimmers and divers. And Anderson said there is hope.
“It’s going to be a very tight meet all the way through,” Anderson said. “But if we swim well, step up to race and do the things we’re capable of doing, we can be in that mix.”
The meet kicks off with preliminary races and dives at 10 a.m. each day. The finals take place at 5:30 p.m. that same day. Anderson said athletes are locked into their spots depending on their individual performances in the prelims.
The top eight times in the preliminary races will earn the top eight final places in the race, even if a time in places nine through 16 are better. So in many ways, the prelims are just as important — if not more — than the finals.
“There is a huge emphasis on the prelims, because if you don’t make it in the morning, there is no night for you,” he said. “You see it all the time where someone had an off day in the morning, and a great swim at night and they should be in the top eight places. Well, they can’t.”
How the athletes prepare is different, too.
Take sophomore roommates Casey Hill and Samantha Roberts, for example.
Hill said she sometimes psychs herself out before dives at this level.
“A lot of it, for me, is mental preparation,” Hill said. “Mentally preparing myself for a huge meet like this is important for me to be able to dive as well as I have been.”
Hill admits that she is a perfectionist and often lets the dive become bigger than it is to her. But she said she uses that to fine-tune her craft.
Roberts is the complete opposite.
With the tips of her hair dyed pink and a laid-back attitude, Roberts said it’s her job to keep Hill in check and just go with the flow.
“Maybe for the first race I’m a little nervous, but after that I’m fine,” she said. “I’m kind of just a laid-back person and I just put everything behind me. I’ve worked too hard just to get here, so if I’m nervous and I psych myself out, I wouldn’t be able to do as well as I would have if I had a positive attitude.”
Roberts said she was asked to be Hill’s roommate personally by diving coach Nick Gavolas in order to keep her sane.
“He was just like, ‘you two need to be roommates again next year because you’re the only one who knows how to calm her down,’” she said, laughing. “I’m just a laid-back type of person.”
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YSU Penguin Athletics / Preview: Men's Basketball Welcomes Green Bay Thursday
« on: February 23, 2011, 10:57:57 AM »The Youngstown State men's basketball team (9-18, 2-14 Horizon League) returns to Horizon League action when it hosts Green Bay (13-16, 7-9 Horizon League) on Thursday, Feb. 24. Tipoff is set for 7:05 p.m. at the Beeghly Center.
Tipoff Notes
• This is the 29th meeting between Youngstown State and Green Bay in a series that dates back to 1993. The Phoenix own a 22-6 advantage in the all-time series and have won the last four contests. The last time the Guins defeated the Phoenix was a 77-73 win at the Beeghly Center on Feb. 12, 2009. In the last meeting, Green Bay defeated the Guins, 74-59, on Dec. 4, 2010, at the Resch Center. The Guins lead by eight points midway through the second half before the Phoenix outscored them 28-5 to close out the game. Sophomore Damian Eargle led the Guins with 13 points while senior Vytas Sulskis added 11 and freshman Kendrick Perry and junior Devonte Maymon each scored 10 points.
• 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 11 3-pointers made against Bowling Green on Feb. 19, the Guins have pushed the school 3-point record to 217 3-pointers made. The Guins have also set the 3-pointers attempted mark at 645. The old record was 578 set in 2005-06.
• Over the last five games, the Guins have seen a significant increase in the scoring column. The Guins averaged 77.2 points per game and shot 45.5 percent from the field in those games. Senior Vytas Sulskis and sophomore Damian Eargle averaged 15.8 and 15.6 points per game, respectively. Junior Ashen Ward averaged 13.2 points per game and freshman Kendrick Perry posted 11.8 points and 6.6 assists per game. Sulskis (.500), Eargle (.582) and Perry (.556) shot at least 50 percent from the field in those contests.
• 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 112 assists on the season. He ranks fourth in the Horizon League with 4.1 assists per game and leads the league with a 2.3 assists-to-turnover ratio (112-to-49).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 1,280 career points and is just the 18th player in school history to score at least 1,200 points in a career. He needs nine 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.
• Sophomore Damian Eargle leads the Horizon League and ranks 11th nationally with 3.0 blocks per game. His 81 blocked shots rank third on the YSU single-season chart. He is also just the second player in school history to post at least 80 blocks in a season. The other was Ricky Tunstall, who did it in 1982-83 and 1983-84. Including his 57 blocks at UNC-Greensboro in the 2008-09 season, Eargle has 138 career blocks in 58 games. His current career average is 2.46 blocks per game.
• Freshman Kendrick Perry is averaging 12.3 points, 5.6 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game over the last nine contests. He is also shooting 52.6 percent (41-of-78) from the field and 35.3 percent (12-of-34) from 3-point range in the last nine games.
• 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.
• Senior Vytas Sulskis has appeared in 117 career games which ranks third on the all-time list. His 84 career starts rank seventh.
• 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 21 out of 27 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 10-18 overall and 3-14 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 sevent win over Green Bay and the first since 2009.
• Snap an four-game losing streak to Green Bay.
• 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 Green Bay Series
This is the 29th meeting between Youngstown State and Green Bay in a series that dates back to 1993. The Phoenix own a 22-6 advantage in the all-time series and have won the last four contests. The last time the Guins defeated the Phoenix was a 77-73 win at the Beeghly Center on Feb. 12, 2009. In the last meeting, Green Bay defeated the Guins, 74-59, on Dec. 4, 2010, at the Resch Center. The Guins lead by eight points midway through the second half before the Phoenix outscored them 28-5 to close out the game. Sophomore Damian Eargle led the Guins with 13 points while senior Vytas Sulskis added 11 and freshman Kendrick Perry and junior Devonte Maymon each scored 10 points.
Up Next
The Penguins will honor their two seniors - Dan Boudler and Vytas Sulskis - prior to the regular-season finale when they host Milwaukee, Saturday, Feb. 26, at 1:05 p.m.
Last Time Out
Junior Ashen Ward scored a team-high 23 points and led four Penguins scoring in double figures in an 83-76 win over Bowling Green on Feb. 19. Senior Vytas Sulskis and sophomore Damian Eargle posted 17 and 15 points, respectively. Junior DuShawn Brooks added 10 points off the bench and freshman Kendrick Perry dished out a career-high nine assists.
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 68.7 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.
70 in Five Straight
Over the last five games, the Guins have scored at least 70 points in each contest. It is the first time a YSU squad has scored 70 points in five straight games since the 2000-01 season when the Guins scored at least 70 in seven consecutive games from Jan. 13 to Feb. 8, 2001.
3-Point Record Expansion
With 11 3-pointers made against Bowling Green on Feb. 19, the Guins pushed their 3-point record to 217.
Guins Nationally
In the national statistics, the Guins rank 36th in 3-pointers made per game (8.0), 33rd in blocks per game (5.0), 28th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.28), 38th in turnovers per game (11.
. Damian Eargle ranks 11th in blocks (3.0) and Kendrick Perry ranks 43rd in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.3).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 14 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 13 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 178 assists and committed just 79 turnovers for an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.3. Perry leads the league with a 2.3 assist-to-turnover ratio while Allen is second at 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 nine 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 81 blocked shots rank third 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. He needs just three more to move into second place on the single-season list with 84. Tunstall blocked 83 shots in the 1982-83 season.
Penguin Block Party
As a team, the Guins have 134 blocks, more than doubling the 66 by their opponents. It also ranks as the second most in school history - just 33 shy of the school record.
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YSU Penguin Athletics / Penguin Rundown | Feb. 21, 2011
« on: February 22, 2011, 01:53:37 PM »Penguin Rundown | Feb. 21, 2011
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YSU Penguin Athletics / Scalzo: YSU hopes for strong finish
« on: February 22, 2011, 06:31:56 AM »
By Joe Scalzo
scalzo@vindy.com
YOUNGSTOWN
With two games left in the regular season, YSU men’s basketball coach Jerry Slocum hasn’t spent much time worrying about who he’s going to play in the first round of next week’s Horizon League tournament.
But his assistants have.
“They’ve kind of figured out what our percentages are, that if this happens we’ll be playing Milwaukee again, if this happens we could end up playing Cleveland State,” Slocum said. “I’m just trying to get ready for these two games.”
The Penguins (9-18, 2-14 Horizon) are tied with UIC for last in the 10-team conference and need to win one of their final two games to avoid back-to-back 2-16 seasons. First up is Green Bay at 7:05 Thursday, a team that beat YSU 74-59 on Dec. 4.
The Phoenix have lost five straight, but the last four have been by three points or fewer.
Saturday, the Penguins host Milwaukee on Senior Night (or, more accurately, Senior Afternoon, since it’s a 1:05 p.m. start). It will be the final home games for seniors Vytas Sulskis and Dan Boudler.
Sulskis has played in all 117 games over the past four years and will likely finish his career tied with YSU’s John Barber (2003-08) for first in that category with 120. Boudler has been a solid backup in the post, appearing in all 16 games.
“I’m really proud of those two guys,” Slocum said. “I think they have both had really good seasons and they’re two guys who have been committed to Youngstown State University and me and this program.”
YSU beat Bowling Green Saturday night to improve to 3-2 against Mid-American Conference teams and best its overall win total from last season. A win this week would likely move the Penguins ahead of UIC (7-22, 2-15) for ninth in the league standings.
“We want a real positive finish to the season,” Slocum said.
“We’re just working hard to get ready for these two games and then we’ll know Saturday night who we’ll play [in the tournament] and prepare accordingly.”
YSU’s women’s basketball team is coming off a heartbreaking loss to Wright State on Saturday. The Penguins had a one-point lead with 13 seconds left and were at the free throw line but missed the front end of a one-and-one and eventually lost 70-67.
YSU (4-22, 2-13) plays its final road game of the season Saturday at Cleveland State, which defeated the Penguins 86-65 on Jan. 29.
“We have to come out at the beginning of the game ready to play and not let up,” said junior Kenya Middlebrooks, who felt the team came out flat against the Vikings in the first meeting. “We can’t let them get easy baskets and we have to hit shots and take care of the ball.
“That was pretty much the problem [in the first meeting].”
The Penguins have already bested their win total from the past two seasons combined but need to win their last three games to avoid finishing last in the Horizon League for the third straight year. Valparaiso, who lost twice to the Penguins, is ninth with a 4-11 conference mark.
“We’re still pushing, still keeping our heads up,” said Middlebrooks, the team’s second-leading scorer with 8.6 points per game. “We’re still trying to get another one.”
scalzo@vindy.com
YOUNGSTOWN
With two games left in the regular season, YSU men’s basketball coach Jerry Slocum hasn’t spent much time worrying about who he’s going to play in the first round of next week’s Horizon League tournament.
But his assistants have.
“They’ve kind of figured out what our percentages are, that if this happens we’ll be playing Milwaukee again, if this happens we could end up playing Cleveland State,” Slocum said. “I’m just trying to get ready for these two games.”
The Penguins (9-18, 2-14 Horizon) are tied with UIC for last in the 10-team conference and need to win one of their final two games to avoid back-to-back 2-16 seasons. First up is Green Bay at 7:05 Thursday, a team that beat YSU 74-59 on Dec. 4.
The Phoenix have lost five straight, but the last four have been by three points or fewer.
Saturday, the Penguins host Milwaukee on Senior Night (or, more accurately, Senior Afternoon, since it’s a 1:05 p.m. start). It will be the final home games for seniors Vytas Sulskis and Dan Boudler.
Sulskis has played in all 117 games over the past four years and will likely finish his career tied with YSU’s John Barber (2003-08) for first in that category with 120. Boudler has been a solid backup in the post, appearing in all 16 games.
“I’m really proud of those two guys,” Slocum said. “I think they have both had really good seasons and they’re two guys who have been committed to Youngstown State University and me and this program.”
YSU beat Bowling Green Saturday night to improve to 3-2 against Mid-American Conference teams and best its overall win total from last season. A win this week would likely move the Penguins ahead of UIC (7-22, 2-15) for ninth in the league standings.
“We want a real positive finish to the season,” Slocum said.
“We’re just working hard to get ready for these two games and then we’ll know Saturday night who we’ll play [in the tournament] and prepare accordingly.”
YSU’s women’s basketball team is coming off a heartbreaking loss to Wright State on Saturday. The Penguins had a one-point lead with 13 seconds left and were at the free throw line but missed the front end of a one-and-one and eventually lost 70-67.
YSU (4-22, 2-13) plays its final road game of the season Saturday at Cleveland State, which defeated the Penguins 86-65 on Jan. 29.
“We have to come out at the beginning of the game ready to play and not let up,” said junior Kenya Middlebrooks, who felt the team came out flat against the Vikings in the first meeting. “We can’t let them get easy baskets and we have to hit shots and take care of the ball.
“That was pretty much the problem [in the first meeting].”
The Penguins have already bested their win total from the past two seasons combined but need to win their last three games to avoid finishing last in the Horizon League for the third straight year. Valparaiso, who lost twice to the Penguins, is ninth with a 4-11 conference mark.
“We’re still pushing, still keeping our heads up,” said Middlebrooks, the team’s second-leading scorer with 8.6 points per game. “We’re still trying to get another one.”
1492
YSU Penguin Athletics / Penguins Offense Gets in High Gear in 83-76 Win Over Bowling Green
« on: February 19, 2011, 10:25:59 PM »The Youngstown State men's basketball team had four players score in double figures, led by Ashen Ward's 23 points, en route to an 83-76 win over Bowling Green on Saturday night at the Beeghly Center. It was the Penguins' first win over the Falcons since 1943 and capped a perfect 7-0 non-conference home slate this year.
Vytas Sulskis had 17, Damian Eargle had 15 and DuShawn Brooks chipped in 10 as the Penguins improved to 9-18 overall on the heels of a 50.8 percent shooting effort. YSU scored 40 points in the second half on 14-of-25 shooting and made 8-of-12 free-throw attempts.
With 8:31 left, the Penguins took a 66-65 lead when Ward drained a jumper. On the ensuing possession, Ward cashed in on another 3-pointer as the Guins went up 69-65. Two-and-a-half minutes later Kendrick Perry, who had a career-best nine assists, banked in a 3-pointer at the 5:28 mark extending the lead to 72-65.
Brooks capped the 10-0 run in a span of 5:12 with a hanger in the lane. YSU held BGSU off the scoreboard for 5:37 during that key stretch before Luke Kraus connected on a three at 4:27.
With 2:14 left, the Guins looked like they were going to put the game away when Perry's breakaway dunk put them ahead 79-68.
However, Bowling Green scored six quick points on back-to-back threes by Kraus. With 28 seconds left, Scott Thomas' layup made the contest a one-possession game at 79-76.
Blake Allen stepped up huge in the final 30 seconds. Allen made two with 25.5 seconds left and a pair with 18.1 seconds left to seal the victory.
The first half featured seven lead changes and four ties as BGSU (12-15) took a 46-43 lead into the locker room.
Bowling Green shot 60.6 percent (20-of-33) while the Guins connected on 16-of-34 (47.1 percent) in the opening 20 minutes. YSU had 13 assists on its 16 baskets.
The Guins drilled seven 3-pointers, four of which were by Ward and one each by Sulskis, Allen and Brooks.
YSU's largest lead of the half came in the opening two minutes. The Guins jumped on top 3-0 on a trey by Allen and then led 5-2 when Sulskis found the mark.
The Penguins were on top twice by a point, the final time was at 36-35 after Sulskis followed a Ward 3-pointer up with one of his own.
The Falcons went on a 9-1 run to go on top 44-37 on a driving layup by Danny McElroy.
After trailing 46-39 with under a minute to go, Sulskis raced down the court for a fast-break layup and with three seconds left, Kendrick Perry used a pair of picks to score on a wide-open layup to pull YSU within three.
The Penguins return to Horizon League action on Thursday night when they play host to Green Bay. Tipoff at the Beeghly Center is set for 7:05 p.m.
1493
YSU Penguin Athletics / McCulloh Throws Six Scoreless as Guins Lose in Final At Bat
« on: February 19, 2011, 10:21:12 PM »
Greenville, N.C. – Youngstown State sophomore pitcher Kevin McCulloh held East Carolina scoreless through six innings, but the Pirates got a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Penguins 1-0 on Saturday.
McCulloh allowed three hits and four walks while striking out seven in his third career start. Reliever Nic Manuppelli retired ECU in order in the eighth but did not record an out in the ninth.
Philip Clark walked to start the inning and stole second to get into scoring position. Jack Reinheimer reached on an infield single to put runners at the corners, and Tim Younger brought in the winning run with a single down the right field line.
'I can't say enough about the effort we got from Kevin today," head coach Rich Pasquale said. "He also made some good defensive plays, and we made some solid plays behind him. We took some positive steps forward today, but we can't be satisfied with that."
Four different players had hits for Youngstown State, which had runners in scoring position in the first, second and ninth innings. In the second, Jonathan Crist walked to start the inning and advanced on Greg Dissinger's sacrifice bunt. A bit of bad luck kept the Penguins from having a scoring chance as Padraic Williams hit a single off the field umpire that could have gone into the outfield. With Crist having to retreat to second, Armani Johnson struck out to end the inning.
In the ninth, Joe Iacobucci reached on a throwing error and Jeremy Banks followed with a single. They advanced on Crist's hard grounder up the middle that reliever Kevin Brandt was able to slow down for an out, and Chris Mitko struck out to end the threat.
East Carolina had just three hits in the first eight innings. McCulloh worked around a leadoff double in the second by getting an inning-ending double play. The Pirates had the bases loaded in the sixth, but McCulloh fanned Chase McDonald and got Clark to ground into a fielder's choice.
Youngstown State will play the series finale on Sunday at 1 p.m.
McCulloh allowed three hits and four walks while striking out seven in his third career start. Reliever Nic Manuppelli retired ECU in order in the eighth but did not record an out in the ninth.
Philip Clark walked to start the inning and stole second to get into scoring position. Jack Reinheimer reached on an infield single to put runners at the corners, and Tim Younger brought in the winning run with a single down the right field line.
'I can't say enough about the effort we got from Kevin today," head coach Rich Pasquale said. "He also made some good defensive plays, and we made some solid plays behind him. We took some positive steps forward today, but we can't be satisfied with that."
Four different players had hits for Youngstown State, which had runners in scoring position in the first, second and ninth innings. In the second, Jonathan Crist walked to start the inning and advanced on Greg Dissinger's sacrifice bunt. A bit of bad luck kept the Penguins from having a scoring chance as Padraic Williams hit a single off the field umpire that could have gone into the outfield. With Crist having to retreat to second, Armani Johnson struck out to end the inning.
In the ninth, Joe Iacobucci reached on a throwing error and Jeremy Banks followed with a single. They advanced on Crist's hard grounder up the middle that reliever Kevin Brandt was able to slow down for an out, and Chris Mitko struck out to end the threat.
East Carolina had just three hits in the first eight innings. McCulloh worked around a leadoff double in the second by getting an inning-ending double play. The Pirates had the bases loaded in the sixth, but McCulloh fanned Chase McDonald and got Clark to ground into a fielder's choice.
Youngstown State will play the series finale on Sunday at 1 p.m.
1494
YSU Penguin Athletics / Lady Penguins Battle but Drop Heart-breaker at Wright State, 70-67
« on: February 19, 2011, 10:19:35 PM »
Dayton, Ohio -- The Youngstown State women's basketball team battled all afternoon with the third-place team in the Horizon League but couldn't hang on at Wright State, losing 70-67 in the final 12 seconds.
The Penguins, who also lost by three to the Raiders at home on Jan. 30, had a 67-66 lead with 13 seconds remaining. Maryum Jenkins missed the front end of a one-and-one and fouled WSU's Shaunda Sandifer on the rebound. Sandifer hit both free throws to put the Raiders up 68-67, and Monica Touvelle's 3-point attempt with less than five seconds remaining was blocked by Molly Fox. LaShawna Thomas hit two free throws with 0.9 seconds left, and YSU did not get another shot off.
Thomas scored a career-high 35 points, going 10-for-23 from the field and 13-for-19 from the free-throw line. She missed two free throws with 12 seconds left that would have given Wright State the lead, and Jenkins grabbed the rebound on the second miss to set up the final sequence.
Brandi Brown scored 20 points, and Kenya Middlebrooks hit four 3-pointers en route to 14 points for the Penguins. YSU made four more field goals overall and hit five more threes, but the Penguins were outscored by 16 at the free-throw line and 11 on second-chance points.
YSU shot 42.4 percent overall and was 11-for-29 from 3-point range. Wright State shot 36.8 perdent and was 6-for-19 from beyond the arc.
Thomas added 11 rebounds, and Sandifer finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
The Penguins scored the first 11 points of the game and led 13-2 after making their first five attempts. YSU then missed its next eight shots, and Wright State scored 19 straight points to go up 21-13 with 10:35 left. Bennett had eight points during the run, and Thomas scored the final nine.
Middlebrooks hit two 3-pointers to keep Wright State from pulling away, and a 10-0 run gave the Penguins a 33-32 lead with under a minute remaining. Courtney Boyd hit a deep triple to give Wright State a 35-33 advantage, but Maryum Jenkins nailed a bucket just inside the 3-point arc at the buzzer to tie the score at 35 at halfftime.
The Penguins hit seven 3-pointers on 15 attempts in the opening period but were outscored by six at the free-throw line as only three fouls were called on Wright State. Brown scored 11 points, and Middlebrooks had nine for YSU. Thomas and Maria Bennett had 11 apiece for Wright State.
Jenkins tied the score again at 45 with 15:05 remaining, but Wright State scored the next eight points and went up 53-45 with 13:09 to go. The Raiders still led by eight, 57-49, but Youngstown State made its charge.
Jenkins' steal and lay-up with 6:42 remaining capped a 9-0 run put the Penguins up 61-59. Two Sandifer free throws tied the score at 61 with 5:41 left, and neither team led by more than one until there was 0.9 ticks left.
Thomas hit a jumper to give the Raiders a 66-65 lead with 1:35 left, but Tieara Jones hit an off-balance bucket on YSU's next possession to give the Guins a 67-66 lead with 1:11 left. Neither team scored on its next possession, and Thomas was fouled by Jenkins with 12 seconds left. The senior guard missed both free throw attempts, and Jenkins was fouled to set up the one-and-one situation.
Youngstown State displayed its improvement against the Raiders. The Guins lost by an average of 27.7 points the last three times at the Nutter Center.
Youngstown State plays its final regular-season road game at Cleveland State on Saturday at 4 p.m.
The Penguins, who also lost by three to the Raiders at home on Jan. 30, had a 67-66 lead with 13 seconds remaining. Maryum Jenkins missed the front end of a one-and-one and fouled WSU's Shaunda Sandifer on the rebound. Sandifer hit both free throws to put the Raiders up 68-67, and Monica Touvelle's 3-point attempt with less than five seconds remaining was blocked by Molly Fox. LaShawna Thomas hit two free throws with 0.9 seconds left, and YSU did not get another shot off.
Thomas scored a career-high 35 points, going 10-for-23 from the field and 13-for-19 from the free-throw line. She missed two free throws with 12 seconds left that would have given Wright State the lead, and Jenkins grabbed the rebound on the second miss to set up the final sequence.
Brandi Brown scored 20 points, and Kenya Middlebrooks hit four 3-pointers en route to 14 points for the Penguins. YSU made four more field goals overall and hit five more threes, but the Penguins were outscored by 16 at the free-throw line and 11 on second-chance points.
YSU shot 42.4 percent overall and was 11-for-29 from 3-point range. Wright State shot 36.8 perdent and was 6-for-19 from beyond the arc.
Thomas added 11 rebounds, and Sandifer finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
The Penguins scored the first 11 points of the game and led 13-2 after making their first five attempts. YSU then missed its next eight shots, and Wright State scored 19 straight points to go up 21-13 with 10:35 left. Bennett had eight points during the run, and Thomas scored the final nine.
Middlebrooks hit two 3-pointers to keep Wright State from pulling away, and a 10-0 run gave the Penguins a 33-32 lead with under a minute remaining. Courtney Boyd hit a deep triple to give Wright State a 35-33 advantage, but Maryum Jenkins nailed a bucket just inside the 3-point arc at the buzzer to tie the score at 35 at halfftime.
The Penguins hit seven 3-pointers on 15 attempts in the opening period but were outscored by six at the free-throw line as only three fouls were called on Wright State. Brown scored 11 points, and Middlebrooks had nine for YSU. Thomas and Maria Bennett had 11 apiece for Wright State.
Jenkins tied the score again at 45 with 15:05 remaining, but Wright State scored the next eight points and went up 53-45 with 13:09 to go. The Raiders still led by eight, 57-49, but Youngstown State made its charge.
Jenkins' steal and lay-up with 6:42 remaining capped a 9-0 run put the Penguins up 61-59. Two Sandifer free throws tied the score at 61 with 5:41 left, and neither team led by more than one until there was 0.9 ticks left.
Thomas hit a jumper to give the Raiders a 66-65 lead with 1:35 left, but Tieara Jones hit an off-balance bucket on YSU's next possession to give the Guins a 67-66 lead with 1:11 left. Neither team scored on its next possession, and Thomas was fouled by Jenkins with 12 seconds left. The senior guard missed both free throw attempts, and Jenkins was fouled to set up the one-and-one situation.
Youngstown State displayed its improvement against the Raiders. The Guins lost by an average of 27.7 points the last three times at the Nutter Center.
Youngstown State plays its final regular-season road game at Cleveland State on Saturday at 4 p.m.
1495
YSU Penguin Athletics / Game 2vs ECU
« on: February 19, 2011, 04:33:47 PM »
Well ...after being blown out yesterday, a heart-breaker today 0-1. We did look much better today. McCulloh was good for his first start. However, in the bottom of the 9th, young Manuppelli walked the lead-off, and ECU won with text book play.
-steal second
-bunt to advance to third.
-sac fly to score and win.
-steal second
-bunt to advance to third.
-sac fly to score and win.
1496
YSU Penguin Athletics / Bracketbuster Tonight at Beeghly vs BG
« on: February 19, 2011, 06:47:39 AM »
The Youngstown State men's basketball team (8-18, 2-14 Horizon League) hosts its fifth opponent from the Mid-American Conference when it welcomes Bowling Green (12-14, 7-5 MAC) in the ESPNU-Sears BracketBuster Game on Saturday, Feb. 19. Tipoff is set for 7:05 p.m. at the Beeghly Center.
Tipoff Notes
• This is the 12th meeting between Youngstown State and Bowling Green, but the first since 2004. The Falcons own a 9-2 advantage in the all-time series that dates back to 1939, and have won the last eight contests. In the two most recent meetings, the Falcons defeated the Penguins, 81-59, on Dec. 11, 2004, and 76-64 on Feb. 21, 2004.
• 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 637 career wins.
• With seven 3-pointers made against Detroit on Feb. 16, the Guins broke the school mark of 199 set during the 1997-98 season. The Guins have made 206 3-pointers this season.
• In seven bracketbuster games, the Guins own a 3-4 record. The Guins have won every time they played a bracketbuster game at the Beeghly Center, but have lost every road contest. The Guins' first bracketbuster game was a 76-64 loss to Bowling Green on Feb. 21, 2004.
• With five assists against Detroit on Feb. 16, freshman Kendrick Perry eclipsed the 100-assist mark and has 103 on the season. 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 4.0 assists per game and is tied for the league lead with a 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• 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.
• Junior Ashen Ward leads the team with 44 3-pointers made this season and ranks ninth in the Horizon League with 1.8 3-pointers made per game. He also needs just three more to match his career total of 47 entering the 2010-11 season.
• Senior Vytas Sulskis ranks 17th on the YSU all-time scoring list with 1,263 career points and is just the 18th player in school history to score at least 1,200 points in a career. He needs 26 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.
• Sophomore Damian Eargle leads the Horizon League with 3.0 blocks per game. His 78 blocked shots rank third on the YSU single-season chart. He is also just the second player in school history to post at least 70 blocks in a season. The other was Ricky Tunstall, who did it in 1982-83 and 1983-84. Including his 57 blocks at UNC-Greensboro in the 2008-09 season, Eargle has 135 career blocks in 55 games. His current career average is 2.45 blocks per game.
• Freshman Kendrick Perry is averaging 13 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game over the last eight contests. He is also shooting 55.1 percent (38-of-69) from the field and 36.7 percent (11-of-30) from 3-point range in the last seven games.
• Senior Vytas Sulskis tied a career high with 26 points against Wright State on Feb. 7. He made nine straight field goals and six consective 3-pointers against the Raiders.
• Freshman Kendrick Perry hit the game-winning 3-pointer to lift the Guins over Butler, 62-60, on Feb. 3., and hit a game-tying jumper at the buzzer to force overtime against Valparaiso.
• Senior Vytas Sulskis has appeared in 116 career games which ranks third on the all-time list. His 83 career starts rank eighth and he needs one more to move into seventh.
• Junior Tre Brewer scored a career-high 17 points against Loyola on Jan. 27. Brewer scored all of his points in the second half against the Ramblers.
• With 26 points against Wright State on Feb. 7, senior Vytas Sulskis recorded his sixth 20-point performance of the season.
• The Guins' 10 3-pointers made against Cleveland State on Feb. 12 marked the eighth 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 20 out of 26 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.
• Senior Vytas Sulskis continues to move up the Youngstown State all-time 3-point chart. With a 3-pointer against Detroit on Feb. 16, Sulskis has 39 3-pointers made this season and moved into a tie for third all-time with 165 career 3-pointers. He is tied with Quin Humphrey (165, 2003-07) for third place. Sulskis' season-high for 3-pointers made was 46 in 2007-08.
• 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 9-18 overall.
• Mark YSU's ninth home of the season.
• Mark the program's third win over Bowling Green and the first since 1943.
• Snap an eight-game losing streak to Bowling Green.
• Improve YSU's record against Mid-American Conference opponents to 3-2 this season.
• Mark Head Coach Jerry Slocum's 638th career victory and his 58th at Youngstown State.
• Mark YSU's 992nd victory in the program's history.
The Bowling Green Series
This is the 12th meeting between Youngstown State and Bowling Green, but the first since 2004. The Falcons own a 9-2 advantage in the all-time series that dates back to 1939, and have won the last eight contests. In the two most recent meetings, the Falcons defeated the Penguins, 81-59, on Dec. 11, 2004, and 76-64 on Feb. 21, 2004.
Up Next
The Penguins close out the final week of the regular season with two home contests beginning with a Horizon League matchup against Green Bay, Thursday, Feb. 24, at 7:05 p.m.
Guins in the BracketBuster
In seven bracketbuster games, the Guins own a 3-4 record. The Guins have won every time they played a bracketbuster game at the Beeghly Center, but have lost every road contest. The Guins' first bracketbuster game was a 76-64 loss to Bowling Green on Feb. 21, 2004. The Guins are also 1-2 in bracketbuster games against teams from the Mid-American Conference.
BracketBuster History
2004 at Bowling Green L, 64-76
2005 vs. Eastern Michigan W, 74-60
2006 at Canisius L, 68-75
2007 vs. Eastern Kentucky W, 66-61
2008 at Buffalo L, 82-95
2009 vs. Saint Peter's (N.J.) W, 68-64
2010 at UC-Riverside L, 60-62
Last Time Out
The Guins dropped their final regular season road game of the season with a 91-79 loss to Detroit on Feb. 16. Sophomore Damian Eargle tied a career high with 25 points to go along with 11 rebounds and five blocks. It was Eargle's second double-double of the season. Freshman Kendrick Perry scored 13 points with nine boards while sophomore Blake Allen added 11 points.
Scoring Uprise
The Guins are averaging 68.1 points per game this season, which is the most since the 2005-06 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 12 times this season and own a record of 5-7 in those games. It is also the most times scoring at least 70 since the 2006-07 season.
70 in Four
Over the last four games, the Guins have scored at least 70 points in each contest. It is the first time a YSU squad has scored 70 points in four straight games since the 2000-01 season when the Guins scored at least 70 in seven consecutive games from Jan. 13 to Feb. 8, 2001.
New 3-Point Record
With seven 3-pointers made against Detroit on Feb. 16, the Penguins broke the single-season 3-point record of 199 set by the 1997-98 team. The Guins have made 206 3-pointers so far this season. The Guins also set a single-game record with 35 3-point field-goal attempts against the Titans.
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
With five assists against Detroit on Feb. 16, freshman Kendrick Perry eclipsed the 100-assist mark and has 103 on the season. 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 4.0 assists per game and is tied for the league lead with a 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Ward Taking Aim
Junior Ashen Ward leads the team with 44 3-pointers made this season and ranks ninth in the Horizon League with 1.8 3-pointers made per game. He also needs just three more to match his career total of 47 entering the 2010-11 season.
February Close Encounters
In the last 13 games the Guins have played in the month of February, 10 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 12 games have been decided by five-points or less and eight have been decided by 10 points or less. The Guins own records of 1-4 and 1-7 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 637 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 165 assists and committed just 78 turnovers for an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.1. Allen and Perry are tied for the league lead with a 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Sulskis Nearing 16th
Senior Vytas Sulskis ranks 17th on the YSU all-time scoring list with 1,263 career points and is just the 18th player in school history to score at least 1,200 points in a career. He needs 26 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 78 blocked shots rank third on the single-season list. Only Ricky Tunstall, in 1982-83 and 1983-84, has blocked more shots in a season. With two more blocks he will become just the second player in school to post at least 80 blocks in a season. He needs just six more to move into second place on the single-season list with 84. Tunstall blocked 83 shots in the 1982-83 season. Including his 57 blocks at UNC-Greensboro in the 2008-09 season, Eargle has 135 career blocks in 54 games. His current career average is 2.45 blocks per game.
Penguin Block Party
As a team, the Guins have 130 blocks, doubling the 65 by their opponents. It also ranks as the second most in school history - just 37 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.
Ward Had Career Night
Junior Ashen Ward turned in a career performance against UIC on Dec. 30. Ward scored a career-high 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field and 7-of-10 shooting from 3-point range. Ward set career highs in points, field-goals made and 3-point field-goals made. His seven 3-pointers made rank tied for fourth-most made in a single-game. The school record is 11 by Mike Alcorn against Pitt-Bradford on Feb. 24, 1992. It was also the most 3-pointers made since Quin Humphrey made eight against Detroit on Feb. 14, 2007.
Sulskis Tied for Third
Senior Vytas Sulskis continues to move up the Youngstown State all-time 3-point chart. With a 3-pointer against Detroit on Feb. 16, Sulskis has 39 3-pointers made this season and moved into a tie for third all-time with 165 career 3-pointers. He is tied with Quin Humphrey (165, 2003-07) for third place. Sulskis' season-high for 3-pointers made was 46 in 2007-08.
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.
Tipoff Notes
• This is the 12th meeting between Youngstown State and Bowling Green, but the first since 2004. The Falcons own a 9-2 advantage in the all-time series that dates back to 1939, and have won the last eight contests. In the two most recent meetings, the Falcons defeated the Penguins, 81-59, on Dec. 11, 2004, and 76-64 on Feb. 21, 2004.
• 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 637 career wins.
• With seven 3-pointers made against Detroit on Feb. 16, the Guins broke the school mark of 199 set during the 1997-98 season. The Guins have made 206 3-pointers this season.
• In seven bracketbuster games, the Guins own a 3-4 record. The Guins have won every time they played a bracketbuster game at the Beeghly Center, but have lost every road contest. The Guins' first bracketbuster game was a 76-64 loss to Bowling Green on Feb. 21, 2004.
• With five assists against Detroit on Feb. 16, freshman Kendrick Perry eclipsed the 100-assist mark and has 103 on the season. 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 4.0 assists per game and is tied for the league lead with a 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• 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.
• Junior Ashen Ward leads the team with 44 3-pointers made this season and ranks ninth in the Horizon League with 1.8 3-pointers made per game. He also needs just three more to match his career total of 47 entering the 2010-11 season.
• Senior Vytas Sulskis ranks 17th on the YSU all-time scoring list with 1,263 career points and is just the 18th player in school history to score at least 1,200 points in a career. He needs 26 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.
• Sophomore Damian Eargle leads the Horizon League with 3.0 blocks per game. His 78 blocked shots rank third on the YSU single-season chart. He is also just the second player in school history to post at least 70 blocks in a season. The other was Ricky Tunstall, who did it in 1982-83 and 1983-84. Including his 57 blocks at UNC-Greensboro in the 2008-09 season, Eargle has 135 career blocks in 55 games. His current career average is 2.45 blocks per game.
• Freshman Kendrick Perry is averaging 13 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game over the last eight contests. He is also shooting 55.1 percent (38-of-69) from the field and 36.7 percent (11-of-30) from 3-point range in the last seven games.
• Senior Vytas Sulskis tied a career high with 26 points against Wright State on Feb. 7. He made nine straight field goals and six consective 3-pointers against the Raiders.
• Freshman Kendrick Perry hit the game-winning 3-pointer to lift the Guins over Butler, 62-60, on Feb. 3., and hit a game-tying jumper at the buzzer to force overtime against Valparaiso.
• Senior Vytas Sulskis has appeared in 116 career games which ranks third on the all-time list. His 83 career starts rank eighth and he needs one more to move into seventh.
• Junior Tre Brewer scored a career-high 17 points against Loyola on Jan. 27. Brewer scored all of his points in the second half against the Ramblers.
• With 26 points against Wright State on Feb. 7, senior Vytas Sulskis recorded his sixth 20-point performance of the season.
• The Guins' 10 3-pointers made against Cleveland State on Feb. 12 marked the eighth 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 20 out of 26 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.
• Senior Vytas Sulskis continues to move up the Youngstown State all-time 3-point chart. With a 3-pointer against Detroit on Feb. 16, Sulskis has 39 3-pointers made this season and moved into a tie for third all-time with 165 career 3-pointers. He is tied with Quin Humphrey (165, 2003-07) for third place. Sulskis' season-high for 3-pointers made was 46 in 2007-08.
• 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 9-18 overall.
• Mark YSU's ninth home of the season.
• Mark the program's third win over Bowling Green and the first since 1943.
• Snap an eight-game losing streak to Bowling Green.
• Improve YSU's record against Mid-American Conference opponents to 3-2 this season.
• Mark Head Coach Jerry Slocum's 638th career victory and his 58th at Youngstown State.
• Mark YSU's 992nd victory in the program's history.
The Bowling Green Series
This is the 12th meeting between Youngstown State and Bowling Green, but the first since 2004. The Falcons own a 9-2 advantage in the all-time series that dates back to 1939, and have won the last eight contests. In the two most recent meetings, the Falcons defeated the Penguins, 81-59, on Dec. 11, 2004, and 76-64 on Feb. 21, 2004.
Up Next
The Penguins close out the final week of the regular season with two home contests beginning with a Horizon League matchup against Green Bay, Thursday, Feb. 24, at 7:05 p.m.
Guins in the BracketBuster
In seven bracketbuster games, the Guins own a 3-4 record. The Guins have won every time they played a bracketbuster game at the Beeghly Center, but have lost every road contest. The Guins' first bracketbuster game was a 76-64 loss to Bowling Green on Feb. 21, 2004. The Guins are also 1-2 in bracketbuster games against teams from the Mid-American Conference.
BracketBuster History
2004 at Bowling Green L, 64-76
2005 vs. Eastern Michigan W, 74-60
2006 at Canisius L, 68-75
2007 vs. Eastern Kentucky W, 66-61
2008 at Buffalo L, 82-95
2009 vs. Saint Peter's (N.J.) W, 68-64
2010 at UC-Riverside L, 60-62
Last Time Out
The Guins dropped their final regular season road game of the season with a 91-79 loss to Detroit on Feb. 16. Sophomore Damian Eargle tied a career high with 25 points to go along with 11 rebounds and five blocks. It was Eargle's second double-double of the season. Freshman Kendrick Perry scored 13 points with nine boards while sophomore Blake Allen added 11 points.
Scoring Uprise
The Guins are averaging 68.1 points per game this season, which is the most since the 2005-06 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 12 times this season and own a record of 5-7 in those games. It is also the most times scoring at least 70 since the 2006-07 season.
70 in Four
Over the last four games, the Guins have scored at least 70 points in each contest. It is the first time a YSU squad has scored 70 points in four straight games since the 2000-01 season when the Guins scored at least 70 in seven consecutive games from Jan. 13 to Feb. 8, 2001.
New 3-Point Record
With seven 3-pointers made against Detroit on Feb. 16, the Penguins broke the single-season 3-point record of 199 set by the 1997-98 team. The Guins have made 206 3-pointers so far this season. The Guins also set a single-game record with 35 3-point field-goal attempts against the Titans.
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
With five assists against Detroit on Feb. 16, freshman Kendrick Perry eclipsed the 100-assist mark and has 103 on the season. 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 4.0 assists per game and is tied for the league lead with a 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Ward Taking Aim
Junior Ashen Ward leads the team with 44 3-pointers made this season and ranks ninth in the Horizon League with 1.8 3-pointers made per game. He also needs just three more to match his career total of 47 entering the 2010-11 season.
February Close Encounters
In the last 13 games the Guins have played in the month of February, 10 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 12 games have been decided by five-points or less and eight have been decided by 10 points or less. The Guins own records of 1-4 and 1-7 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 637 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 165 assists and committed just 78 turnovers for an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.1. Allen and Perry are tied for the league lead with a 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Sulskis Nearing 16th
Senior Vytas Sulskis ranks 17th on the YSU all-time scoring list with 1,263 career points and is just the 18th player in school history to score at least 1,200 points in a career. He needs 26 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 78 blocked shots rank third on the single-season list. Only Ricky Tunstall, in 1982-83 and 1983-84, has blocked more shots in a season. With two more blocks he will become just the second player in school to post at least 80 blocks in a season. He needs just six more to move into second place on the single-season list with 84. Tunstall blocked 83 shots in the 1982-83 season. Including his 57 blocks at UNC-Greensboro in the 2008-09 season, Eargle has 135 career blocks in 54 games. His current career average is 2.45 blocks per game.
Penguin Block Party
As a team, the Guins have 130 blocks, doubling the 65 by their opponents. It also ranks as the second most in school history - just 37 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.
Ward Had Career Night
Junior Ashen Ward turned in a career performance against UIC on Dec. 30. Ward scored a career-high 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field and 7-of-10 shooting from 3-point range. Ward set career highs in points, field-goals made and 3-point field-goals made. His seven 3-pointers made rank tied for fourth-most made in a single-game. The school record is 11 by Mike Alcorn against Pitt-Bradford on Feb. 24, 1992. It was also the most 3-pointers made since Quin Humphrey made eight against Detroit on Feb. 14, 2007.
Sulskis Tied for Third
Senior Vytas Sulskis continues to move up the Youngstown State all-time 3-point chart. With a 3-pointer against Detroit on Feb. 16, Sulskis has 39 3-pointers made this season and moved into a tie for third all-time with 165 career 3-pointers. He is tied with Quin Humphrey (165, 2003-07) for third place. Sulskis' season-high for 3-pointers made was 46 in 2007-08.
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.
1497
YSU Penguin Athletics / Guins baseball starts today!
« on: February 18, 2011, 10:31:29 AM »
Opening weekend for the guin hard-ballers. Good luck. We are so young this year. I was surprised not to see a group of young players from Fitch and Canfield, but we have two from power-house Cathedral Latin. Several frosh from PA as well. Always nice to see kids from Hickory, we have had a great run of players from there. Couple of young guys to watch:
-David Leon was Horizon new-comer two years ago, then red-shirted last year. I hope it was not a serious injury. He is tough.
-Dan Hurlimann out of Rochester NY, was first-team all region . .588 as a junior & .386 as a senior. Switch-hitter.
-Nic Manuppelli out of PA is a right-hander. He played on the Allegheny elite team. averaged almost 1-strikeout per inning.
-Chris Mitko played down here in Columbus at Northland ...batted .688 last year.
I wish we had some more experience, but I am excited either way. This is Pasqual's first really large recruiting class, and many of them are going to have to play.
-David Leon was Horizon new-comer two years ago, then red-shirted last year. I hope it was not a serious injury. He is tough.
-Dan Hurlimann out of Rochester NY, was first-team all region . .588 as a junior & .386 as a senior. Switch-hitter.
-Nic Manuppelli out of PA is a right-hander. He played on the Allegheny elite team. averaged almost 1-strikeout per inning.
-Chris Mitko played down here in Columbus at Northland ...batted .688 last year.
I wish we had some more experience, but I am excited either way. This is Pasqual's first really large recruiting class, and many of them are going to have to play.
1498
YSU Penguin Athletics / Eargle Scores Career-High, But Guins Fall 91-79 at Detroit
« on: February 17, 2011, 06:51:21 AM »
Detroit -- Detroit outscored the Youngstown State men's basketball team 18-6 over the final eight minutes of the first half and held off a late charge to win 91-79 on Wednesday evening at Calihan Hall.
YSU's largest deficit was 23 with 16 minutes remaining, but the Guins trimmed that down to 15 with 12:25 left. The margin was eventually down to nine with 2:17 left following a 17-7 run, but that's as close as the Guins would get.
Damian Eargle matched a career high with 25 points, and the sophomore forward added 11 rebounds and five blocks. All three of those stats were game highs as well.
The Penguins trailed just 30-25 with 8:04 remaining in the first half, but they had just two more field goals the rest of the period and missed its final six attempts from beyond the 3-point arc. That helped Detroit take a 48-31 lead at halftime.
Detroit improved to 15-14 overall and 9-8 in Horizon League play while YSU fell to 8-18 and 2-14.
The Penguins shot 36.8 percent for the game and were just 7-for-35 beyond the 3-point arc. Ironically, YSU broke the previous school record for 3-pointers in a season when Ashen Ward hit a triple with 14:29 remaining in the first period. The Penguins now have 206 treys on the season, surpassing the previous mark of 199 set during the 1997-98 season.
Detroit shot 47.5 percent overall and 57.1 percent in the first half. Five players scored in double figures, led by 24 points from Nick Minnerath. Ray McCallum added 14 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.
Through 10 minutes, neither team led by more than four, and the game featured five ties and four lead changes. Dan Boudler's free throw gave the Penguins a 15-11 advantage with 13:52 on the clock. Detroit went on a 9-2 run to go up 20-17 on a Nick Mick Minnerath bucket, but a three-point play by Eargle tied the score at 20-20 with 10:57 left.
Detroit went on an 8-0 run to go up 30-21, and, after YSU cut it to 30-25, the Titans scored seven straight points to take a 37-25 advantage. A Blake Allen lay-up cut the deficit to 10 with just under four minutes left, but Detroit hit three triples in the final 2:17 of the half to take a 48-31 lead at halftime.
The Titans led 75-56 with 8:16 remaining, but that's when YSU made its run. DuShawn Brooks and Eargle had four points apiece, and Kendrick Perry hit a triple with 2:17 to get the margin to single digits for the first time of the period at 82-73. Perry missed the front end of a one-and-one on YSU's next possession, and he missed a 3-pointer with 1:34 left that would have cut the game to two possessions. Detroit went on to score six of the next nine points.
Youngstown State returns to Beeghly Center to face Bowling Green on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. as part of the ESPNU BracketBusters.
YSU's largest deficit was 23 with 16 minutes remaining, but the Guins trimmed that down to 15 with 12:25 left. The margin was eventually down to nine with 2:17 left following a 17-7 run, but that's as close as the Guins would get.
Damian Eargle matched a career high with 25 points, and the sophomore forward added 11 rebounds and five blocks. All three of those stats were game highs as well.
The Penguins trailed just 30-25 with 8:04 remaining in the first half, but they had just two more field goals the rest of the period and missed its final six attempts from beyond the 3-point arc. That helped Detroit take a 48-31 lead at halftime.
Detroit improved to 15-14 overall and 9-8 in Horizon League play while YSU fell to 8-18 and 2-14.
The Penguins shot 36.8 percent for the game and were just 7-for-35 beyond the 3-point arc. Ironically, YSU broke the previous school record for 3-pointers in a season when Ashen Ward hit a triple with 14:29 remaining in the first period. The Penguins now have 206 treys on the season, surpassing the previous mark of 199 set during the 1997-98 season.
Detroit shot 47.5 percent overall and 57.1 percent in the first half. Five players scored in double figures, led by 24 points from Nick Minnerath. Ray McCallum added 14 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.
Through 10 minutes, neither team led by more than four, and the game featured five ties and four lead changes. Dan Boudler's free throw gave the Penguins a 15-11 advantage with 13:52 on the clock. Detroit went on a 9-2 run to go up 20-17 on a Nick Mick Minnerath bucket, but a three-point play by Eargle tied the score at 20-20 with 10:57 left.
Detroit went on an 8-0 run to go up 30-21, and, after YSU cut it to 30-25, the Titans scored seven straight points to take a 37-25 advantage. A Blake Allen lay-up cut the deficit to 10 with just under four minutes left, but Detroit hit three triples in the final 2:17 of the half to take a 48-31 lead at halftime.
The Titans led 75-56 with 8:16 remaining, but that's when YSU made its run. DuShawn Brooks and Eargle had four points apiece, and Kendrick Perry hit a triple with 2:17 to get the margin to single digits for the first time of the period at 82-73. Perry missed the front end of a one-and-one on YSU's next possession, and he missed a 3-pointer with 1:34 left that would have cut the game to two possessions. Detroit went on to score six of the next nine points.
Youngstown State returns to Beeghly Center to face Bowling Green on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. as part of the ESPNU BracketBusters.
1499
YSU Penguin Athletics / Davis, Hamilton Earned Horizon League Runners of the Week Honors
« on: February 16, 2011, 06:20:48 AM »
Youngstown State University track athletes Michael Davis and Samantha Hamilton were named Horizon League Runners of the Week for the week of Feb. 14 following their performances at the Akron Invitational.
Davis placed fourth overall in the 60m, finishing the race in a league-best 6.88 seconds. His time ranks fifth in YSU's record books. He also ran the 200m in a time of 22.18 seconds, which is just shy of his season-best time of 21.98.
Hamilton set a new school record in the mile with a time of 4:56.21 to finish sixth in the gold division. This is also the fourth-best mile time in the Horizon League this indoor season. The previous YSU record was 5:00.99 set by Lauren Blasé in 2010.
The Penguins will compete at the Kent State Tune Up on Feb. 18-19 and will host the Horizon League Indoor Championship meet on Feb. 26-27.
Davis placed fourth overall in the 60m, finishing the race in a league-best 6.88 seconds. His time ranks fifth in YSU's record books. He also ran the 200m in a time of 22.18 seconds, which is just shy of his season-best time of 21.98.
Hamilton set a new school record in the mile with a time of 4:56.21 to finish sixth in the gold division. This is also the fourth-best mile time in the Horizon League this indoor season. The previous YSU record was 5:00.99 set by Lauren Blasé in 2010.
The Penguins will compete at the Kent State Tune Up on Feb. 18-19 and will host the Horizon League Indoor Championship meet on Feb. 26-27.
1500
YSU Penguin Athletics / Preview: Men’s Basketball Visits Detroit for Final Regular Season Road Game
« on: February 16, 2011, 06:19:01 AM »Men’s Basketball Visits Detroit for Final Regular Season Road Game
[/size]The Youngstown State men's basketball team (8-17, 2-13 Horizon League) plays its final regular-season road game when it visits Detroit (14-14, 8-8 Horizon League) on Wednesday, Feb. 16. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at Calihan Hall in Detroit, Mich.
Tipoff Notes
• This is the 29th meeting between Youngstown State and Detroit in a series that dates back to 1953. The Titans own a 21-7 advantage in the all-time series and have won the last four contests. The Penguins had won five straight before dropping the last four. The Penguins' last win against the Titans was an 80-78 victory in Detroit on Jan. 1, 2009. In the last meeting at Calihan Hall, Detroit walked away with an 82-71 victory on Dec. 3, 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 637 career wins.
• With 10 3-pointers made against Cleveland State on Feb. 12, the Guins tied the school mark of 199 set during the 1997-98 season.
• Junior Ashen Ward leads the team with 43 3-pointers made this season and ranks ninth in the Horizon League with 1.8 3-pointers made per game. He also needs just four more to match his career total of 47 entering the 2010-11 season.
• Senior Vytas Sulskis ranks tied for 17th on the YSU all-time scoring list with 1,255 career points and is just the 18th player in school history to score at least 1,200 points in a career. He needs 34 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.
• Freshman Kendrick Perry ranks fourth in Horizon League with 3.9 assists per game and second in the league with a 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Sophomore Damian Eargle leads the Horizon League with 2.9 blocks per game. His 73 blocked shots rank third on the YSU single-season chart. He is also just the second player in school history to post at least 70 blocks in a season. The other was Ricky Tunstall, who did it in 1982-83 and 1983-84. Including his 57 blocks at UNC-Greensboro in the 2008-09 season, Eargle has 130 career blocks in 54 games. His current career average is 2.41 blocks per game.
• Freshman Kendrick Perry is averaging 13 points and 5.1 assists per game over the last seven contests. He is also shooting 57.4 percent (35-of-61) from the field and 40 percent (10-of-25) from 3-point range in the last seven games.
• Senior Vytas Sulskis tied a career high with 26 points against Wright State on Feb. 7. He made nine straight field goals and six consective 3-pointers against the Raiders.
• Freshman Kendrick Perry hit the game-winning 3-pointer to lift the Guins over Butler, 62-60, on Feb. 3., and hit a game-tying jumper at the buzzer to force overtime against Valparaiso.
• Senior Vytas Sulskis has appeared in 115 career games which ranks third on the all-time list. His 82 career starts rank tied for eighth and he needs two more to move into seventh.
• Junior Tre Brewer scored a career-high 17 points against Loyola on Jan. 27. Brewer scored all of his points in the second half against the Ramblers.
• With 26 points against Wright State on Feb. 7, senior Vytas Sulskis recorded his sixth 20-point performance of the season.
• The Guins' 10 3-pointers made against Cleveland State on Feb. 12 marked the eighth time this season they have made at least 10 3-poitners in a game. The Guins have also tried at least 20 3-pointers in 19 out of 25 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.
• Senior Vytas Sulskis continues to move up the Youngstown State all-time 3-point chart. With three 3-pointers against Cleveland State on Feb. 12, Sulskis ranks fourth all-time with 164 career 3-pointers. Sulskis' season-high for 3-pointers made was 46 in 2007-08. He needs two more to pass Quin Humphrey (165, 2003-07) for third place.
• 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 9-17 overall and 3-13 in the Horizon League.
• Mark YSU's first road win of the season.
• Mark the program's eighth win over Detroit and the first since 2009.
• Snap a four-game losing streak to Detroit.
• Mark Head Coach Jerry Slocum's 638th career victory and his 58th at Youngstown State.
• Mark YSU's 992nd victory in the program's history.
The Detroit Series
This is the 29th meeting between Youngstown State and Detroit in a series that dates back to 1953. The Titans own a 21-7 advantage in the all-time series and have won the last four contests. The Penguins had won five straight before dropping the last four. The Penguins' last win against the Titans was an 80-78 victory in Detroit on Jan. 1, 2009. The only other time the Guins won in Calihan Hall was a 70-66 victory on Jan. 12, 2008. In the last meeting at Calihan Hall, Detroit walked away with an 82-71 victory on Dec. 3, 2009.
Last Meeting With Detroit
Senior Vytas Sulskis and Blake Allen each scored a team-high 15 points while freshman Kendrick Perry added 13 points off the bench, but the Guins dropped a hard-fought 73-69 loss to the Titans. The Guins shot just 42.9 percent from the free-throw line converting just 6-of-14 attempts.
Up Next
The Penguins return home to Bowling Green in the ESPNU-Sears Bracketbuster game on Saturday, Feb. 19. Tipoff is slated for 7:05 p.m. at the Beeghly Center.
Guins Tie Single-Season 3-Point Record
With 10 3-pointers made against Cleveland State on Feb. 12, the Guins tied the school mark of 199 set during the 1997-98 season. With the next 3-pointer made, the 2010-11 squad will become the first team in school history to make 200 3-pointers in a season. The Guins also lead the Horizon League with 7.96 3-pointers made per game.
Perry One of Tops in Horizon League
Freshman Kendrick Perry ranks fourth in Horizon League with 3.9 assists per game and second in the league with a 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Ward Taking Aim
Junior Ashen Ward leads the team with 43 3-pointers made this season and ranks ninth in the Horizon League with 1.8 3-pointers made per game. He also needs just four more to match his career total of 47 entering the 2010-11 season.
February Close Encounters
In the last 12 games the Guins have played in the month of February, 10 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.
Perry Nearing Century Mark
Freshman Kendrick Perry currently ranks fourth in the Horizon League with 3.9 assists per game and has 98 total assists this season. With two more assists by Perry, it will mark the third straight season a YSU player has recorded at least 100 assists in a season. It will also be the fifth time in the last six seasons that a Penguin has eclipsed the 100-assist mark.
Close Shaves
Since the Guins' Jan. 9 game at Butler, five of the last 10 games have been decided by five-points or less and eight have been decided by 10 points or less. The Guins own records of 1-4 and 1-7 in those games, respectively.
Last Time Out
Sophomore Damian Eargle led four player sscoring in double figures with 22 points, but the Guins dropped an 86-76 decision to Cleveland State on Feb. 12. Junior Ashen Ward scored 15 points while senior Vytas Sulskis and junior DuShawn Brooks added 11 and 10 points, 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 637 career coaching victories.
KP3 in the Clutch
Freshman Kendrick Perry has been one of the Penguins' clutch performers over the last seven games. Perry is averaging 13 points and 5.1 assists per game over the last seven contests. He is also shooting 57.4 percent (35-of-61) from the field and 40 percent (10-of-25) from 3-point range in the last seven games. He also made a game-winning 3-pointer with 20.9 seconds left, and hit a game-tying jumper at the buzzer to force overtime against Valparaiso.
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 155 assists and committed just 74 turnovers for an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.1. Allen and Perry are tied for the league lead with a 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Sulskis Nearing 16th
Senior Vytas Sulskis ranks tied for 17th on the YSU all-time scoring list with 1,255 career points and is just the 18th player in school history to score at least 1,200 points in a career. He needs 34 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 73 blocked shots rank third on the single-season list. Only Ricky Tunstall, in 1982-83 and 1983-84, has blocked more shots in a season. He is also just the second player in school history to record at least 70 blocks in a season. Including his 57 blocks at UNC-Greensboro in the 2008-09 season, Eargle has 130 career blocks in 54 games. His current career average is 2.41 blocks per game.
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.
Eargle Leads League
Sophomore Damian Eargle leads the Horizon League with 2.9 blocks per game. He has collected 65 over the last 22 games, including a career-high six against Wright State on Jan. 20, Malone on Dec. 13 and Toledo on Nov. 24. Eargle also has 73 of the Guins' 122 blocks on the season.
Ward Had Career Night
Junior Ashen Ward turned in a career performance against UIC on Dec. 30. Ward scored a career-high 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field and 7-of-10 shooting from 3-point range. Ward set career highs in points, field-goals made and 3-point field-goals made. His seven 3-pointers made rank tied for fourth-most made in a single-game. The school record is 11 by Mike Alcorn against Pitt-Bradford on Feb. 24, 1992. It was also the most 3-pointers made since Quin Humphrey made eight against Detroit on Feb. 14, 2007.
Sulskis Climbing 3-Point Chart
Senior Vytas Sulskis continues to move up the Youngstown State all-time 3-point chart. With three 3-pointers against Cleveland State on Feb. 12, Sulskis ranks fourth all-time with 164 career 3-pointers. He has made 38 3-pointers this season and needs two more to pass Quin Humphrey (165, 2003-07) for third place. Sulskis' season-high for 3-pointers made was 46 in 2007-08.
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.