| DeAndre Mays' 27 Not Enough in Comeback Attempt at Cleveland State |
| Saturday, January 30 2010 |
| Courtesy of: YSU |
| Cleveland, Ohio -- DeAndre Mays scored 19 of his game-high 27 points in the second half, but the Youngstown State men's basketball team comeback attempt from a 17-point second-half deficit fell short in a 77-69 loss to Cleveland State on Saturday afternoon at the Wolstein Center. The Penguins fall to 8-13 overall and 2-9 in the Horizon League while the Vikings improve to 10-12 overall and 6-4 in the league. Besides Mays' 27 points, senior Kelvin Bright and junior Vance Cooksey each posted double figures with 12 and 10 points, respectively. Junior Vytas Sulskis just missed a double-double with eight points and nine rebounds. After shooting a season-low 22.9 percent (8-of-35)from the field in the first half, the Penguins caught fire after the intermission connecting on 50 percent (13-of-26) from the floor, 63.6 (7-of-11) and 78.9 percent (15-of-19) from the free-throw line. Down 17 points, 59-42, with 6:51 mark, the Penguins embarked on an 20-9 run over the next five minutes keyed by 3-pointers from Cooksey, Ashen Ward and Mays and capped by two free throws by Mays that brought the Penguins within six, 68-62, with 1:28 left. Cleveland State was able to extend its lead back to nine but Bright nailed a 3-pointer with 37 seconds remaining to slice the lead back down to six, 72-66. The Penguins, though, could not get any closer. The Penguins struggled shooting the ball in the first half missing their first seven shots and made just one of their first 15 field-goal attempts. The Vikings capitalized on the Penguins' misses scoring the first nine points of the contest and led by as many as 13 points, 21-8, with 9:01 left in the half. Two free throws by Mays began a 7-0 run by the Penguins to cut the deficit to six points, 21-15, with 6:16 to go. A 3-pointer by Ashen Ward followed Mays' charity tosses and Dan Boudler add a layup to bring the Guins within six. The Vikings, though, recaptured an 11-point edge, 26-15, on a 3-pointer by Jeremy Montgomery at the 5:22 mark. Baskets by Kelvin Bright and Eddie D'Haiti trimmed the CSU lead back down to seven, 26-19 with 3:38 to go but the Vikings scored the next two buckets and took a 30-21 lead into the lockerroom at halftime. The Penguins grabbed 13 offensive rebounds in the first half but were only able to convert eight second-chance points. The Penguins visit Loyola, Thursday, Feb. 4, at 8 p.m. at the Gentile Center in Chicago, Ill. |
| Four Score in Double Figures to Lift Penguins Past Eagles, 70-57 |
| Thursday, January 28 2010 |
| Courtesy of: YSU |
| The Youngstown State men's basketball team used strong pushes at the end of both halves to hold off a scrappy North Carolina Central squad 70-57 on Wednesday night at the Beeghly Center. YSU had four players score in double figures for the fourth time this season in the contest. The Guins have won every game this year when four players reach double digits. With the win, the Penguins improve to 8-12 overall while the Eagles fall to 4-18. Leading the way for YSU offensively was DeAndre Mays who scored 17 points. Kelvin Bright and Sirlester Martin each contributed 13 while Vytas Sulskis chipped in 11. Leading the way for NCCU was C.J. Wilkerson who had 26 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field and 10-of-13 from the free-throw line. Youngstown State led by 11 at halftime, but NCCU made a run midway through the second half to get back in the game. The Penguins led 49-36 at the 10:52 mark of the second half following a Sulskis 3-pointer. But the Eagles found their wings scoring the next nine points getting as close as 49-45 on a 3-pointer by C.J. Wilkerson with 9:06 left. Mays put a stop to the run drilling a 3-pointer just seconds later and the Penguins quickly regained control of the contest. Bright added a free throw while Dallas Blocker added two more to put the Guins ahead 55-45 with 8:17 left in the game. After Dijon Manns cut the YSU lead to 55-47, YSU scored nine straight points to go ahead by 17 with 3:58 remaining. YSU rode a solid defensive effort in the final 12 minutes of the first half to grab a 32-21 halftime lead. The Penguins shot just 35.5 percent in the opening frame but forced the Eagles into 12 turnovers. NCCU started the game making six of its first nine shots and held a 15-13 lead with 12:32 remaining. The Eagles finished the half hitting at a 42.1 percent clip. YSU had an advantage at the free-throw line converting 8-of-11 attempts while NCCU hit 3-of-7 from the charity stripe. YSU scored the next 11 points grabbing a 24-15 advantage at the 7:54 mark. Dan Boulder's offensive tip-in tied the contest at 15 then Sulskis's first 3-pointer of the night gave the Guins an 18-15 lead. Following two Mays free throws, Martin kept the run going with a jumper. Bright's tip-in of a Martin miss capped the 11-0 spurt at the 7:54 mark. Chasten stopped the run with a bucket, but YSU scored five straight points on an Ashen Ward layup and Sulskis' second 3-pointer of the evening to extend its lead to 29-17. The Penguins return to Horizon League play on Saturday when they play at Cleveland State. Tipoff at the Wolstein Center is set for 4 p.m. and will be televised nationally on ESPNU. The contest will also be carried on 570 WKBN. |
| Great depression |
| Tuesday, January 26 2010 |
| Courtesy of: JOHN VARGO Tribune Chronicle |
| YOUNGSTOWN - Jerry Slocum is a man of few words after a loss. Sunday was no different after Youngstown State University's 69-55 setback against Wisconsin Green Bay. But what was audibly and visually different about the YSU coach was his demeanor. Slocum sat in front of the local media, disillusioned about his team's performance - especially in the second half. YSU (7-12, 2-8 Horizon League) only trailed the Phoenix (15-7, 7-3) 33-30 at intermission. Besides only being down by three, the Penguins held Green Bay guards Bryquis Perine and Rahmon Fletcher to three and four points, respectively, in the first half. "I thought in the first half we took away some good things, did a good job on Fletcher, did a good job on Perine," Slocum said. YSU shot 43 percent, while Green Bay only tallied 37 percent from the floor. Only Phoenix guard Troy Cotton's 14 points seemingly kept Green Bay ahead and the Penguins at bay. Cotton scored a game-high 23 points and was 7-of-12 from 3-point range - career-high in 3-pointers. Randy Berry had 11 points, while Rian Pearson added 10 off the bench. Then came the second half when YSU shot 7-of-17 from the foul line, 0-of-6 from 3-point range and laxed its defense as Green Bay shot 56.5 percent. "Cotton is a 3-point shooter and you don't run in to help on the guy?" Slocum said. "It's disappointing for me. It's disappointing for our team." The Penguins were even outrebounded 36-22 against a Green Bay team that is about the same height - top to bottom - as YSU. "That was an emphasis going into the game," Slocum said. "In this league, you know what people are going to do, you know what their strengths are." YSU, which never held the lead, cut the Green Bay advantage to 42-40 with 16 minutes, 7 seconds left on Vance Cooksey's layup. Cooksey and DeAndre Mays each led YSU with 10 points. From there, the Phoenix flew ahead with a 15-6 run in the next 10 minutes. "You don't make shots, you can't be competitive," Slocum said. "At one point, we missed seven or eight foul shots in a row during that stretch." Slocum wasn't his fiery self on the sideline. He wasn't correcting his players, who played in a trance-like state the second half. However, the YSU coach took an uncharacteristically long time to get to the post-game news conference. It was YSU's third straight loss and fifth in the last seven games - something that dismayed Slocum, who thought his team would play better after back-to-back victories against UIC and Loyola earlier this month. "We're playing as bad as basketball as we've played over the last three to four years for me," Slocum said. "It's very disappointing to see us play with lifelessness. I take responsibility for that. There's a lot of basketball to be played." The Penguins host North Carolina Central in a rare non-conference game in the heart of the Horizon League schedule, Wednesday starting at 7:05 p.m. jvargo@tribtoday.com |
| Guins Go Cold in the Second-Half, Lose 69-55 to Green Bay |
| Sunday, January 24 2010 |
| Courtesy of: YSU |
| Youngstown -- The Youngstown State men's basketball team went without a field goal for eight minutes in the second half and missed 12 of its final 19 free-throw attempts in a 69-55 loss to Green Bay on Sunday at Beeghly Center. The YSU shooting drought came soon after Green Bay scored eight straight points to take its first double-digit lead of the contest. The Penguins still trailed just 50-44 with 10:38 left on Dan Boudler's bucket, but Green Bay went on a 16-5 run to go up 66-49 as YSU went cold from the floor. Dallas Blocker's free throw with 5:22 remaining made the score 57-49, but Rahmon Fletcher and Troy Cotton hit 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions to spark another 8-0 run for Green Bay. The Phoenix led by double digits the rest of the contest. Cotton led all scorers with 23 points despite picking up his third foul late in the first half, and Randy Berry added 11 points and nine rebounds for Green Bay. The Phoenix held a 36-22 edge on the glass. DeAndre Mays and Vance Cooksey had 10 points apiece for YSU. Green Bay improve to 15-7 overall and 7-3 in the Horizon League while YSU drops to 7-12 and 2-8. The Phoenix led the entire contest, but the Penguins stayed within striking distance until their cold spell in the second half. The Penguins cut the margin to one twice early in the first half, but Green Bay went up by double digits for the first time at 50-40 on Rian Pearson's 3-point play with 12:03 remaining. Cooksey's lay-up had cut the score 42-40 with 16:07 left, but the Penguins did not score again until Ashen Ward's jumper stopped an 8-0 run with 11:46 left. YSU started 11-for-12 from the free-throw line but missed seven of its next nine. Green Bay scored the first five points of the contest until YSU got on the board with Mays' three-point play with 17:17 remaining. The Phoenix led by five on four more occasions in the first half before going up by seven, 23-16, on Matt Smith's jumper at the 8:34 mark. The Penguins trimmed the lead to two on two Ashen Ward free throws with 5:23 left, and they kept the margin to three, 33-30, at the halftime. Cotton led all scorers with 14 points in the opening 20 minutes, and no other UWGB player had more than four. Mays had eight to lead YSU. Six of Green Bay's first eight shots came from 3-point range, and the Phoenix ended up attempting one more 3-pointer than deuces in the first half. The Penguins started 5-for-9 in the half , but slowed a bit to finish at 42.9 percent in the period. Green Bay shot 37 percent and had a 16-7 edge off turnovers in the first period despite committing just one fewer miscue than YSU. Both teams shot well from the free-throw line in the first half. Green Bay was 9-for-10 and YSU hit 11 of its first 12 before missing its last two. Green Bay held an 18-12 edge on the glass after grabbing 12 off the first 14 caroms. Youngstown State remains home to play North Carolina Central on Wednesday at 7 p.m. |
| Basketball Comes Up Short Falling to UWM, 69-59 |
| Saturday, January 23 2010 |
| Courtesy of: YSU |
| Youngstown -- The Youngstown State men's basketball team kept battling all night, but could never quite get over the hump falling 69-59 to Milwaukee before a crowd of 6,087 at the Beeghly Center and nationally-television audience on ESPNU. The Penguins attempted 20 more shots, forced the Panthers into 18 turnovers and grabbed 17 offensive rebounds, seven more than UWM on the night. Milwaukee made its final 10 free throws on the night to keep YSU at bay. However, the Panthers shot 47.8 percent for the game (22-of-46) and 19-of-26 (73.1 percent) from the free-throw line. YSU attempted just nine free throws and was 7-of-27 from behind the 3-point arc (25.9 percent). The Guins made their final three 3-pointers late in the game. Milwaukee grabbed a lead midway through the first half and they never trailed again. YSU trailed by 13 twice in the second half, but pulled within 45-41 at the 8:02 mark on a fast break up by DeAndre Mays. The Guins had their opportunities to get closer. YSU trailed 49-44, but came up empty on two straight possessions. UWM's Ja'Rob McCallum made two free throws to put the Panthers in front 51-44. Mays answered with a fastbreak layup to get the Penguins back within five. On the next Milwaukee possession, Ricky Franklin's errant 3-point attempt as time was winding down on the shot clock was grabbed by James Eayrs who put the shot up and in for a 53-46 UWM lead. Mays drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key to pull YSU within 53-49 at the 2:53 mark. However, Franklin struck again draining a step-back 3-pointer over Vytas Sulskis with 2:22 left. On YSU's next possession, Sirlester Martin and Sulskis each missed 3-point shots and Milwaukee was able to put the game away at the free-throw line. With the loss, Youngstown State falls to 7-11 overall and 2-7 in the Horizon League while the Panthers improve to 12-8 and 4-4. Sulskis and Mays each scored 11 points for the Penguins. Sulskis led the team with nine rebounds. Franklin scored a game-high 21 points for UWM while Anthony Hill had 16. In the first half, the Penguins had a highlight-reel alley-oop when Mays fed Kelvin Bright on a fast-break dunk, but Milwaukee shot 46.4 percent en route to a 31-23 lead. The Penguins shot 30.3 percent, including a 1-of-10 effort from behind the 3-point arc. The Penguins tied the contest at 13 at the 9:29 mark when Bright slammed home a perfectly placed pass by Mays. Following that sequence, Milwaukee scored the next five points to go ahead 18-13 on a three-point play by Jerard Ajami. Sulskis cut the deficit to two on a jumper, but the Panthers went on a 6-0 run as Franklin drained consecutive 3-pointers from long distance. Eddie D'Haiti's bucket stopped the run momentarily before Franklin canned one from 27 feet to put UWM ahead 27-17. The Panthers' biggest lead of the first half was 31-20 at the 1:52 mark on a layup by Eayrs. YSU returns to action on Sunday when they play host to Green Bay. Tipoff at the Beeghly Center is set for 2:05 p.m. |
| Head Coach Eric Wolford Set to Speak at Friday's Basketball Game |
| Friday, January 22 2010 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Youngstown State Head Football Coach Eric Wolford will speak at halftime of the men's basketball game on Friday night against Milwaukee at the Beeghly Center. Tipoff for the nationally-televised contest is set for 7:02 p.m. Wolford will take part in the halftime festivities in what is his first major on-campus appearance since he took over the program on Dec. 16. |
| YSU to Hold Beeghly Center “White Out”, Hosts Milwaukee on ESPNU Friday |
| Wednesday, January 20 2010 |
| Courtesy of: YSU |
| For the second straight season, the Youngstown State men’s basketball team will host a nationally-televised game on ESPNU when it entertains Milwaukee, Friday, Jan. 22. Tipoff is slated for 7:02 p.m. at the Beeghly Center. The game will also be broadcast live on 570 WKBN AM. Opening Tips • This is the 26th meeting between Youngstown State and Milwaukee in series that dates back to 1972. Milwaukee owns a 20-5 advantage in the all-time series, but the Penguins won the most recent clash with a 70-68 victory at the Beeghly Center. The Panthers had won the previous three contests prior that. • Youngstown State Head Coach Jerry Slocum is one of 18 active coaches with more than 600 career victories. He currently ranks seventh among active Division I coaches with 628 career wins. • The Guins are coming off a 91-61 loss at No. 22 Butler on Jan. 16. Senior Sirlester Martin scored a career-high 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field. Senior Kelvin Bright added 10 points for the Penguins. • Last week, Martin averaged 16.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per per game. Besides his career-high 23 against Butler, Martin posted the fifth double-double of his career and the first this season with 10 points and 10 rebounds in a 70-66 loss at Valparaiso on Jan. 14. • Over the last 11 games, senior Sirlester Martin is averaging 14.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per game and shooting 50.4 percent from the field. He has also scored in double figures in 10 of the last 11 contests. • Junior Vytas Sulskis has scored 746 career points and needs 254 more to become the 32nd player in school history to score 1,000 career points. A Win Will • Improve YSU to 8-10 overall and 3-6 in the Horizon League. • Mark YSU’s sixth win over Milwaukee and the second consecutive victory over the Panthers at the Beeghly Center. • Mark YSU’s second straight win on ESPNU. • Mark YSU’s sixth home victory of the season. • Mark Head Coach Jerry Slocum’s 629th career victory and his 49th at Youngstown State. • YSU’s 983rd victory in the program’s history. Scouting Milwaukee Milwaukee enters the game with an overall record of 11-8 and a 3-4 mark in the Horizon League. Ricky Franklin leads the squad in scoring with 14.4 points per game while James Eayrs is in double figures at 12.3 points per contest. The Panthers are coming off a 67-61 overtime win against Wright State on Jan. 16, but are 0-2 in Horizon League road games. Last Time Out The Guins are coming off a 91-61 loss at No. 22 Butler on Jan. 16. Senior Sirlester Martin scored a career-high 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field. Senior Kelvin Bright added 10 points for the Penguins. Last Time Against Milwaukee Vytas Sulskis hit a jumper with 1.4 seconds remaining to lift the Penguins to a 70-68 victory on Feb. 14, 2009, at the Beeghly Center. The Penguins, who trailed by five at the intermission, were led by Sirlester Martin’s 20 points while DeAndre Mays added 15, including three 3-pointers, and grabbed a team-high six rebounds. Guins Last Time on ESPNU In its last game on ESPNU, Youngstown State knocked off rival Cleveland State, 64-60, in front of a crowd of 6,249 - the fourth-largest crowd in school history. Jack Liles led the Penguins with 18 points while DeAndre Mays posted 16 points, Sirlester Martin scored 15 and Kelvin Bright added 10 points. Mays Named Player of the Week For the first time in his career, Youngstown State senior DeAndre Mays was named the Horizon League’s Player of the Week, the league announced Jan. 11. Mays averaged 22.5 points per game and shot 50 percent (14-of-28) from the field and 66.7 percent (6-of-9) from 3-point range. The Dallas, Texas, native led the Penguins to a 2-0 record and shot 84.6 percent (11-of-13)from the free-throw line. He is the 40th player in school history with a 30-point game. |
| Sirlester Martin Scores Career-High 23 in Loss at Butler |
| Saturday, January 16 2010 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Indianapolis, Ind. -- Senior Sirlester Martin scored a career-high 23 points but the Youngstown State men's basketball team ran into a hot-shooting No. 22 Butler squad in 91-61 setback on Saturday afternoon at Hinkle Field House. The Penguins fall to 7-10 overall and 2-6 in the Horizon League while the Bulldogs improve to 14-4 overall and 7-0 in the league. Senior Kelvin Bright was the only other Penguin to reach double figures with 10 points. The Bulldogs shot an impressive 56.6 percent from the from the field for the game, including 60 percent in the first half. Butler also connected on 12-off-22 3-pointers, including five from Shelvin Mack who scored a game-high 24 points. Butler scored the first eight points of the game before DeAndre Mays hit a 3-pointer at the 17:20 mark of the first half. The Bulldogs scored 12 of the next 14 points to take a 15-point lead, 20-5, with 12:20 remaining, built their lead to as many as 26 points, 47-21, with 2:26 left and took a 49-26 advantage into the locker room at halftime. The Penguins were able to whittle the deficit down to 16, 54-38, after jumper and 3-pointer by Martin, jumper by Dallas Blocker, a 3-pointer by Vytas Sulskis and a jumper by Bright at the 16:06 mark. Butler quick responded and pushed its lead back to 22, 64-42, midway through the half and never looked back. Youngstown State returns home to host Milwaukee, Friday, Jan. 22. at the Beeghly Center. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. and will be nationally-televised on ESPNU. |
| Second-Half Comeback Falls Short at Valparaiso, 70-66 |
| Friday, January 15 2010 |
| Courtesy of: YSU Sports Information |
| Valparaiso, Ind. -- The Youngstown State men's basketball team erased a 13-point second-half deficit to take a three-point lead only to succumb to a late Valparaiso run in a 70-66 loss on Thursday evening at the Athletics-Recreation Center. The Penguins fall to 7-9 overall and 2-5 in the Horizon League while the Crusaders improve to 7-11 overall and 2-4 in the league. Senior DeAndre Mays led the Penguins with 21 points and junior Vytas Sulskis added 11 points and senior Sirlester Martin recorded his first double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds. After trailing 44-31 after a layup by Valparaiso's Michael Rogers at the 18:50 mark, the Guins exploded for a 20-7 run to tie the game at 51-51 after two free throws by Sulskis. Sulksis answered a Brandon McPherson jumper with a 3-pointer at the 9:01 mark to give Youngstown State its first lead of the game, 54-53, and drained another triple to put the Guins ahead, 57-54, with 7:55 remaining. Valparaiso countered with an 11-1 run on two straight 3-pointers - one each by Brandon Wood and McPherson - a layup by Cory Johnson and another 3-pointer by McPherson to regain a seven-point edge, 65-58 with 3:58 to go. The Penguins were within four, 67-63 with 1:30 to go but the Crusaders made three-of-four free throws to seal the game. In the first half, Valparaiso, who shot 51.6 percent from the field before halftime caught fire quickly making their first five 3-pointers to jump out 23-11 lead seven minutes into the game. Layups by Sulskis and Mays, a jumper by Dallas Blocker and a free throw by Martin trimmed the deficit down to five, 23-18, but the Crusaders score 10 of the next 14 points to regaiin an 11-point, 33-22 lead with 6:20 to go. Mays drilled a 3-pointer and Kelvin Bright connected on a jumper with 4:51 to go to get back within six points, 33-27, but the Valparaiso outscored the Penguins, 8-2, to close out the half. Youngstown State visits No. 22 Butler, Saturday, Jan. 16. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. at Hinkle Field House. |
| Penguins and Lady Pens Tackle Valpo |
| Thursday, January 14 2010 |
| Courtesy of: |
| MEN Matchup: Youngstown State (7-8, 2-4 Horizon League) at Valparaiso (6-11, 1-4) Tipoff: Today, 7:05 p.m. at Athletics-Recreation Center, Valparaiso, IN Radio/TV: WKBN-AM 570; TV: None Video: http://www.horizonleaguenetwork.tv/valparaiso.html Coaches: Jerry Slocum is 48-86 in five seasons at YSU and 628-411 overall. Valparaiso’s Homer Drew is 602-398 in 31 years of coaching. YSU probable starters: DeAndre Mays, 6-2 senior guard (13.2 points per game, 2.9 rebounds per game); Sirlester Martin, 6-7 senior forward (12, 5.9); Vytas Sulskis, 6-7 junior guard (10.1, 3.2); Kelvin Bright, 6-4 senior guard (9.7, 1.5); Eddie D’Haiti, 6-8 redshirt freshman (3.2, 3.1). Valparaiso probable starters: Brandon Wood, 6-2 junior guard (13.2 points per game, 4.2 rebounds per game); Cory Johnson, 6-7 senior forward (16.8, 5.4); Brandon McPherson, 6-1 senior guard (5, 0.8); Howard Little, 6-3 junior guard (6.8, 4.2); Michael Rogers, 6-6 junior guard (8, 1.8). Series history: Valparaiso holds a 20-7 advantage in the all-time series, including wins in each of the four meetings since the Crusaders joined the Horizon League. Valparaiso won the last contest 67-59 at Valparaiso. Notes: The Penguins are coming off Saturday’s 71-67 win at home over Loyola. The team was guided by Mays, who was named Horizon League Player of the Week and scored 30 points. The victory gave YSU its a two-game winning streak. Next: The Penguins stay on the road next week, visiting Butler on Saturday. WOMEN Matchup: YSU (0-15, 0-4 Horizon League) vs. Valparaiso (4-10, 1-2) Tipoff: Today, 7:05 p.m., at the Beeghly Center TV: MyYTV (taped at 10 p.m.) Video: http://www.horizonleaguenetwork.tv/youngstown-state.html Coaches: Cindy Martin is 3-42 in two seasons at YSU and 73-65 in five years overall. Valparaiso’s Keith Freenman has a 264-191 record in 12 seasons at the school and has a career record of 393-238. YSU probable starters: Macey Nortey, 5-foot-3 sophomore guard (8.8 points per game, 2.7 rebounds per game); Bojana Dimitrov, 5-7 junior guard (12.8, 2.9); Kenya Middlebrooks, 5-8 sophomore guard (7.9, 3.5); Brandi Brown, 5-11 freshman forward (11.9, 10.9); Rachael Manuel, 6-3 senior center (7.5, 5.7). Valparaiso probable starters: Betsy Adams, 5-7 sophomore guard (13.3 points per game, 2.4 rebounds per game); Lauren Kenney, 5-11 senior forward (11.3, 6.3); Ashley Varner, 6-1 junior forward (9.1, 6.5); Kelly Watts, 5-11 senior forward (5.6, 5.9); Laura Richards, 5-9 freshman guard (2.4, 2.3). Series history: The Penguins hold a 14-11 advantage against Valparaiso all-time. YSU won the last contest 54-38 last March. Notes: YSU is looking for its first win of the season against the Horizon League foe. Dimitrov and Brown both average double-digit points per game, and Brown is averaging a double-double this season. Next: The Penguins stay at home for a game against Butler on Saturday afternoon at Beeghly Center. |
| YSU can’t rest on two wins |
| Wednesday, January 13 2010 |
| Courtesy of: JOHN VARGO Tribune Chronicle |
| Sure, Youngstown State might have won three of five in its previous homestand, won two straight and beat a Loyola team which was 11-4 coming in Saturday to Beegly Center. It's not time to say the Penguins have turned a corner, so to speak. This can still be an erratic team, as evident of a Jan. 2 thumping by the Cleveland State Vikings. I've seen too many times in the last decade the Penguins look like contenders one night and pretenders the next. Granted, YSU (7-8, 2-4 Horizon League) won two key games against Chicago-based teams UIC and Loyola to gain its first league victories. "Our kids really battled these last two games," YSU coach Jerry Slocum said. "Everyone was walking around from a week ago saying, 'Who are you?' I think you can see tonight who we are." Let's hope so because when this Penguins team plays to their potential, most teams in this league will have a hard time stopping them. Slocum altered things in his lineup, starting guards Vance Cooksey, DeAndre Mays and Kelvin Bright against Loyola and UIC. Mays scored a career-high 30 points against Loyola and 15 against UIC - putting him in line for Horizon League Player of the Week. "The lineup change that we made makes us really quick afoot - putting those three guards out there," Slocum said. "DeAndre is as good a two guard as he is a point. He keeps fostering and working hard at it." Oddly enough, YSU was pounded on the boards against Cleveland State and the prior game against Robert Morris, which led to the change of lineup. Don't think of Slocum's change as drastic, he was just playing to the team's strength. It worked as YSU outrebounded UIC and only ended up one rebound short against Loyola. "A lot of people said, 'Geez, if you struggling at the defensive end rebounding the basketball, how can you go to a smaller lineup?' " Slocum said. "What people don't understand, if they were in practice everyday, that DeAndre and Kelvin are our two best defensive rebounders. They go high. They get above the rim to get rebounds." Speaking of the inside game, the Penguins matched up well against a similarly sized opponent in Loyola. "That's a physical team we played against tonight," Slocum said. "That's as probably as physical as team as there is in this league. We overcame a lot of things in that game without me making any specific mentions." What YSU overcame was itself these past two games. The Penguins have been their own worst enemy, especially against Robert Morris when YSU squandered a comeback effort to only fall short. Against Loyola, YSU held the advantage throughout most of the second half and the game. Then, Ramblers guard Terrance Hill tied the game at 65 with more than a minute left. "The thing I'm most proud of is when it became 65-65 we didn't wilt," Slocum said. That says a lot, especially when the Penguins will be faced with similar scenarios on the road. Take Thursday at Valparaiso - a place where YSU hasn't won since the 1997-98 season. The Penguins advanced to the Mid-Continent Conference finals that year against the Valpo's NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 team led by Brice Drew. It's the last time YSU has been in a conference or league title game. Don't get so excited YSU fan, I'm just pointing out a fact. All roads to the Horizon League championship will go through Butler. YSU will be at the Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Saturday afternoon to take on the Bulldogs, which are ranked No. 24 in the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll. YSU is out of the league cellar and is seventh - a game behind Milwaukee (10-7, 3-3). Slocum enjoyed the Loyola victory as he and his players and coaching staff should, but they know they can't rest on a two-game sweep of the Chicago teams. To get some credence to those victories, they'll have to go out and win a road game or two this season. Easier said than done, especially in this rough-and-tumble league. "It's a good win, but a lot of basketball to be played, though - a lot of league games," Slocum said. "Now we go on the road against two good teams." jvargo@tribtoday.com |
| Three-guard attack pays dividends |
| Wednesday, January 13 2010 |
| Courtesy of: JOE SCALZO The Vindicator |
| When YSU men’s basketball coach Jerry Slocum recently moved senior DeAndre Mays from point guard to shooting guard, it gave his best offensive player a little more freedom to score. But there was an added benefit. “It does give us a chance to bring a guy in that’s gonna be able to get us some points off the bench and [junior] Vytas [Sulskis] is able to do that,” Slocum said Tuesday. When asked if it was difficult for Sulskis to come out shooting after coming off the bench cold, Slocum chuckled. “Vytas has never seen a shot he doesn’t like,” Slocum said. “It’s not difficult to convince Vytas to fire them up.” The move to a three-guard lineup paid dividends last week, as the Penguins (7-8, 2-4) won their first two Horizon League games of the season. Sulskis tied a season-high with 17 points in a 76-67 win over UIC last Thursday, then Mays exploded for a career-high 30 points in a 71-67 win over Loyola. Mays earned Horizon League player of the week after averaging 22.5 points per game and shooting 50 percent from the field. “I’m proud of DeAndre, but I think it’s a team award, though,” Slocum said. “A lot of guys did a lot of positive things for him to have that success. “I’m very happy for him. It’s deserving. He had a heck of a week, there’s no doubt about that.” Slocum needs more of those performances from both players this week as the Penguins prepare for one of their toughest road trips of the season. YSU will play at Valparaiso (6-11, 1-4) on Thursday, then immediately board the bus to travel to Butler, Ind., for a date with 22nd-ranked Butler (12-4, 5-0) on Saturday afternoon. “It’s a hard trip,” Slocum said. “Probably the toughest grind trip that we have in the conference in terms of the physical part of it.” The Crusaders hold a 20-7 edge all-time against the Penguins and has won the last eight meetings. YSU has not won at Valparaiso since January 1998. Valpo boasts two of the league’s top scorers: Brandon Wood (who leads the league at 19 points per game) and Corey Johnson (16.1 per game, fifth in the league). YSU counters with Mays, who is averaging 13.2 points per game. Senior Sirlester Martin is averaging 12 points per game and six rebounds, while Sulskis is averaging just more than 10 points per game. Sulskis has scored 730 career points and needs 270 more to become the 32nd player in school history to reach 1,000 career points. Thursday’s game will be the Penguins’ first on the road in nearly a month. YSU, which is tied with Loyola for seventh in the conference standings, is 2-5 on the road this season. The Crusaders, meanwhile, have been terrific at the Athletics-Recreation Center, going 4-1 this season. They are averaging just more than 70 points per game. “This is a team that, offensively, is extremely dangerous,” said Slocum. “In our league, anytime you can post 70-75 points a night, you’ve got a good chance to win.” Butler poses an even bigger problem. The Bulldogs are unbeaten at home and have won eight of their last 10 games. Butler averages a league-best 75.4 points per game — more than six points better than anyone else in the conference. They also have the league’s best player in sophomore Gordon Hayward, who had 17 points in a 64-62 overtime win over Detroit on Sunday. Hayward averaged 18.5 points and eight rebounds in two league wins last week. “He’s playing at a different level than anyone’s played in the league since I’ve been here,” said Slocum, who is 48-86 in five seasons with the Penguins. “I think he’s as good a player possibly that this league’s ever seen. “He’s a heck of a basketball player.” Slocum is hoping a change in travel — his team will travel to Butler immediately after Thursday’s game, rather than wait until Friday — will help his team feel fresher on Saturday. Will it make a difference? Hard to say. The way Butler is playing, it might not matter. “They’re clicking on all cylinders right now,” Slocum said. scalzo@vindy.com |
| DeAndre Mays Named Horizon League Player of the Week |
| Tuesday, January 12 2010 |
| Courtesy of: YSU Sports Information |
| Indianapolis, Ind. – For the first time in his career, Youngstown State men’s basketball player DeAndre Mays has been named the Horizon League’s Player of the Week, the league announced Monday (Jan. 11). Senior DeAndre Mays averaged 22.5 points per game and shot 50 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from 3-point range and was named the Horizon League's Player of the Week. The Dallas, Texas, native led the Penguins to a 2-0 record last week and averaged 22.5 points per game while shooting 50 percent from the field, 66.7 percent from 3-point range and 84.6 percent from the free-throw line. Mays scored a career-high 30 points in the Penguins’ 71-67 win over Loyola on Jan. 9. He connected on 11-of-21 field-goal attempts, 4-of-6 3-point tries and 11-of-13 attempts from the charity stripe. He is the first player to score at least 30 points in a game since Keston Roberts scored 31 against Detroit on Feb. 27, 2007. In YSU’s 76-67 win over UIC on Jan. 7, Mays scored 15 points with two 3-poitners. He also averaged three rebounds, two assists and one block per game last week. Mays leads the Penguins in scoring with 13.2 points per game and assists with 2.6 per game. The Penguins visit Valparaiso, Thursday, Jan. 14. Tipoff is set for 8:05 p.m. EDT. |
| Seniors Pace Penguins to Thrilling 71-67 Win Over Loyola |
| Sunday, January 10 2010 |
| Courtesy of: YSU Sports Information |
| Youngstown -- The Youngstown State men's basketball team rode its seniors to a thrilling 71-67 victory over Loyola on Saturday night at the Beeghly Center. DeAndre Mays, Kelvin Bright and Sirlester Martin combined to score 60 of YSU's points, but Dallas Blocker's three-point play with 9.3 seconds remaining proved to be the difference maker. With just under three minutes remaining, YSU led 64-55 following a Mays layup and the Penguins seemed poised to cruise to their second straight conference win. But Loyola had other thoughts. Senior DeAndre Mays scored a career-high 30 points to lead the Penguins to a 71-67 win over Loyola on Saturday night.. The Ramblers scored nine of the next 10 points tying the contest on a first free-throw make by Terrance Hill. But with the game tied at 1:16 YSU grabbed the rebound and took possession in a tie game. With 54.5 seconds left Mays laid in the go-ahead bucket as he was fouled by Courtney Stanley. Mays made the ensuing foul shot giving him 30 for the contest and becoming the first Penguin to eclipse the 30-point mark since Keston Roberts on Feb. 7, 2007 against Detroit. Loyola's Walt Gibler made two free throws with 37.9 seconds remaining to get the Ramblers within 68-67. However, LU decided not to foul and Martin found an opening but his shot was blocked by Andy Polka. Blocker picked up the ball in the lane and his off-balance shot in the paint went in with 9.3 seconds remaining. His free-throw attempt bounced on the rim four times before dropping through giving YSU a four-point advantage. A 3-point shot by Stanley missed the mark and Martin blocked Polka's putback attempt before time expired. With the victory, the Penguins improve to 7-8 overall and 2-4 in the Horizon League. Loyola drops to 11-5 and 2-4. Mays made 11-of-21 from the field, going 4-of-6 from behind the 3-point line. He was 4-of-5 from the free-throw line as well. Bright had 16 points while Martin finished with 14. Hill led the way for Loyola with 18 points, all in the second half. For the game, the Guins shot 51.9 percent (28-of-54) after making 15-of-23 (65.2 percent) in the second half. Loyola hit 50 percent of its shots from the floor making 23-of-46 shots. The first half featured eight lead changes and the officials had to review the final bucker of the half before the Penguins took a 32-31 advantage to the locker room. In the waning seconds just before halftime, Ashen Ward missed a 3-point shot from the corner and Martin grabbed the rebound. Martin's shot left his hand a split second before the halftime buzzer and was counted good by the officials. After a monitor review, the officials ruled that the basket did count giving the Guins a one-point lead at the break. YSU committed just one turnover in the first half en route to shooting 41.9 percent making 13-of-31 attempts. Loyola had five turnovers, but shot an impressive 55 percent (11-of-20), but missed six free-throw attempts. The Guins made seven of their first 10 shots in the contest's first seven minutes. The Penguins came out strong to open the game taking a quick 12-4 lead in the opening five minutes. The Ramblers took their first lead of the game at 20-19 on a Ben Averkamp jumper. Loyola's biggest lead of the opening stanza was 26-22 at 5:05 following another Averkamp basket. Youngstown State scored the final four points of the half to overcome a 31-28 deficit and grab the halftime lead. Martin scored with 56 seconds left on a 17-footer and after a defensive stop, he made the go-ahead basket just before the horn sounded for intermission. YSU plays its first road game since Dec. 19 when it travels to Valparaiso on Thursday. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. Eastern time. |
| Penguins Use Final Run to Earn First Horizon League Win, 76-67 |
| Friday, January 8 2010 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Youngstown -- The Youngstown State men's basketball team used a strong push in the final nine minutes to take down UIC 76-67 on Thursday night at the Beeghly Center. Junior forward Vytas Sulskis led the way tying his season high with 17 points. Youngstown State (6-8 overall and 1-4 in the Horizon League) led 56-55 with 9:01 remaining before outscoring UIC (5-10 and 1-4) 21-12 the rest of the way to pick up its first Horizon League victory of the campaign. The Penguins shot 56 percent in the first half, but led by just four at the break. UIC came out on fire to open the second half making its first five shots to steal the momentum. On the heels of its run, UIC took its first lead of the game at 42-41 on a K.C. Robbins basket just over two minutes into the second half. The Flames eventually led 47-43 before the Penguins tied the contest at 47 and again at 49. The last time the contest was tied was at 14:05 when Dallas Blocker's layup tied the contest. The Penguins scored seven of the next nine points to pull ahead 56-51 on a Sulskis basket. UIC answered with two free throws by Spencer Stewart and a jumper by Jeremy Buttell. After allowing the Flames to get within one, the Penguins scored eight of the next 10 points to seize control of the contest. Sirlester Martin gave the Guins a 58-55 lead on a layup and Vance Cooksey followed with a 3-pointer. YSU led 68-58 at the 4:18 mark two Sulskis free throws and led 72-60 on two Martin free throws with 2:04 remaining. The Flames made things interesting down the stretch pulling within 72-67 with 23 seconds left on a 3-pointer by Chris Buchanan, but that was close as they would come. YSU put the game back on ice making its final four free-throw attempts. Buttell scored a career-high 31 points to lead the way for UIC while Kreps finished with 13. For YSU, Mays 15 and Martin chipped in a dozen. Senior forward Zack Rebillott set a career high grabbing 11 rebounds. YSU shot 46.3 percent from the game making 25-of-54 attempts. The Penguins were solid at the free-throw line making 18-of-20 attempts (90 percent). From behind the 3-point arc, the Guins shot 61.5 percent making 8-of-13 shots. In the first half, YSU torched the nets making 14-of-25 shots to shoot 56 percent. The Flames were 14-of-31 in the opening stanza good for 45.2 percent. The Penguins opened up an 18-6 led just over nine minutes into the game. After two Kreps free throws tied the contest at four, the Penguins went on a 14-2 run in the next 3:51 capped by a 3-pointer by Vytas Sulskis at the 10:51 mark. UIC scored six consecutive points on treys by Buttell and Kreps to cut the deficit in half at 18-12 with 9:23 remaining. From that point, the Penguins were able to boost the lead back up to eight at 20-12 and 27-19, but could not get their advantage back into double digits. The closest UIC would get was 32-30 on a Kreps layup with 2:12 left in the half. Two Sirlester Martin free throws gave the Guins a 39-32 lead but a three-point play by Buttell cut the deficit to 39-35 at the break. Buttell had 15 in the opening half while Kreps had 11. Ashen Ward came off the bench to lead the Guins with nine points as eight players found their way in the scoring column. The Penguins close out a five-game homestand on Saturday night when they play host to Loyola. Tipoff at the Beeghly Center is set for 7:05 p.m. |
| Slow Start Dooms Guins in 70-48 Loss to Cleveland State |
| Sunday, January 3 2010 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Youngstown -- Cleveland State scored 13 straight points in under three minutes early in the first half and led by double figures for nearly 35 minutes in a 70-48 win over Youngstown State on Saturday at Beeghly Center. The Vikings also scored eight consecutive points later in the first half as part of a 19-5 run that put them ahead 34-11 with 5:14 remaining. Cleveland State improved to 5-10 overall and 1-2 in the Horizon League while YSU dropped to 5-8 and 0-4. Norris Cole scored a game-high 20 points and had 10 of Cleveland State's 20 assists to lead three Vikings in double figures. Aaron Pogue had 16 rebounds and D'Aundray Brown had 10 as CSU outrebounded the Penguins 44-31. Sirlester Martin had 15 points and eight rebounds to lead YSU. DeAndre Mays and Kelvin Bright scored 11 apiece, but the other seven Penguins who played combined for 11 points. The Vikings shot 43.5 percent but had nine more field goals, eight of which were from 3-point range. YSU was held to 36 percent and was 1-for-8 from behind the arc. Once Vytas Sulskis' jumper tied the score at 2-2 at the 18:09 mark, Cleveland State scored the next 13 points to lead 15-2 with 14:26 remaining. The Penguins turned the ball over on three straight possessions during the stretch and missed five consecutive shots. An Ashen Ward jumper got the margin back to nine at 15-6 with 12:11 left, but Cleveland State scored the next eight points as part of a 19-5 run to go ahead 34-11 on a Cole 3-pointer at the 5:14 mark. That was one of six 3-pointers by the Vikings in the half in 12 attempts. Cleveland State led 42-19 at the break. The Penguins scored seven straight points and got within 46-30 on a Martin 3-pointer with 15:16 left in the second half, but Cleveland State responded by scoring six straight and never led by fewer than 18 the rest of the way. Youngstown State will play host to UIC on Thursday at 7:05 p.m. |