| Men at Loyola, and Women to Valpo Tonight |
| Thursday, January 31 2008 |
| Courtesy of: |
| he Youngstown State men’s basketball team has the opportunity to take both games of the regular-season series from Loyola and UIC this week as the Penguins travel to Chicago, Ill.. First, YSU takes on Loyola on Thursday night at 8 o’clock Eastern time at the Gentile Center. The game will be carried live in Youngstown on 570 WKBN and on the HLN. Youngstown State (7-13 overall and 3-7 in the Horizon League) will be looking to snap a four-game losing skid on Thursday night. YSU is coming off a 66-58 loss at Green Bay last Saturday. The Penguins led by nine points in the first half and were within one point on two occasions in the second half, but could not get over the hump. Freshman Vytas Sulskis scored a game-high 19 points while Byron Davis had 16 and Jack Liles contributed 12. The Guins were 16-of-17 (94.1 percent) from the free-throw line. Loyola (7-13 and 3-7) pulled off a come-from-behind 65-63 at Valparaiso on Saturday. The Ramblers trailed 63-57 with just under two minutes remaining, but hung in the game and earned the victory on J.R. Blount’s basket with four seconds remaining. Blount finished with 19 in the contest while his winning layup gave him 1,001 career points. The Penguins defeated the Ramblers 71-61 at the Beeghly Center on Jan. 5. However, YSU has won just one time since dropping six of its last seven contests. In the Jan. 5 contest, Loyola made seven more field goals, but the Guins made five more 3-pointers and were 23-of-30 from the free-throw line while LU was 4-of-7. YSU held an 18-point halftime advantage, but the Ramblers tied the game midway through the second half. YSU is at UIC (10-10 and 4-5) on Saturday night at the UIC Pavilion. ----------------- Youngstown State (9-9, 4-3 Horizon League) renews an old rivalry with its second of three-straight crucial road contests when it visits Valparaiso, Thursday, Jan. 31. Tipoff is slated for 8:05 p.m. at the Athletics and Recreation Center in Valparaiso, Ind. The Penguins are in search of their first league road win and their first road victory since a 58-57 win at Saint Francis (Pa.) on Dec. 1. The Crusaders (9-9, 4-3 Horizon League) have won six of seven games at home and are looking to climb above the .500 mark for the first time since Jan. 10. The Penguins and Crusaders are tied for fourth place with Wright State in the Horizon League standings with 4-3 league marks. |
| Penguins Start Strong, But Come Up Short at Green Bay |
| Sunday, January 27 2008 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Green Bay, Wis. -- A solid first-half effort and a 16-of-17 performance from the free-throw line was almost enough, but the Youngstown State men's basketball team suffered a 66-58 defeat to Green Bay at the Resch Center on Saturday afternoon. The Penguins (7-13 overall and 3-7 in the Horizon League) built a 33-24 first half lead. However, the Phoenix (11-8 and 5-4) went on a 20-4 run to take a 44-37 lead early in the second half. YSU regrouped and was able to get within 46-45 with 12:17 remaining in the contest. Freshman Vytas Sulskis made the first of two free throws to cut the deficit to one, but missed the second, YSU's only miss from the Charity stripe the entire game. Again, YSU crept within 52-51 with 7:08 on a three-point play by Byron Davis. Green Bay clamped down defensively holding the Guins scoreless for the next 5:16 to earn its second straight win. The Phoenix scored the next six points to go in front 58-51 with 2:11 left. The Guins ended their drought on a Sulskis basket, but were only able to get within four the remainder of the contest. For the game, YSU shot 38 percent making 19-of-50 attempts while UWGB was 23-of-52 from the field (44.2 percent). At the line, the Penguins shot a season-best 94.1 percent while the Phoenix were 16-of-20. Sulskis finished with a game-high 19 points, 13 of which came in the opening half. Byron Davis finished with 16 and Jack Liles came off the bench for the first time this season to finish with 12 points. Leading the way for Green Bay was Ryan Tillema who had 14 while Mike Schactner and Ramon Fletcher each finished with 11. Fletcher combined with Terry Evans to go 8-for-8 from the free-throw line the final 1:17. In the first half, YSU led 33-24 with 1:39 left before UWGB scored the final seven points of the half. The Penguins continue their road swing next Thursday play at Loyola. Tipoff at the Gentile Center is set for 8 p.m. Eastern time. |
| Davis Scores 22 As YSU Comeback Bid Falls Short |
| Friday, January 25 2008 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Milwaukee, Wis. -- Senior guard Byron Davis scored 22 points and the Youngstown State men's basketball team chopped a 14-point second half deficit to three, but the Penguins could never get over the hump dropping a 76-69 decision to Milwaukee at the U.S. Cellular Arena on Thursday night. YSU, which shot better than its opponent from the field for the third straight game, trailed 57-43 with just under 13 minutes remaining in the game. However, the Penguins (7-12 overall and 3-6 in the Horizon League) fought back to within 64-61 on a Vytas Sulskis 3-pointer with 6:14 left. But that was as close as the Guins could get as the Panthers (11-8 and 6-3) scored the next seven points to go ahead 71-61 at the 4:39 mark. In the final 5:51 of the contest, UWM made just one field goal, but made 10 free throws to maintain the lead and earn a season sweep of YSU. Senior forward John Barber scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for his third double-double of the season and seventh of his career. Freshman Vytas Sulskis had 15 points and seven rebounds in a losing effort. Senior forward Dwight Holmes had a solid night off the bench scoring eight points while grabbing three boards in 20 minutes. Leading the way for Milwaukee was Paige Paulsen who finished with a game-high 24 points. Overall, the Panthers had five players finished in double figures. UWM's Marcus Skinner joined Barber in the double-double column scoring 16 points while grabbing 12 boards, seven of which came on the offense glass. For the game, YSU shot 47.3 percent making 26-of-55 opportunities while UWM shot just 39.1 percent (25-of-64). The Panthers outscored the Guins 20-9 from the free-throw line while outrebounding YSU 46-32, including 17-4 on the offensive end. Both teams combined for just 14 turnovers in the contest. YSU returns to action on Saturday afternoon with a contest at Green Bay. Tipoff between the Penguins and Phoenix is set for 2:05 p.m. Eastern time at the Resch Center. |
| Despite Liles' 21 Penguins Fall to No. 12 Butler, 78-69 |
| Saturday, January 19 2008 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Youngstown -- Junior forward Jack Liles scored a career-high 21 points and the Youngstown State men's basketball team shot 51 percent from the field, but the Penguins could not overcome 12th-ranked Butler's 11 3-pointers dropping a 78-69 decision on Saturday night at the Beeghly Center. Senior Byron Davis scored 16 points and senior John Barber contributed 15 points and eight rebounds. After falling behind by 15, the Guins stormed and got within eight, 54-46, after a three-point play by Liles capped a 9-2 run. Butler answered with its own 12-0 after two triples by Pete Campbell and two more by A.J. Graves and expanded its advantage back to 66-46 at the eight-minute mark. The Penguins (7-11 overall and 3-5 in the Horizon League) came out strong to opened the second half strong scoring 11 of the first 13 points and cutting the Butler lead to nine, 42-33, after a 3-pointer by Davis at the 16:28 mark. Three-pointers from Butler's Drew Streicher and Julian Betko and a lay up by Matt Howard ballooned the Bulldogs edge back to 50-35 with 14:52 left. During the first five minutes of the contest the Guins held their own against the 12th-ranked team in the nation. A 3-pointer from A.J. Graves out the Bulldogs ahead 9-4, but Barber nailed a jumper and a 3-pointer and Davis lay up gave the Penguins an 11-9 lead with 13:54 left. Butler (17-2 and 6-2) used a 26-4 run in a 10-minute span in the first half to turn a one-point deficit into a 20-point advantage, 35-15, with 3:54 remaining. Butler, which shot 50 percent in the first half, took an 18-point lead, 40-22, into the locker room at halftime. Youngstown State returns to action at Milwaukee on Thursday, Jan. 24. Tipoff at U.S. Cellular Arena is set for 8 p.m. |
| Solid Defensive Effort Not Enough in 67-61 Loss to Valpo |
| Friday, January 18 2008 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Youngstown -- The Youngstown State men's basketball team had three players in double figures and held Valparaiso to just 36.7 percent shooting, but it wasn't enough as the Penguins lost to the Crusaders 67-61 at the Beeghly Center on Thursday night. Byron Davis had a game-high 23 points, John Barber added 18 points and Jack Liles contributed 13 in a losing effort. For Valpo, Brandon McPherson scored 20 points while Shawn Huff and Bryan Bouchie both finished with 15. Valpo improved to 13-5 overall and 4-2 in the Horizon League while YSU drops to 7-10 and 3-4. The Crusaders entered the game averaging 74.1 points and was shooting 47 percent from the field for the season. Valpo shot just 38.6 percent on Thursday. Both teams struggled to find their shooting touches in the first half combining to make 16-of-59 field goal attempts and 4-20 from 3-point range. The Penguins held a 22-20 edge at the break despite shooting 32.1 percent. In the second half, YSU led 31-29 on a basket by Barber, but Bouchie answered with consecutive buckets with 14:11 remaining and the Crusaders never trailed again. McPherson's 3-pointer and Shawn Huff's basket gave Valpo a 59-51 lead with 1:39 remaining. Davis' layup cut the deficit to six before Urule Igbavboa made two free throws with 58 seconds remaining to make the score 61-53. Vytas Sulskis got a friendly role on a 3-pointer and after a Valpo turnover, Davis drained a tripe to get the Guins within 61-59 with 23 seconds remaining. Two Igbavboa free throws pushed the margin to four before Davis again answered with a layup. After Jake Diebler made two free throws, YSU turned the ball over with 13 seconds remaining and could get no closer. For the contest, Valpo was 13-of-17 (76.5 percent) from the free-throw line while YSU went 5-of-13 (38.5 percent). The Guins return to action on Saturday night when they play host to 12th-ranked Butler. Tipoff at the Beeghly Center is set for 7:05 p.m. |
| Valparaiso 67, Youngstown State 61 |
| Friday, January 18 2008 |
| Courtesy of: AP Wire |
| YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (AP) -- Brandon McPherson scored 20 points, including four 3-pointers, to lead Valparaiso past Youngstown State 67-61 in a tightly played game that had five lead changes Thursday night. The teams played even in the first half, with Youngstown State (7-10, 3-4 Horizon League) leading for most of the period but by no more than five points. Valparaiso (13-5, 4-2) took the lead for good with 12:58 to play when Bryan Bouchie made two free throws. But the Penguins wouldn't lead Valparaiso pull away. With the Crusaders up 61-53 with 58 seconds left, Vytas Sulskis and Byron Davis both hit 3-pointers for Youngstown State. That made it 61-59 with 39 seconds left, but Valparaiso used free throw shooting to hold on as the Penguins could only manage another Davis layup. Davis scored a game-high 23 points, while John Barber had 18 points and Jack Liles had 13 for Youngstown State. Sulskis grabbed 11 rebounds for the Penguins. Bouchie and Shawn Huff each had 15 points for Valparaiso. |
| Youngstown State 70, Detroit 66 |
| Saturday, January 12 2008 |
| Courtesy of: AP Wire |
| DETROIT (AP) -- John Barber scored 22 points Saturday and Youngstown State snapped a two-game skid with its first-ever win at Detroit, 70-66. The Penguins (7-9, 3-3 Horizon League) led by as many as 12 points in the second half, but an 8-0 Detroit run cut the lead to 67-64 with 28 seconds to play. Youngstown State's Vance Cooksey made a pair of free throws seven seconds later to end the threat. Jon Goode scored his 1,000th career point early in the game and finished with 21 for the Titans (4-12, 0-6), who lost their 10th straight. Detroit's six-game home losing streak tied the 1947-48 team for the worst in school history. Detroit's Eulis Stephens added 16 points. Vytas Sulskis had 18 points and eight rebounds and Byron Davis added 17 points and eight assists for the Penguins, who were 8-for-14 from behind the arc in the first half and led 40-33 at intermission. |
| Barber, Davis Spark YSU to 70-66 Win in Final Homecoming |
| Saturday, January 12 2008 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Detroit, Mich. -- Senior John Barber scored a career-high 22 points and senior Byron Davis added 17 as the Detroit natives helped lead the Youngstown State men's basketball team to a 70-66 win over Detroit on Saturday afternoon at Calihan Hall. The Penguins (7-9 overall and 3-3 in the Horizon League) won for the first time at Calihan Hall after dropping their previous 10 contests. UDM falls to 4-12 and 0-6 losing for the 10th straight time. Youngstown State appeared to be cruising towards a victory owning a 11-point lead with just under three minutes remaining before the Titans made an inspired run. Leading 67-56 after a breakaway dunk by Barber with 2:48 remaining Detroit scored the next eight points to get within 67-64 on a Chris Hayes layup with 27 seconds remaining. On the YSU inbounds, freshman guard Vance Cooksey was fouled with 23 seconds left and calmly made two free throws to boost the lead to 69-64. UDM's Woody Payne cut the deficit back to three points on a layup with 17.6 seconds remaining. On their next possession, the Penguins were able to whip 15 crucial seconds off the clock before the Titans were able to foul. Barber sank one free throw with 2.6 seconds left for the final 70-66 margin. Youngstown State built a 40-33 halftime lead as Davis and Vytas Sulskis each scored 13 points in the opening frame. Detroit came out to score the first 10 points of the second half to grab a 43-40 advantage. However, once the Guins were able to grab a 44-43 advantage following two Jack Liles free throws they never trailed again. Sulskis finished with 18 points while Cooksey had eight points, including two 3-pointers. For the game, the Penguins shot 46.6 percent (27-of-58) while the Titans finished at a 49.1 percent clip (26-of-53). YSU drilled a season-high-tying 11 3-pointers in the contest and went 5-of-6 from the free-throw line, all in the second half. YSU returns home on Thursday night when it plays host to former Mid-Con rival and Horizon League newcomer Valparaiso. Tipoff at the Beeghly Center is set for 7:35 p.m. |
| Late Run Pushes Wright State Past Penguins, 66-55 |
| Friday, January 11 2008 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Fairborn, Ohio -- Wright State used a 17-4 run in the final eight minutes of the second half to pull ahead of Youngstown State for a 66-55 victory on Thursday evening at the Nutter Center. The Penguins battled back from two seven-point deficits to get within one at 49-48 with 7:39 remaining. Wright State led just 57-52 with three minutes to go before Vaughn Duggins' trey sparked a 9-0 run that sealed the win. Duggins hit only three 3-pointers on the night, but all three came at crucial times. The Raiders trailed 24-20 in the first half when the sophomore guard hit treys on back-to-back possessions to spark a 10-0 run that gave WSU a lead it would never lose. Byron Davis and John Barber scored 13 points apiece to lead YSU while Jack Liles finished with 10. Duggins finished with 16 points while Jordan Pleiman had 14 of his 16 points in the second half for the Raiders. The Raiders matched their largest lead at seven with 14:35 remaining, but YSU continued to battle and got within one twice, including the 49-48 margin with 7:39 to go on a Mel Johnson basket. Wright State then scored six straight points to go back up by seven on a Pleiman jumper with 6:14 remaining. The Penguins were just 4-of-11 from the free throw line - all in the second half - while Wright State was 15-of-22. YSU was also just 2-for-9 from behind the 3-point arc in the second half. YSU battled through a first half that featured four lead changes and six ties and withstood a late run to trail 35-31 at the break. Trailing 5-2, the Penguins went on a 7-0 run to take a 9-5 lead, but Wright State regained the lead at 13-11 with 11:55 to go. The Penguins reclaimed a 22-20 on a Johnson 3-pointer, and Dwight Holmes hit a jumper with 5:07 left to put YSU up 24-20. Wright State was held scoreless for nearly five minutes before Duggins' back-to-back treys sparked a 10-0 run. The Raiders led 35-28 before Byron Davis banked in a 26-footer at the buzzer to make the score 35-31 at halftime. Liles was 4-of-6 in the first half for eight points while Davis' buzzer-beater also gave him eight points. The Penguins shot 45.2 percent in the first half and were 3-of-6 from behind the arc, but they did not attempt one free throw. Duggins led all scorers with 11 points at halftime and paced Wright State to a 52.2 percent effort in the opening half. YSU plays at Detroit on Saturday afternoon. Tipoff for the contest is set for 3:35 p.m. and will be carried on Detroit’s Comcast Local Sports Channel. |
| John Barber Named Horizon League Player of the Week |
| Monday, January 7 2008 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Youngstown State men's basketball senior forward John Barber (Detroit, Mich.) was named the Horizon League's Player of the Week, the league announced on Monday. Barber averaged 21 points and 10.5 rebounds to carry the Penguins to their first-ever back-to-back wins over UIC and Loyola. In the victory over UIC on Thursday, Barber scored a career-best 24 points while grabbing a career-high 15 rebounds. In the win over Loyola on Saturday, he had 18 points and six rebounds. In the two games, he had 42 points, 21 rebounds, two assists and two steals in 77 minutes. He was 15-of-29 (51.7 percent) from the field and 10-of-12 (83.3 percent) from the free-throw line. Against UIC, he was 9-of-16 from the field and 5-of-6 from the line. Against Loyola, he was 6-of-13 and 5-of-6. This season, he has scored in double figures in 11 of 13 games and is averaging 16.8 points and 8.8 rebounds the past four outings. Barber is the first Penguin to win the Player-of-the-Week award this and and first since Quin Humphrey on Feb. 19, 2007. |
| Rough Shooting Night Puts Halt to Three-Game Win Streak |
| Monday, January 7 2008 |
| Courtesy of: |
| A three-game Youngstown State men's basketball winning streak came to halt on the heels of a 24.5 percent shooting performance in a 61-39 loss to Milwaukee at the Beeghly Center on Monday night. The Penguins (6-8 overall and 2-2 in the Horizon League) had not been held below 40 points at home since a 38-37 win over Steubenville on Feb. 17, 1973. YSU made just 12-of-49 field-goal attempts, was 1-of-13 from 3-point range and scored 18 points in the second half. For the game, YSU was 14-of-23 from the free-throw line (60.9 percent). Milwaukee (8-7 and 3-2) won for the fifth straight time, but shot just 33.3 percent (20-of-60). The Panthers were 6-of-20 from 3-point range after starting the game 5-of-6 from behind the arc. UWM was dialed in at the free-throw line making all 15 attempts. Milwaukee scored 10 of the game's first 13 points before the Guins' 5-0 run pulled them within 10-8. The Panthers took control by scoring 13 of the next 15 points and the closest YSU would get the remainder of the game was 10 points. UWM led 39-21 at halftime before the team's combined for 40 points in the second half. The Penguins and Panthers were 12-of-54 (22.2 percent) in the second stanza, including 0-of-15 from behind the 3-point line. Paige Paulsen scored a game-high 16 points for the Panthers with 12 coming in the first half. He was the only UWM player to reach double figures. YSU's Jack Liles had 11 points and nine rebounds to be the only Penguin to reach double digits. Youngstown State will next be in action on Thursday night when it visits Wright State. Tipoff at the Nutter Center is set for 7 p.m. |
| Youngstown State 71, Loyola 61 |
| Saturday, January 5 2008 |
| Courtesy of: AP Wire |
| YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (AP) -- Byron Davis scored 19 points to lead four double-digit scorers as Youngstown State defeated Loyola of Chicago 71-61 on Saturday. John Barber added 18 points, Jack Liles contributed 12 and Vystus Sulskis had 11. The Penguins (6-7) saw an 18-point halftime lead vanish as Loyola (5-9) scored 23 of the first 28 points in the second half to tie the game at 47 midway through the period. But Youngstown State again pulled away as Davis drained a 3-pointer with 2:48 left to establish a seven point lead. Down the stretch, the Penguins made seven of nine free-throws to preserve the win. Tracy Robinson led three double-digit scores for Loyola with 19 points. J.R. Blount had 16 and Justin Cerasoli 14. The Penguins shot 46.5 percent from the field, while Loyola shot 42.2 percent. |
| Guins Hold Off Feverish Loyola Comeback for 71-61 Win |
| Saturday, January 5 2008 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Youngstown -- Youngstown State used another impressive first-half shooting performance and staved off a furious Loyola comeback for a 71-61 Horizon League victory over the Ramblers on Saturday afternoon at the Beeghly Center. Four Penguins reached double figures in scoring led by senior guard Byron Davis' 19 points and senior forward John Barber's 18 points. Junior Jack Liles finished with 12 points while freshman Vystus Sulskis added 11. Loyola erased an 18-point halftime deficit scoring 23 of the first 28 points of the second half to tie the game at 47 after a jumper by Justin Cerasoli midway through the stanza. A free throw by Liles and two by Sulskis back ahead by three, 50-47, and Cooksey's 3-pointer at the 8:26 mark cushioned the Guins edge to four, 53-49. Loyola came within 56-54, but Barber made a lay up just before the shot clock buzzer and Davis drained a 3-pointer to push the Guins' lead back to 61-54 with 2:48 left. From that point, YSU made seven of its final nine free-throw tosses to preserve the win. In the first half, the Penguins shot an impressive 60 percent (15-of-25) from the floor, including making seven of their first eight shots, and nailed six 3-pointers. The Penguins were also credited with 14 assists on their 15 made field goals. The Guins (6-7 overall and 2-1 in the Horizon League) jumped out to quick 19-6 lead just under six minutes into the game thanks in part to a 12-2 run keyed by a jumper by Davis, 3-pointers by Sulskis and Davis and another jumper by Barber, who scored 11 points in the first half. The Ramblers (5-9 and 1-3) cut the lead down to nine points, 23-14, midway through the stanza but a 3-pointer by Davis and a layup by Dwight Holmes extended the Penguins advantage back to 14, 28-14, with 6:49 to go. Barber hit his lone 3-pointer of the half with 44 seconds remaining to give the Guins an 18-point, 42-24 halftime edge. The Ramblers shot just 37.9 percent in the first half, including 1-of-7 from behind the arc, and committed nine turnovers. For the game, Loyola shot 42.2 percent (27-of-64) and just 16.7 from behind the 3-point arc (3-of-18). For the game, the Guins made 20-of-43 shots (46.5 percent) and were 23-of-30 (76.7 percent) from the free-throw line. Loyola attempted just seven foul shots in the game, but outscored YSU 34-12 in the paint. The Penguins wrap up a busy stretch of three games in five days playing host to Milwaukee on Monday at the Beeghly Center. Tipoff has been moved to 5:35 p.m. |
| Sulskis, Barber Pace Penguins to 80-68 Win Over Flames |
| Thursday, January 3 2008 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Youngstown -- Freshman Vytus Sulskis scored a career-high 26 points and senior John Barber posted his sixth career double-double with a career-best 24 points and 15 rebounds as the Penguins knocked off UIC 80-68 on Thursday evening at the Beeghly Center. With the win, the Penguins improve to 5-7 overall and 1-1 in the Horizon League while UIC falls to 8-6 overall and 2-1 in the league. The Penguins, who shot 50 percent from the field, converted 20-of-33 from the floor in the first half led by Sulskis' 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting including four 3-pointers. The two teams fought through four ties through the first four five minutes of the game before Mikko Niemi hit a 3-pointer - his only field goal of the game - to put the Penguins ahead 14-13 with 15:11 remaining. A jumper by Barber, one by Mel Johnson and another by Barber extended the Guins' edge to seven, 20-13, at the 13:22 mark. The Flames came within one 23-22 but Sulskis hit a 3-pointer and a lay up to put the Guins back up by seven, 35-28, at the 8:28 mark. A 3-pointer by Mayo cut the Flames deficit to two, 42-40, but the Penguins scored 11 of the next 13 points take an 11-point lead into the lockerroom. In the second half, the Flames pulled within eight midway through the stanza but would not get any closer. The Penguins continue a busy stretch playing three Horizon League games in five days playing host to Loyola on Saturday afternoon. Tipoff for the contest is a rare 1:05 p.m. start at the Beeghly Center. YSU is back in action at home on Monday night against Milwaukee at 5:35 p.m. |