| Guins Battle to Final Minute Before Losing 67-61 to Wright State |
| Friday, January 30 2009 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Youngstown -- The Youngstown State men's basketball team (6-14, 3-7 Horizon League) never backed down, but could not get over the hump either as the Penguins' comeback fell short in a 67-61 loss to Wright State (13-8, 7- Horizon League) on Thursday night at the Beeghly Center. YSU trailed by as many as 12 points in the second half before clawing back within 62-59 in the final minute, but the Raiders were able to hold off the charge and hang on for the six-point victory. For the game, the Penguins shot 42.3 percent (22-of-52) while the Raiders hit 42.6 percent (20-of-47). The difference was at the free-throw line where Wright State was 19-of-24 (79.2 percent) while the Guins hit 10-of-18 (55.6 percent). Sophomore guard Tom Parks scored a team and career-high 15 points. Parks was 5-of-9 from the field and made four 3-pointers. Dallas Blocker scored a career-high 12 points off the bench. Todd Brown scored a game-high 20 points while grabbing seven rebounds to lead the Raiders. Cooper Land had 12 points while N'Gai Evans added 11, all in the second half. YSU made things interesting twice in the final five-and-a-half minutes. The Guins pulled within 55-51 on Sirlester Martin's floater in the paint with 5:25 remaining. But the Raiders answered when Brown drained a 25 footer over Ashen Ward. Brown's layup that beat the shot clock pushed the advantage up to 60-52. YSU kept the pressure on when Martin drilled a 3-pointer from the top of the key to get the Guins within 62-57 with 2:04 left in the game. After Brown missed a 3-pointer, DeAndre Mays battled from the rebound and his putback with a minute left made the deficit three points. Evans' layup with 39.8 seconds left pushed the advantage back to five. After YSU failed to score, Brown made a free throw and following a missed 3-pointer by Parks, Will Graham made two free throws to seal the victory. Wright State improves to 13-8 overall and 7-3 in the Horizon League. The Penguins are now 6-14 and 3-7. The first half featured four lead changes, but Wright State led 28-26 at the break. It could have been a larger deficit but YSU's Vance Cooksey hit a running one-hander from beyond the 3-point line at the buzzer. Tom Parks had the hot hand in the first half making all three of his field goal attempts, including two 3-pointers, to score nine points. Wright State built a 22-15 lead at the 6:14 mark on a Troy Tabler jumper. YSU answered with an impressive 8-0 run that featured six Penguin free throws and a basket by Kelvin Bright. During the run, Dallas Blocker made three charity tosses, Vytas Sulskis added two and Bright had one. Bright's basket at the 2:41 mark gave the Guins a 23-22 advantage. Wright State countered as Gavin Horne drained a jumper 19 seconds later. Will Graham's basket at 1:44 increased the lead to three before Copper Land added two free throws with five seconds remaining. Cooksey took the inbounds pass, raced up the court and on one foot from the top of the key hit a 3-pointer as time expired. YSU made 8-of-24 attempts (33.3 percent) while the Raiders connected on 38.5 percent (10-of-26). Both teams canned three 3-pointers while the Guins held an advantage at the line making 7-of-13 attempts. The teams combined for nine turnovers. The Penguins conclude their four-game homestand on Saturday when they play host to Detroit. Tipoff at the Beeghly Center is set for 7:05 p.m. following the YSU women's game against Loyola. |
| Coaches to Wear Suits, Sneakers to Promote Cancer Awareness |
| Wednesday, January 28 2009 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Youngstown – The Youngstown State men’s basketball coaching staff will wear white sneakers with their suits on Saturday, Jan. 31, when the Penguins host Detroit as part of the 2009 Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers awareness weekend, Jan. 30 – Feb. 1, 2009. Tipoff between the Penguins and Titans is set for 7:05 p.m. at the Beeghly Center. The Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers initiative is a collaboration between the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and the American Cancer Society (ACS) which unites coaches from across the country in a common effort to raise cancer awareness in their communities. The program leverages the personal experiences, community leadership, and professional excellence of basketball coaches nationwide to increase cancer awareness and promote healthy living through year-round awareness efforts, fundraising activities, and advocacy programs. Coaches vs. Cancer evolved from a concept championed by Norm Stewart, former head coach of the University of Missouri's men's basketball program, cancer survivor, and member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches. He started the program by challenging fans to pledge a dollar amount for every three points made by his team during the season. The American Cancer Society and the NABC adopted that concept in 1993 and transformed it into a nationwide effort to unite coaches across the country in the common mission to provide help and hope to all people facing cancer. Today, more than 500 Division I, II, and III college coaches are involved in the program. Coaches vs. Cancer has raised nearly $40 million since its inception to support the American Cancer Society’s lifesaving mission to eliminate cancer as a life-threatening disease. Additionally, more than 100 high school coaches also participate in the program. |
| Mays Pours in 18, Guins Drop 67-53 Contest to Akron |
| Wednesday, January 28 2009 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Youngstown -- The Youngstown State men's basketball team never found its shooting touch all night in suffering a 67-53 loss to Akron in a non-conference matchup on Monday at the Beeghly Center. Junior guard DeAndre Mays was a bright spot on the evening scoring a game-high 18 points for the Penguins. Mays made 7-of-14 attempts from the field, including two 3-point attempts. He also grabbed a career-high eight rebounds. The Guins connected on 32.7 percent (18-of-55) for the contest from the field and struggled from the free-throw line as well making 50 percent (12-of-24). Mays tied the contest at 33 with 15:22 remaining in the contest before the Zips scored seven straight to go in front for good. YSU stopped the run when Mays made two free throws at the 12:44 mark to pull YSU within 40-35. Akron scored the next five points before Dan Boudler made a layup at the 8:04 mark. Boudler's make was the first for the Guins since Mays' bucket at 15:22 and snapped a streak of 10 consecutive misses. Kelvin Bright drained a pullup jumper in the lane just over a minute later to get the Penguins within 48-41. Akron answered with two free throws to go back up by nine. YSU got the score under double figures at 54-45, but a three-point play by Nate Linhart pushed the lead to 12, Akron's largest of the game to that point. Down the stretch the Zips made nine straight free throws to earn the victory. With the loss, YSU drops to 6-13 while Akron improves to 11-8. For YSU, Kelvin Bright was the only other player to reach double figures finishing with 11. Linhart led the Zips with 15 points while Chris McKnight had 13. Both players had nine rebounds. Sirlester Martin had 11 board for the Guins. Woeful free-throw shooting kept the Penguins from holding the lead at halftime, but following a late run they were able to get within 29-27. From the line in the first half, YSU was 6-of-16 with seven of the misses coming from Bright. Of all three shooting categories, YSU was most efficient from behind the 3-point line. From behind the arc and -- and from the line, the Guins shot 37.5 percent (3-of-8 and 6-of-16). Overall from the field, YSU shot 34.6 percent (9-of-26). Akron started 4-for-16 from the field but closed out the half 7-for-15 to shoot 35.5 percent (11-of-31) for the period. The Zips made 4-of-5 free-throw attempts. YSU was strong on the boards outrebounding Akron 23-19. The Guins committed just seven turnovers to UA's six. YSU led 19-11 after Mays' 3-pointer at the 9:13 mark, but Akron went on an 18-3 run over the next minutes to go up 29-22. The Zips scored eight straight tying the game at 19 on a 3-pointer by Jimmy Conners. The Penguins scored the final five points of the half to get within two at the break. Down seven, Tom Parks drained a deep 3-pointer from the wing and Bright hit a hanging jumper from 16 feet with 32 seconds left to pull YSU within two points. The Penguins return to Horizon League action on Thursday night when they play host to Wright State. Tipoff at Beeghly is set for 7:35 p.m. following the women's game against UIC. |
| Four Reach Double Figures As Penguins Hold Off Cleveland State, 64-60 |
| Saturday, January 24 2009 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Youngstown -- The Youngstown State men’s basketball team put together an impressive 40 minutes and defeated Cleveland State, 64-60, much to the delight of a 6,249-crowd and an ESPNU nationally-televised audience on Friday night at the Beeghly Center. It was the largest since Jan. 31, 1987 when 6,339 attended the YSU-Akron game at Beeghly Center. The Penguins improve to 6-12 overall and 3-6 in the Horizon League while Cleveland State falls to 13-8 overall and 4-5 in the league. Senior Jack Liles led four players scoring in double figures and tied a season-high with 18 points while junior DeAndre Mays scored 16 points. Junior Sirlester Martin scored a career-high 15 points with nine rebounds while junior Kelvin Bright added 10 points. With YSU leading by as many as eight points, 54-46, after a jumper by Mays, Cleveland State's J'Nathan Bullock's 3-point play brought the Vikings within five, 54-49, with 6:31 left in the game. Norris Cole responded to a Bright jumper and hit a 3-pointer to cut the deficit down to four points, 56-52, at the 5:29 mark. Two free throws by Bright and a jumper by Mays put the Penguins back up eight, 60-52, with 2:23 left. The Vikings continued to claw their way back with a jumper by Bullock and two free throws by Cedric Jackson to get back within four, 60-56, with 1:55 to go. Bullock, who made his first 10 free throws, had a chance to bring the Vikings within two, but missed the front-end of a two shot foul and had to settle for one and cut the lead to three, 60-57, with 41 seconds left. Liles was fouled with 31 second remaining and made first free throw but missed the second to push the lead back to four, 61-57. After a steal by Martin, Bright was fouled but missed two foul shots, and Jeremy Montgomery's layup with 4.6 seconds left cut the CSU deficit to back to two, 61-59. Mays was fouled on an inbounds pass with 4.0 left, and he split the pair to put the Penguins back up three, 62-59. After a Penguins' foul, Cole made the first of two charity tosses but a lane violation by George Tandy nullified Cole's second attempt. Liles was fouled an the ensuing inbounds pass and sealed the victory with two free throws with one second remaining. At halftime, the Guins held a 29-25 lead thanks to some solid defense. Cleveland State made just one of its first 11 shots to start the game as YSU scored 10 of the first 14 points. The Penguins led by as many as nine twice in the opening half. YSU led 16-7 at the 8:02 mark and led 18-9 with 6:35 remaining in the half. However, Cleveland State battled back to tie the contest at 23 with 2:44 left on a Jackson basket. YSU closed the half on a 6-2 run to take a four-point advantage into the break. Jack Liles started the mini run with a layup. Kelvin Bright followed with a free throw, and Sirlester Martin drained a jumper to put the Guins ahead 28-23. After a Renard Fields layup with 24 seconds left, Vance Cooksey closed out the first-half scoring on a free throw with 2.3 seconds left. In the first half, YSU shot 37.5 percent (12-of-32) while the Vikings were held to 33.3 percent (10-of-30). Martin and Liles combined to score 19 of the Guins' 28 points while Bullock had nine for CSU. Both teams were a combined 0-for-12 from behind the 3-point arc. The Penguins continue a busy stretch on Monday night when they play host to Mid-American Conference foe Akron. Tipoff at the Beeghly Center is set for 7:05 p.m. YSU returns to conference action when it plays host to Wright State on Thursday and Detroit on Saturday. Both games are part of men's and women's doubleheaders. |
| Men's Basketball Hosts Cleveland State in Nationally-Televised Game on ESPNU |
| Thursday, January 22 2009 |
| Courtesy of: |
| The Youngstown State men’s basketball team (5-12, 2-6 Horizon League) begins an important four-game homestand with the first nationally-televised game in Beeghly Center when the Guins host Cleveland State on ESPNU, Friday, Jan. 23. Tipoff is slated for 9:05 p.m. and the game will also be broadcast live on NewsRadio 570 WKBN AM. The Penguins are coming off a disappointing 78-61 loss at Green Bay on Saturday, Jan. 17. Junior DeAndre Mays scored a career-high 22 points to lead the Penguins while Sirlester Martin scored 11 points and sophomore Tom Parks added a career-high 10 points coming off the bench. Junior Kelvin Bright leads the Penguins and ranks fifth in the Horizon League with 14.2 points per game while Mays and sophomore Vytas Sulskis both average in double figures with 10.5 and 10.2 points per game, respectively. Junior Sirlester Martin, who averages 9.5 points per game, leads the team and ranks second in the Horizon League with 7.4 rebounds per game. Cleveland State enters the contest with a 13-7 overall record and a 4-4 mark in the Horizon League. The Vikings, who have lost their last two contests, are led in scoring by J’Nathan Bullock with 15.8 points per game while Norris Coles is averaging 11.7 points per game. Cedric Jackson averages 9.8 points per game but is averaging an impressive 5.5 assists per game. This is the 70th meeting between Youngstown State and Cleveland State with the Penguins owning a slim 35-34 advantage in the all-time series that dates back to 1930. The Vikings have won the last three contests, including a 65-58 win last season at the Beeghly Center. The last YSU victory was a 68-63 win on Jan. 20, 2007, at the Beeghly Center. YSU hosts Akron, Monday, Jan. 26, at 7:05 p.m. in the Beeghly Center. A Win Will • Improve YSU to 3-6 in the Horizon League. • Mark YSU’s first win over Cleveland State since 2007 • Mark YSU’s fourth home win of the season and the second home league win. • Head Coach Jerry Slocum’s 616th career victory and his 36th at Youngstown State. • YSU’s 970th victory in the program’s history. Slocum In Select Company Youngstown State Head Coach Jerry Slocum is in some pretty elite company. Slocum, who has 615 career wins, is one of seven active Division I head coaches with more than 600 career victories and ranks seventh among that group. Active Division I Head Coaches with at Least 600 Career Victories Coach School Wins Next Game Mike Krzyzewski Duke 820 1/24 vs. Maryland Jim Calhoun UConn 791 1/24 at Notre Dame Jim Boeheim Syracuse 788 1/25 vs. Louisville Bob Huggins West Virginia 624 1/22 at Georgetown Tom Penders Houston 620 1/24 at Arizona Gary Williams Maryland 617 1/24 at Duke Jerry Slocum YSU 615 1/23 vs. CSU Youngstown-Cleveland Connections • Youngstown State freshman Ashen Ward is a native of Cleveland, Ohio, and attended Villa Angela-Saint Joseph High School. • Cleveland State Assistant Coach Jason Gee was an assistant coach at Youngstown State from 1989-93. • Cleveland State’s D’Aundray Brown is a native of Youngstown, Ohio, and went to Ursuline High School. His father, Aundra Brown, played at Youngstown State from 1987-91 and his mother, Sharella Thomas, played for the YSU women’s program from 1990-93. Scouting Cleveland State Cleveland State enters the contest with a 13-7 overall record and a 4-4 mark in the Horizon League. The Vikings, who have lost their last two contests, are led in scoring by J’Nathan Bullock with 15.8 points per game while Norris Coles is averaging 11.7 points per game. Cedric Jackson averages 9.8 points per game but is averaging an impressive 5.5 assists per game. Last Time Out The Penguins are coming off a disappointing 78-61 loss at Green Bay on Saturday, Jan. 17. Junior DeAndre Mays scored a career-high 22 points to lead the Penguins while Sirlester Martin scored 11 points and sophomore Tom Parks added a career-high 10 points off the bench. Up Next... Akron YSU hosts Akron, Monday, Jan. 26, at 7:05 p.m. in the Beeghly Center. The game will be broadcast on NewsRadio 570 AM WKBN. The Cleveland State Series This is the 70th meeting between Youngstown State and Cleveland State with the Penguins owning a slim 35-34 advantage in the all-time series that dates back to 1930. The Vikings have won the last three contests, including a 65-58 win last season at the Beeghly Center. The last YSU victory was a 68-63 win on Jan. 20, 2007, at the Beeghly Center. Mays Hits For Career High Junior DeAndre Mays scored a career-high 22 points in the Penguins’ 78-61 loss to Green Bay on Jan. 17. The Dallas, Texas, native connected on 7-of-21 shooting from the field and 7-of-10 from the free-throw line. For the week, Mays averaged 16.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. His 21 field-goal attempts are the most by a YSU player this season. Liles Approaching 100 Straight With an appearance against Cleveland State on Friday evening, senior Jack Liles will play in his 100th consecutive game. Liles, who has played in 105 games in his career, needs to play in five more games to move into a tie for ninth on the YSU all-time games played chart with 110. Liles also needs to play in 10 more games to move into second-place with 115. Parks Makes Most of Minutes Junior Tom Parks took full advantage of his 22 minutes of action against Green Bay on Jan. 17. Parks scored a career-high 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field, including 2-of-4 from behind the 3-point arc. Martin Has Solid Week Junior Sirlester Martin turned in two solid performances for the Penguins last week. The Memphis, Tenn., native posted his third double-double of the season with 12 points and a career-high 12 rebounds against Milwaukee on Jan. 15. He also scored 11 points in the loss to Green Bay on Jan . 17. Blocker Nets Career High Junior Dallas Blocker turned in his best performance of the season on Jan. 8 against UIC. The 6-foot-9 forward scored a career-high 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the floor and just missed a double-double with eight rebounds. Blocker also added an assist, blocked shot and a steal while playing in a career-high 31 minutes of action. Bright Garners Player of the Week Honors Junior guard Kelvin Bright was named the Horizon League’s Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Jan. 12. He averaged 22.5 points per game while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 80 percent from the free-throw line. Bright scored a game-high 23 points on 6-of-15 shooting from the field, including three 3-pointers, in YSU’s 80-70 win over UIC on Jan. 8. He also connected on 8-of-9 from the free-throw line. Against Loyola on Jan. 10, Bright posted 22 points on 9-of-18 shooting from the floor and made 4-of-6 from the charity stripe. Martin the Glass Cleaner Junior Sirlester Martin has been one of the top rebounders in the Horizon League all season. The 6-foot-7 forward is second in the league with 7.4 rebounds per game in all games and ranks third in the league with 7.6 rebounds per game against Horizon League foes. He has also led the Guins in rebounding eight times this season. Liles Still Streakin’ Youngstown State senior Jack Liles has played in 99 consecutive games, dating back to the 2005-06 season. Liles, who has played in 102 career games, needs 254 points to become the first player in school history to reach 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 100 blocks in a career. Liles also ranks third all-time with 100 career blocked shots. He also has 508 career rebounds. Guins Third in Rebounding As a team, Youngstown State ranks third in the league in rebounding with 36.3 rebounds per game. The Guins also lead the league in offensive rebounds with 14.5 rebounds per game. The Penguins rank fifth in the circuit in defensive rebounds with 21.8 rebounds per game. Sulskis Improves From the Line Sophomore Vytas Sulskis has made tremendous strides from the free-throw line this season. Sulskis has improved from 59.2 percent last season to 75.5 percent this year. He has made 11 of his last 13 charity tosses, including four straight in the last minute against Detroit (1/1). |
| WGH guard has new role as he readies for college |
| Sunday, January 18 2009 |
| Courtesy of: JOHN VARGO Tribune Chronicle |
| WARREN - Sheldon Brogdon hasn't had problems slashing through interior defenses or pulling up for an open jumper. Scoring has never been an issue for the 6-foot, 170-pound Warren G. Harding senior guard. Now that he has made a verbal commitment to Youngstown State University and is expected to sign in mid-April, the question remains how he'll adjust to the collegiate level. "It's going to be a change for any freshman collegiate player. I'm hoping that learning curve is a little bit smaller for Sheldon because of what we do here, how we prepare and the competition level we play day in and day out," said Arnold, whose team plays Canton Timken in tonight's sixth annual Pizza Oven Classic at North Canton Hoover High School. Both teams are 6-0 and tipoff is at 6:45 p.m. "When he gets to Youngstown, he's going to see there's a strength factor he's going to have to adjust to," Arnold said. "We lift faithfully here. We take a lot of pride in the weight room." Brogdon averages 16 points. He averaged 20 last season,but there's a balanced scoring attack with Angel Gonzalez, Desmar Jackson and Fred Williams all contributing more than 14 points per contest. Jackson and Williams ran the point last season and Brogdon was Harding's main scoring threat at the off-guard. Now, all three can run the one. With Brogdon being only 6-feet tall, the likelihood of him playing off guard at the collegiate level would be slim since the players in the Horizon League - the 11th best NCAA Division I league, according to RealTimeRPI.com - usually has players around 6-4 playing that position. Brogdon's size makes him more adept to playing the point, a position he is becoming acclimated to this season at Harding. "I went to the games and saw the way they play," Brogdon said. "I could really fit in good - probably be their point guard, starting point guard one day. It would probably be a mix between the one and the two." No one at YSU can comment on Brogdon until he signs his National Letter of Intent in mid April. As for Brogdon, he's feeling more comfortable with his new position. "It'll take time," he said. "You'll see as the season the progresses." Arnold said he's starting to work on the intricacies of the position. "I've noticed during the course of some games he's taken the ball," Arnold said. "When things are sometimes chaotic out there, he'll take the ball as a point guard does or should and make the call. He'll get us into something. He's never had to do that before. That was primarily Fred and Desmar. "He's taken a piece of that so any of those guys can do that. I've seen him do it for the first time this year." Brogdon is solidified with his offense, but his defensive game has been a question mark. "It's better, but it's not where I want it to be. It's not going to be where they want it to be at YSU next year," Arnold said. "If there's anything I harp on Sheldon about, it's his defense. He's quick enough to stay in front of the offensive player and he's strong. He's got to use that combination of his quickness and strength to play better defense. He hears me harp on it every day. "Defense is nothing but determination and it's what you want to do. If you can find energy on offense, you better find some on defense." Brogdon said improvement starts with him. "It can get better - get more energy and be willing to play defense," he said. Brogdon carries a 2.4 GPA and is close to passing his ACT, making him academically eligible to play at YSU - something Arnold said will not be a problem. "He's going to be fine. That's why he's been coming in the mornings," Arnold said. "He's been preparing for that and our teachers have been doing a great job in preparing him for that. "He just need a couple of more points. He's going to be fine." But all wasn't fine about two months ago when Brogdon was visiting places like Liberty University. He was on the verge of heading to Central Connecticut State for a visit when he called Arnold, telling him he wanted to go to YSU. However, from an outsiders' perspective, it didn't seem Brogdon was interested in YSU during the late fall. He quickly had a change of heart after meeting with YSU coach Jerry Slocum on Dec. 14. Early that evening, Brogdon gave a strong verbal commitment that he'd play for the Penguins next season. "I had a talk with my mom and the coaches and decided to stay home and that would be a good place for me," Brogdon said. "I could make the team better and it would be a good thing for me." Arnold said his senior guard has strong ties to this area. "Sheldon is not going to say it like I want to say it. Sheldon is a mama's boy," he said. "It's an opportunity for his family to see him play on a consistent basis. That was real big in Sheldon's decision in addition to (YSU) coach (Jerry) Slocum and (assistant) coach (Mike) Wernicki. "They did a great job in recruiting Sheldon. That was his first offer from Youngstown State as a sophomore. They never hounded Sheldon. They recruited him in a very professional manner. I thought that was a big part in him staying close to home." He's one of the few players from Trumbull County to make the move to NCAA Division I basketball. Hubbard graduate Brian Conklin, coached by Bedford St. Peter Chanel coach and Niles resident Bernie Tarr, played at the University of Nebraska. Speaking of Niles, former Red Dragon standout Dan Jones walked on at YSU and was eventually given a scholarship by former Penguins coach and current Memphis assistant John Robic. Prior to Jones, very few Trumbull County names have been associated with YSU since John F. Kennedy coach Bruce Timko played guard there in the mid 1980s. "It feels good to represent Trumbull County and have everyone come down and watch my games - the people I know," Brogdon said. "They can come straight back home." Slocum has tried to sign players from Trumbull and Mahoning Counties and Western Pennsylvania in his three-plus seasons with YSU. Some have went to other schools. Some have went on a scholarship or walked on and left. Local talent hasn't stayed with Slocum, who demands 100 percent from his players during games and in practice - something some players can't comprehend. Arnold said that won't be a problem with Brogdon. "I've been on Sheldon for three years," Arnold said. "Sheldon has been one of our leaders. I love him to death. When he does something he wasn't supposed to do, he knows I'm going to be on his case as all of our players. He'll be adjusted to that. It will be easier for him. We try to shoot for perfection here - on and off the court. "He'll adjust." For now, he's focused like his team. It's been well-documented Harding lost to eventual Ohio High School Athletic Association Division I state champion Lakewood St. Edward in a controversial regional final at Cleveland State University. St. Edward made a basket, sending the game into overtime where the Eagles won the contest. There's a picture hanging in Arnold's office showing the St. Edward player shooting the game-tying shot sending it into overtime. The ball is in the St. Edward player's hands and the red light showing the end of the quarter is lit. However, Brogdon isn't dwelling on how Harding was wronged in that game. Instead, he and his teammate are vehement in correcting those mistakes and moving on to the state level. "The focus is to get back and advance from that, just look back and just capitalize on what we did wrong so we won't be in that position this year," Brogdon said. It looks like he's already mentally prepared for the collegiate level. jvargo@tribtoday.com |
| Mays Goes For Career High in 78-61 Loss at Green Bay |
| Sunday, January 18 2009 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Green Bay, Wis. -- Junior DeAndre Mays scored a career-high 22 points but a hot-shooting Green Bay team was too much as the Youngstown State men's basketball team (5-12, 2-6 Horizon League) fell to the Phoenix, 78-61, on Saturday evening at the Resch Center. Junior Sirlester Martin scored 11 points and sophomore Tom Parks came off the bench to score a career-high 10 points. The Phoenix shot 51 percent from the field while the Penguins connected on just 33 percent of their field-goal attempts. The Penguins jumped out to a 5-4 lead after Mays hit a jumper at the 17:10 mark but the Phoenix went on a 17-4 run to take a 21-9 lead midway through the first half and never looked back Green Bay extended its lead to as many as 25 points in the first half, 40-15, but the Penguins made a quick surge to get within 16, 40-24, at the half. A 3-pointer by Parks, a jumper by Kelvin Bright and two jumpers by Mays finished the first-half scoring. Green Bay placed five players scoring in double figures lead b Troy Cotton, Mike Schachtner and Ryan Tilleman, who each had 11 points. Randy Berry and Terry Evan scored 10 points apiece. The Penguins return home to host Cleveland State in a nationally-televised game on Friday, Jan. 23. Tipoff is set for 9 p.m. at the Beeghly Center and will be broadcast on NewsRadio 570 AM WKBN. |
| Martin's Double-Double Not Enough in 69-50 Loss to Milwaukee |
| Friday, January 16 2009 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Milwaukee, Wis. -- Junior Sirlester Martin recorded his third double-double of the season with 12 points and a career-high 12 rebounds but the Youngstown State men's basketball team shot just 27.4 percent from the field en route to a 69-50 loss to Milwaukee on Thursday evening at U.S. Cellular Arena. The Penguins fall to 5-11 overall and 2-5 in the Horizon League while Milwaukee improve to 11-6 overall and 6-1 in the league. Junior DeAndre Mays also scored in double figures with 11 points. Mays also grabbed seven rebounds and dished out three assists. After trailing 10-7, Martin made two straight jumpers to put the Penguins ahead by one and a put-back by Dallas Blocker put the Penguins up, 13-10, with 11:50 left in the first half. The Panthers regained the lead after baskets by Avery Smith and James Eayrs but Martin jumper at the 8:56 mark put the Penguins ahead, 15-14. Five straight free throws put the Panthers ahead, 19-15, but a 3-pointer by Vytas Sulskis brought the Guins within one, 19-18, at the 6:10 mark. The Panthers, though, outscored the Penguins, 13-4, over the last six minutes to take a 32-22 lead into the lockerroom at halftime. In the second half, the Penguins shot just 26.7 percent from the field and never came closer than eight points. The Penguins continue their two-game road trip against Green Bay, Saturday, Jan. 17. Tipoff is slated for 8:05 p.m. EDT and will be broadcast on NewsRadio 570 WKBN AM. |
| Kelvin Bright Named Horizon League Men's Basketball Player of the Week |
| Tuesday, January 13 2009 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Indianapolis, Ind. -- Youngstown State junior guard Kelvin Bright (Silver Spring, Md.) has been named the Horizon League's Men's Basketball Player of the Week, the league announced on Monday. Bright, who ranks third in the league with 15.3 points per game, led the Penguins in scoring during their 1-1 week last week. He averaged 22.5 points per game while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 80 percent from the free-throw line. He scored 20-plus points in both contests against UIC and Loyola. Bright scored a game-high 23 points on 6-of-15 shooting from the field, including three 3-pointers, in YSU’s 80-70 win over UIC. He also connected on 8-of-9 from the free-throw line. Against Loyola, Bright posted 22 points on 9-of-18 shooting from the floor and made 4-of-6 from the charity stripe. Bright, who is averaging 18.5 points per game in Horizon League contests, has scored in double figures in five of six league games, including three games with at least 20 points. The Penguins are back on the road next Thursday when they visit Milwaukee. Tipoff at the U.S. Cellular Arena is set for 8:30 p.m. Eastern time. |
| Penguins Rally Not Enough In 68-57 Loss to Loyola |
| Saturday, January 10 2009 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Youngstown -- The Youngstown State men's basketball team battled all night to get back in the game with Loyola, but once the Penguins did at 48-all in the second half, the Ramblers used a 13-4 run to regain control and come away with a 68-57 win at the Beeghly Center on Saturday night. The Penguins, who went 0-for-14 from 3-point range, fall to 5-10 overall and 2-4 in the Horizon League while the Ramblers improve to 10-7 overall and 2-3 in the league. Junior Kelvin Bright turned another explosive offensive performance with a game-high 22 points and senior Jack Liles posted his fourth double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Trailing by nine, 45-36, midway through the second half, YSU used a 12-3 run to get back into the contest and scored six straight points to tie the contest at 48 on a DeAndre Mays jumper from the top of the lane with 6:23 left. Loyola, who made 10 3-pointers, broke the tie on its next possession when Aric Van Weelden drained a 3-pointer at the 5:55 mark. From that point on, the Ramblers never trailed. After two Penguin free throws, Loyola scored four straight points capped by a Darrin Williams dunk with 4:00 left to go ahead 55-50. Mays hit a jumper with 3:08 to go to bring the Guins within 55-52 but would not get any closer. Loyola grabbed a 28-22 halftime lead behind some solid defense. YSU shot 40.9 percent from the field making 9-of-22 attempts while missing all four 3-point tries. On the other hand, the Ramblers were 4-of-6 from behind the arc and 10-of-22 from the field overall (45.5 percent). The Penguins were 4-of-7 from the line while LU struggled making 4-of-10 attempts. YSU was outrebounded 19-14. Youngstown State's only lead of the first half came when Bright connected on the contest's first basket. After Darrin Williams tied the game at two, the Ramblers never trailed the rest of the first half. Loyola's biggest lead of the first half was 28-20 at the 1:48 mark before Ashen Ward's two free throws in the final minute determined the halftime margin. Bright scored 12 of the Guins' 22 points and made five of their nine field goals. The Penguins are back on the road next Thursday when they visit league-leader Milwaukee. Tipoff at the U.S. Cellular Arena is set for 8:30 p.m. Eastern time. |
| Youngstown St. beats Illinois-Chicago 80-70 |
| Friday, January 9 2009 |
| Courtesy of: AP Wire |
| YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (AP)—Kelvin Bright and Vance Cooksey hit 3-pointers during a late 11-0 run that put Youngstown State ahead to stay as the Penguins beat Illinois-Chicago 80-70 Thursday night. Youngstown State (5-9, 2-3 Horizon) trailed by 13 late in the first half, but Bright made a 3-pointer with 15:13 remaining to close the Flames’ lead to three, then hit two straight jumpers several minutes later to tie it at 50. Illinois-Chicago’s Josh Mayo made a jumper and 3-pointer to retake the lead for the Flames, but Cooksey kicked off the Penguins’ decisive run with a pair of free throws. Bright’s 3-pointer with 5:13 remaining closed the scoring streak and gave Youngstown State a 61-55 lead. Bright finished with 23 points, Cooksey and Jack Liles had 12 points and Dallas Blocker added 11. Mayo scored 20 points and Scott Vandermeer had 11 for Illinois-Chicago (5-9, 2-3). |
| Wright State Rallies to Knock Off Penguins, 60-59 |
| Sunday, January 4 2009 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Fairborn, Ohio -- Junior DeAndre Mays led three players scoring in double figures with a game-high 15 points but Wright State erased a 13-point halftime deficit to knock off the Youngstown State men's basketball team, 60-59, on Saturday evening at the Nutter Center. The Penguins fall to 4-9 overall and 1-3 in the Horizon League while the Raiders improve to 8-7 overall and 2-2 in the league. Senior Jack Liles scored 12 points and junior Sirlester Martin added 10 points. Following a Dallas Blocker steal with the game tied, 56-56, sophomore Vytas Sulskis nailed a 3-pointer at the 2:04 mark to to put the Penguins ahead 59-56. However, two costly turnovers by the Penguins led to a made jumper by Wright State's John David Gardner with 53 seconds left and two free throws by Todd Brown with 33 seconds to go put the Raiders up one, 60-59. The Penguins had two more opportunities for the win but Mays missed a jumper and a 3-pointer as time expired. The Penguins led 33-20 at halftime but the Raiders opened the second half with a 13-2 run to get within two points, 35-33, with 15:06 left. Two 3-pointers by freshman Ashen Ward extended the Guins advantage back to six, 41-35, at the 13:51 mark. The Raiders, who made 14-of-19 free throws in the second half, knotted the game at 44-44 on a Brown free throw and took their third lead of the game, 46-44, at the 10;23 mark. The teams batted through seven more ties before Sulskis' 3-pointer. In the first half, the Guins shot 51.7 percent from the field and limited the Raiders to a 30.8 field-goal percentage. Trailing 11-10 midway through the stanza, the Guins nine straight points and during a 20-5 run over the next seven minutes to take a 30-16 lead with 2:37 to go. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Mays and Ward and a three-point play by Kelvin Bright sparked the the Guins' run. A 3-pointer by Todd Brown and a free throw by Gavin Horne moved the Raiders within 10 but Mays drained a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to balloon the Guins lead back to 13, 33-20, at halftime. The Penguins return home to host UIC in a YSU men’s and women’s basketball doubleheader, Thursday, Jan. 8. Tipoff is set for 7:35 p.m. at the Beeghly Center in Youngstown, Ohio, and will be broadcast on NewsRadio 570 AM WKBN. |
| Penguins Rally, Hold Off Detroit For 80-78 Road Victory |
| Friday, January 2 2009 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Detroit, Mich. -- The Youngstown State men's basketball team shot 58.7 percent from the field, rallied from a 14-point first-half deficit and staved off a late Detroit rally for an 80-78 victory on Thursday afternoon at Calihan Hall. The Penguins improve to 4-8 overall and 1-2 in the Horizon League while the Titans fall to 4-8 overall and 0-3 in the league. Junior DeAndre Mays tied a career high with 19 points and junior Kelvin Bright added seven points to lead the Penguins. The Penguins led by nine points, 75-66, with 1:14 left before two lay ups by Detroit's Woody Payne and a three-point play Thomas Kennedy brought the Titans within three, 76-73, with 32 seconds left. After Mays missed two free throws with 27 seconds left, sophomore Vytas Sulskis hit two free throws with 13 seconds left to go up by five, 78-73. Kennedy though drilled a 3-pointer with nine seconds remaining to get within two, but Sulskis made two more charity tosses with six seconds left to seal the victory. The Guins began the second half with a six-point deficit, 41-35, but scored the first four points on two Jack Liles free throws and a jumper by freshman Ashen Ward to get within two. A jumper and a 3-pointer by Mays and a jumper by Liles gave the Guins their first lead of the game, 46-45, with 16:14 to go. After a Woody Payne 3-pointer which gave the Titans a 48-46 lead with 15:49 left, the Penguins went on a 13-4 run over the four minutes to take a 59-52 lead midway through the second half. Mays' three-point play put the Penguins ahead, 49-48, and baskets by Bright, Mays, Dallas Blocker, who scored eight points, Sirlester Martin and another by Bright keyed the Penguins' spurt. Detroit though rallied and regained the lead, 63-62, after a 3-pointer by Nemanja Jokic, with 8:40 to go. A lay up by Sulskis gave the Penguins the lead for good then Kelvin Bright scored seven straight YSU points and Jack Liles made two free throws to give the Penguins a nine-point edge, 75-66 with just over a minute remaining. Youngstown State trailed by as many as 14 points, 31-17, with 5:54 remaining in the first half and by 13, 37-24, with 3:43 to go before the using an 11-0 run to get within two, 37-35, with 1:11 to go. Ward, who scored eight points, sparked the Penguins' surge with two 3-pointers and Mays made two lay ups and two free throws during that span. The Titans, though, scored the last four points of the half for a 41-35 halftime lead. The Penguins continue their road trip against Wright State, Saturday, Jan. 3. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio, and will be broadcast on NewsRadio 570 AM WKBN. |