The Town Crier

[PointGuard 70]

Short-handed Penguins Dominate
By Steve Porter

Youngstown State travelled to take on the Milwaukee Panthers with not only Donnie Williams out of action, but also missing two other big men. Morris Phelan and Andre Lilly. Both stayed home nursing injuries sustained in their previous game, so the Penguins were very short-handed on the interior. Coach Durst selected Lee Pauly to start at PF. The Panthers top scorer, SG Kyle Selby, who missed a month with an injury was not a starter although able to play a limited role off the bench as he worked himself back into playing shape. Before the game, Coach KD Durst said, “Lee’s started for us before so I’m confident he’ll do a good job for us. But we’ve lost our interior depth so that could make things difficult for us, particularly if any of our big men run into foul problems.”

The Penguins applied a staunch defense early to jump out to a 16-5 lead after 8 minutes of play. The Penguins maintained a double digit lead throughout most all of the first half, and they led 36-24 at the break. C Will O’Neil scored 9 and PG Pat White hit for 8 while SF/PF Colin Chambliss hauled down 7 rebounds.

Led by O’Neil and White, the entire team caught fire and poured it on both offensively and defensively throughout the second half. The Penguins crushed the Panthers 89-55. YSU hit 53% of their shots (including 7 of 13 from beyond the arc) while limiting Milwaukee’s shooting to 31%. The Penguins also out-rebounded the Panthers 44-27.

C Will O’Neil dropped in 23 points and PG Pat White scorched the nets (8 of 10 FG including connecting on all 4 of his 3 point attempts) for 22 points. PF Lee Pauly scored 12 and grabbed 8 boards. SF/PF Colin Chambliss led the team in rebounding with 9 boards. 

Coach KD Durst said, “This was a tremendous team effort. The guys pulled together with several of them playing out of position at times during the game. I was particularly pleased by our defensive effort.”

The win improved Youngstown State’s record to 12-4 overall and and left them in sole possession of 2nd place in the Horizon League with a 5-2 record. Detroit continued to lead the league with an unblemished 7-0 record. Within the Horizon League, the team is 2nd in scoring with 84.9 ppg (Detroit leads with 87.8 ppg), 2nd in assists with 19.4 apg (Detoit leads with 21.8 apg), 1st in rebounding (36.7 rpg), 1st in steals (8.1 spg), and 2nd in blocks with 5.3 bpg (UIC leads with 5.8 bpg).

[PointGuard 70]

Penguins Rock Beeghly Center
By Steve Porter

The Penguins welcomed the Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix to Beeghly Center with Andre Lilly and Morris Phelan still recuperating from injuries. The tattered Penguins fell behind 7-2 but then scored the next 8 points. Then 6-1/2 minutes into the game YSU opened a double digit lead at 19-9. But the Phoenix shot their way back into the game pull ahead 32-31 with 5 minutes remaining in the half. But the Penguins regained their footing and finished the half strong, leading 50-42. YSU outshot Wisconsin-Green Bay 53% to 39% but the Phoenix hit 7 of 18 from 3 point land to keep in the game. C Will O’Neil poured in 14 points while pulling down 8 boards. The Phoenix SG Ben Pettaway was on fire, scoring 16 points.

Cheered on by the crowd, the early-going of the 2nd half went all YSU’s way and with 13 minutes to go they led 65-51. They expanded their lead to 20 at 75-55 with 9-1/2 minutes remaining. Youngstown State continued to roll and reeled off a solid 90-72 victory. The Penguins dropped in 49% while Wisconsin-Green Bay hit just 36%. The Penguins also held a 15-8 turnover advantage.

The Penguins were led by C Will O’Neil’s 20 points, 13 rebounds, 1 steal and 3 blocks. SF/PF Colin Chambliss scored 15 while getting 4 steals and a block. PF LeRoy Delea and SG/SF James Asbury both scored 12, while SG Matt Angner and PG Pa White both scored 10 with White dishing out 9 assists. SG Ben Pettaway finished with 19 points and PF Julian Bonner hit for 14 and grabbed 9 boards for Wisconsin-Green Bay.

“Playing with 3 of our better players unavailable due to injuries is far from ideal, but it’s nice to see others step in to fill the breach. Tonight that was LeRoy Delea who did a great job offensively and defensively,” said Coach KD Durst. “And tonight was also another team effort with 6 players scoring in double figures.”

[PointGuard 70]

Déjà vu: O’Neil Player of the Week Again
By Steve Porter

For the third week in a row and the 6th time this season C Will O’Neil was selected for the Horizon Lue Player of the Week award. This past week O’Neil scored 43 points, captured 18 rebounds, and had 3 steals and 5 blocks in the Penguins two wins. O’Neil now leads all others in the league in scoring (21.0 ppg) and rebounding (7.4 rpg). “Will’s simply on fire. With us having 3 players injured this week, it was huge the way he played and led the team,” said Coach KD Durst.

[PointGuard 70]

Surpraiso in Valparaiso
By Steve Porter

Last night’s opponent, the Valparaiso Crusaders, presented an usual perplexity. The Crusaders began the year by losing their first 12 games and were pretty much out of all those losses. But Valparaiso has won 3 of their past 5 games and one of the losses was in overtime. They’ve improved their offensive output by at least 10 ppg and decreased the scoring of their opponents by over 5 ppg. So they have become a very competitive team with 3 players averaging between 12 and 14 ppg. C Marty Jeppson has not only scored 57 points in the Crusaders past 3 games but has hit 25 of 30 of his field goal attempts.

Valparaiso’s court is in their Athletics-Recreation Center which seats a maximum of just 5000 people. But that was no problem because there were plenty of empty seats. PF/C Morris Phelan, while not fully recovered, was cleared to play a limited role. Valparaiso hit 7 of their first 8 shots to take a 15-8 lead after just 3-1/2 minutes of play. After falling behind as much as 14 points, the Penguins came back to tie the game at 31-31 with 7-1/2 minutes remaining in the half. The refs piled foul upon foul against YSU. Coach Durst’s complaints turned into a tirade with 6 minutes still to play in the half and the refs called him for a technical. The half ended with 15 fouls being called against YSU but only 5 against the Crusaders. Valparaiso made 18 of 23 foul shots compared to 5 of 7 for the Penguins. That together with Valparaiso’s sizzling 77% shooting from the field (17 of 22) resulted in Youngstown State trailing 54-47 at the break. 6 players for the Penguins had 2 fouls and one had 3. PG Pat White hit for 13 points and C Will O’Neil scored 10, but the Crusaders’ C Marty Jeppson was 7 of 7 from the field and 5 of 7 from the line for 19 points.

The 2nd half was a bigger disaster for the Penguins than the first half had been. The Penguins could never maintain a sustained attack and the Crusaders continued to shoot the lights out while the refs called 15 more fouls against YSU putting Valparaiso on the line for 20 more free throw attempts. Not only that the Penguins were out-rebounded 40-26 and outscored in the paint 44-22. Youngstown State suffered an embarrassing 102-75 drubbing.

PG Pat White led the scoring for the Penguins with 18 points followed by SG Noel Manley’s 14 points, and C Will O’Neil’s 11 points. O’Neil also had 9 rebounds, 3 steals and a block. C/PF Marty Jeppson finished with 24 points for Valparaiso and SF Andrae Calloway scored 16 and grabbed 10 boards.

“Valparaiso basically stole our game away from us attacking inside and also controlling the boards,” said Coach KD Durst. “Not only that, they sealed off the interior and kept the ball away from Will O’Neil and our other interior players. A great job of coaching and implementing their game plan. When you let a team hit 67% of their shots, there’s not much way you can contend. We deserved the butt-kicking we got tonight. One positive was that Noel Manley had another great game, hitting 5 of 6 field goals including 3 of 3 from beyond the arc and also dishing out 4 assists in 16 minutes of play.”

While still in 2nd place in the Horizon League, the Penguins are now 3 games behind 9-0 Detroit. Detroit is now the 3rd best scoring team in the nation, averaging 87.4 ppg. “Since league play began, the Titans have really gelled. They’re rolling over everybody,” commented Durst. Durst refused to admit that injuries are wreaking havoc with the Penguins. Instead he said, “We might just find that the injuries are a positive in the long run, since our bench is getting more minutes and reserves are getting experience that could be invaluable later in the season.”

[PointGuard 70]

The Long Season Continues
By Steve Porter

Coach KD Durst shook up the starting lineup for last night’s game at Cleveland State. Will O’Neil and Pat White were the only regular starters on the floor at the beginning of the game. Noel Manley was at SG, Lee Pauly at SF, and LeRoy Delea started at PF. His strategy failed as the Vikings ran off to a 19-4 lead. The Penguins fell behind by as much as 22 points before rallying late to narrow the gap slightly to 52-36 at the break. Cleveland State outshot YSU 59% to 39% and hit 9 of 15 three’s. The Vikings were led by PF Michael Schau’s 18 points. C Will O’Neil scored 13 for the Penguins.

Youngstown State cut the lead to 9 after 3 minutes of play in the 2nd half, but the Vikings quickly re-established a big lead. Even though the Penguins got within 7 points with 5 minutes to play, Cleveland State pulled away to deliver a resounding 97-80 beating of the struggling Penguins. Cleveland State hit 61% of their field goal attempts and sunk 12 of 23 from beyond the arc. The loss dropped the Penguins record to 13-6 for the season and 6-4 in the league.

C Will O’Neil scored 30 and had 11 rebounds. But SG/PF James Asbury, who fouled out of the game, was the only other Penguin to score in double figures. He scored 12. For Cleveland State, PG Michael Schau scored 23 points.

Coach KD Durst said, “We’re definitely struggling right now. Our defense has been atrocious.”

Ron Swanson, who heads YSU’s booster club, the Penguin Colony, expressed a concern heard from other members, “I don’t know what’s going on with our team this season. We thought this was going to be a banner year, but these guys just aren’t pulling things together. To lose as badly as we’ve done the past two games against the quality of teams we were up against reveals some serious problems. These just weren’t losses, they were embarrassing losses, particularly for a team with as much potential. I think it’s time for Coach Durst to give the entire bunch a collective boot in the ass.”

In separate league action, Valparaiso continued their season turn-around by upsetting league-leading Detroit 84-68 and inflicting the first league loss on the Titans. The Crusaders led from start to finish. PF/C Marty Jeppson scored 20 and hauled down 10 rebounds to lead Valparaiso.

[PointGuard 70]

Another Award For O’Neil
By Steve Porter

For the fourth straight week, C Will O’Neil was the Horizon League’s Player of the Week. Even though the Penguins lost both games this past week, O’Neil scored 41 points, pulled down 20 rebounds, and had 3 steals and a block. “It’s humbling to be given the award, but honestly I don’t feel like I deserved it this week when we all played so badly,” said O’Neil. 

But Vic Morrissey, Youngstown State’s Athletic Director countered, “Will’s played so well all three seasons he’s been here that it would be easy to get accustomed to his brilliance. But for me, he just seems to be getting better and better. In the first game this past week they don’t let us get the ball into him and he still scores 11 points and hammers the boards, but then in the next game when our team fizzles, he sizzles and torches the nets for 30 points, and even though he’s just 6’8”, he again rebounds like a big solid 7-footer. The Top 30 for the Norton Award was just announced and it’s a crime that they aren’t even considering Will for that award. Well to hell with them, Will’s making me think maybe we need to create a Penguin’s Hall of Fame.”

And just how does O’Neil compare with other players in the Horizon League this season? He’s 1st in scoring (20.9 ppg), 1st in rebounding (7.7 rpg), tied for 2nd in steals (1.6 spg), and tied for 2nd in blocks (1.3 bpg).

[PointGuard 70]

Penguins Like Coming Home
By Steve Porter

“I thought I could play last game, but they decided they wanted me 100% before coming back. Well I’m 100% now and ready to get back out there and do some damage!” declared Andre Lilly before last night’s home game against the Oakland Golden Grizzlies. The team also announced that Morris Phelan was fully recovered, even though he’d played a little in the last two games. So now the team was whole except for Donnie Williams. His recovery is progressing well, and he should be able to rejoin the team in about 3 weeks.

Hot shooting by James Asbury, Colin Chambliss and Will O’Neil gave the Penguins a 15-6 lead in the first 4 minutes of play. Oakland then scored the next 8 points to make the game tight. YSU continued to shoot well with the team hitting 62% of their shots in the half as they steadily pulled away to take a 49-34 lead to the locker room. C Will O’Neil scored 12 and PG Pat White had 9 assists in the half. C Ivan Oates scored 9 for Oakland.

The Penguins gradually puller further away in the 2nd half to come away with an 84-65 stomping of the Golden Grizzlies. YSU held a 26-12 turnover advantage and outshot Oakland 50% to 46%. The win left the Penguins in 2nd place with a 7-4 record, but still 3 games behind Detroit.

Youngstown State was led by C Will O’Neil’s 20 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals and a block. SG/SF James Asbury fired in 17 points. Colin Chambliss scored 11 and PG/SG Matt Stafford finished with 10 points while PG Pat White dished out 13 assists. C Ivan Oates finished with 25 points for Oakland.

“The guys were hitting their shots tonight, so that helped me get all those assists,” said PG Pat White. “It’s fun when we’re all clicking. Now we gotta get tough on the road.”

Following the game, it was reported that PF/C Morris Phelan suffered a minor hip injury. Due to soreness, the team will keep him out of practices the next few days and anticipate that his play in the Penguins’ next game may be limited.

[PointGuard 70]

Player in the Spotlight: Lee Pauly
By Steve Porter

“Lee Pauly is just a stellar guy. Great personality, positive attitude, hard worker, team player. He’s willing to do whatever will help the team the most,” espoused 3rd assistant coach Shannon Winn. 

Pauly is finishing his career with Youngstown State this season. The 6’7” senior is from Toledo where he went to Toledo high School. He came to the Penguins as a SF, but has played more time at PF, particularly the past two seasons. Pauly was a key to getting Blake Elleby, a teammate from Toledo High School, to join the team as a walk-on. Elleby said, “When a vacancy came open on the team, Lee encouraged me to talk with the coaches and put a good word in for me which I really appreciated. I know they were looking at other players, so I think Lee tipped the scales for me.”

Coach KD Durst said, “When Lee came to us as a freshman, while possessing some solid skills, it was obvious he needed some development to play Division I ball. To his credit, he worked his butt off in practice but got limited playing time as a freshman and sophomore. But then last year and this year, we’ve been able to work him more into the game, particularly at PF. Although he’s started some games the past two seasons, he has accepted a role as the first interior guy coming off the bench. Now he’s a strong player at both PF and SF. He jokes that the longer he’s let his beard grow, the better he’s become as a player. In addition, he’s a skilled practical joker so he keeps everyone on their toes.”

He has a good mid-range jump shot and can muscle up shots inside as well. He’s also an 84% free shooter. He boxes out well and gets his share of rebounds. His defense has improved every season. The coaches all agree that he is a consummate role player. So far this season he’s played in every game and started 4 times. He’s averaging just over 14 mpg, 4.9 ppg, and 4.0 rpg this season.

“While he’s not been able to routinely break into the starting lineup, Lee never complains,” said Durst. “He comes off the bench ready and willing to do whatever we need of him.”

Beyond playing basketball, Pauly has hit the books and sports a lofty 3.9 GPA. Donnie Williams said, “Lee really worked closely with me when I got here this year on setting up a good study plan that’s helped me not get into trouble with my grades.” Pauly said he plans to apply for graduate study in physical therapy and athletic training after he graduates this May. Last summer he was married, and his wife Jaylin and he recently announced they are expecting a baby this June.

[PointGuard 70]

Penguins-Raiders Game Goes Down to Last Second
By Steve Porter

With the Penguins travelling to take on the Wright State Raiders, a question in the minds of many YSU fans’ minds was: What’s happened to the Penguins ability to win on the road? After winning their first 5 road games this season, the Penguins have lost 6 of their last 8 road games. 4 of those losses have been against Horizon League opponents. Those 4 losses are the reason Youngstown State was mired in 2nd place, well behind 1st place Detroit and just barely ahead of the two teams, Milwaukee and UIC, tied for 3rd. When questioned about the Penguins road woes, Coach KD Durst defended his team by saying, “While there’s no doubt we’ve been streaky playing away from home, at 7-6 we still have the best overall away record of any team in the league. Playing on someone else’s home court is a big challenge for any Division I team, but I’m confident in my team’s ability and toughness.”

For much of the first half Wright State held a very small lead, primarily due to Youngstown State’s sloppiness which included an uncharacteristic 13 turnovers in the half. Additionally, the Raiders got to the line twice as many times as the Penguins, and Wright State his 6 of 9 from 3-point distance. But YSU hit 53% of their field goal attempts compared to just 37% by the Raiders. A late rally put the Penguins in control 39-35 at the buzzer. Topping the scoring for Youngstown State were SF Colin Chambliss and PF LeRoy Delea with 6 points apiece. The Raiders’ SF Kent Evans scored 10. Coach Durst said, “I’ve never seen us get called for travelling so much. We need to play with better discipline in the 2nd half and also clamp down on Kent Evans.”

But Youngstown State’s 4-point halftime lead quickly disappeared, never to be seen again. With the Penguins shooting poorly and Wright State’s shooting catching fire, the Raiders ran away to a 57-44 lead at the midpoint of the 2nd half. YSU then mounted a comeback that put them on top 61-60 when Matt Angner drained a 3 with 5:24 to go. Wright State roared back to go ahead by 6 but the Penguins clawed their way back in to trail 74-72 with 1:44 remaining. With a minute to play the Raiders were up 76-73. Following a timeout, YSU executed a designed play that gave Colin Chambliss a 3-point shot from the right side which fell through the hoop to tie the game with 36 seconds to play. Wright State worked the ball around the perimeter, but Kent Evans had to force up a shot from the end line that missed badly. Will O’Neil hauled in the rebound with 18 ticks on the clock. After bringing the ball upcourt, Pat White shot a pass to Andre Lilly at the foul line. Lilly turned and put up a jumper over his defender. The ball sunk through the net putting the Penguins ahead 78-76 with 9 seconds remaining. Wright State immediately called a time out. Coach Durst put his strongest defensive players on the court. Wright State beat YSU’s press but with just enough time to cast up a last minute 3 that clanked off the back of the rim. The comeback win brought the Penguins within two games of first place Detroit, which lost to Oakland. 

Scoring for the Penguins was fairly equally spread out amongst 10 players. Topping the scoring for YSU were SF Colin Chambliss and SG Noel Manley who both scored 11 and PF/C Andre Lilly who added 10. PG Pat White handed out 8 assists. Wright State’s SF Kent Evans led all scorers with 15 points.

“Our guys never gave up. The way they came back from 13 points down in the middle of the 2nd half and then from 6 late in the game was impressive,” said Coach KD Durst. “Noel Manley again came off the bench to provide some instant offense. Colin (Chambliss) defense was a key to our win with his 4 steals and a block and how he limited Evans in the 2nd half.” When asked about the 3 point shot by Chambliss that tied the game in the final minute of the game, Durst replied, “Colin has the confidence and self-assurance to step up for those big moments. But that play almost didn’t happen. Wright State was all over Colin until Noel made a great screen that freed Colin just enough for him to get off the shot.”

[PointGuard 70]

Youngstown State Crushes Northern Kentucky
By Steve Porter

Northern Kentucky kept up with the Penguins early but as the first half proceeded, the Penguins pulled away by forcing 14 turnovers to just 3 turnovers by YSU. The half ended with Youngstown State holding a solid 50-39 advantage. C Will O’Neil scored 12 and had 4 steals. SF Colin Chambliss hit for 10 points. SG Will Flores dropped in 14 for the Norse.

Youngstown State ground down Northern Kentucky early in the 2nd half and opened a 61-41 lead with 14 minutes left. The Norse cut the lead to 11 late in the game, but the Penguins ended up winning with ease 83-64. The Penguins hit 51% of their shots compared to 40% by Northern Kentucky. YSU also had a 20-5 turnover advantage.

C Will O’Neil scored 17, SF Colin Chambliss dropped in 16 points while recording 10 rebounds, and PG Pat White finished with 11 points. Northern Kentucky’s SG Will Flores scored 17.

“Great control tonight…absolutely no steals by the Norse,” said Coach KD Durst.

The Penguins now have a 16-6 season record. They continue to hold onto 2nd place in the Horizon League with a 9-4 record.

[PointGuard 70]

Top Two Teams in Horizon Fight It Out
By Steve Porter

Youngstown State’s shooting was cold and they paid the price as the visiting Detroit Titans pulled away to a 22-12 lead midway through the first half. But the Penguins finally began hitting their shots and with 6 minutes left in the half they tied the Titans 27-27. But with Detroit hitting 54% of their shots, the Titans finished the half ahead 36-34. PF/C Morris Phelan, SG Matt Angner, and C Will O’Neil all had 7 points for the Penguins while C Walter Beerbohm poured in 13 for Detroit.

With 17-1/2 minutes remaining, YSU took it’s first lead of the game when PF Lee Pauly put back a rebound to make it 41-40. Turnovers by the Titans took their toll and YSU slowly stretched out their lead. With 9:30 to go, the Penguins were ahead 60-46. YSU then went ice cold for the next 4-1/2 minutes during which their lead shrunk to 60-54. With 58 seconds left and YSU leading by a score of 66-61, the Penguins missed yet another shot and Detroit rebounded and called a time out. The Titans worked the ball inside to Beerbohm but with Will O’Neil guarding him closely, Beerbohm missed a short jumper. O’Neil pulled down the rebound and tossed the ball out to Pat White who was fouled intentionally. White sunk both free throws putting the Penguins on top by 7 with 44 seconds remaining. Following a missed 3 by Detroit, Colin Chambliss was fouled with 18 ticks on the clock, and he also knocked down both foul shots. After a quick miss by Detroit, the Pat White threw up a 3 that went in to give Youngstown State a 73-61 victory. With the win, the Penguins Horizon League record improved to 10-4 as they drew within a game of league-leading Detroit. Even though YSU shot poorly, their 21-7 advantage in turnovers proved to be the difference.

Leading the scoring for Youngstown State was C Will O’Neil who finished with 16 points and 8 rebounds. PG Pat White had 12 and SG Matt Angner scored 10. C Walter Beerbohm and SG Dwayne Poge both scored 13 for Detroit.

“It took us a long time to get control of the game, but fortunately our defense was solid in the 2nd half,” said Coach KD Durst. “Another key to the game was that we were able to get and keep their top-scorer, SG Copley Scott in foul trouble so that he was on the bench for most of the game.”

[PointGuard 70]

Player in the Spotlight: Matt Angner
By Steve Porter

Matt Angner came to Youngstown State as a junior after spending two years at Roane State Community College in Tennessee where he starred on that college’s basketball team averaging 17 ppg, 6 rpg and 3 apg. Coach KD Durst said, “We needed someone who could come in and contribute right away and Matt fit the bill perfectly. He’s been a great team player who gets along well with his teammates. He came to us with good skills but has worked hard to hone those further.”

Angner attended Harriman High School in Harriman, Tennessee. He said, “I really didn’t work all that hard in high school and my grades were just average. So beyond playing basketball at Roane State CC, it was important for me to develop study skills and get grades that would allow me to transfer to a school where I could get my Bachelor’s degree. I was ecstatic to get the offer to come to Youngstown State and play basketball for Coach Durst. My parents still live in Tennessee but have been able to get up here to attend some of our games so that’s been good.”

During his nearly two full seasons playing for the Penguins the 6-5 starting guard has averaged over 7 ppg and 2 rpg plus 1.5 apg while starting about 1/3 of the team’s games. He’s also been very effective coming off the bench, including one game where he scored 19 points.

Angner is rated a good spot up shooter with a mix of mid-range and outside shots and occasional drives. He’s a good rebounder and a strong ballhandler and passer who has good court visibility. He’s also good defensively and is adept at blocking shots and getting steals. Assistant Coach Shannon Winn said, “Matt is a disciplined player who is unselfish on the court. Matt has worked with two younger guards, Noel Manley and Mike Lofton, to help them develop skills and fit into the team. That’s impressive since as Manley has matured and developed, it’s probably cut into Matt’s playing time.”

Angner is a History major with a 3.0 GPA. He said, “After graduating this May I hope to work for National Park Service where I can put my history education to use. The past two summers I’ve has worked at two different parks (Cumberland Gap National Historical Park and Hocking Hills State Park) where I’ve had a chance to do a lot of different things that have given me an appreciation of the variety of work in the park service. I particularly like interacting with the park visitors. You get a lot of the same questions over and over. You know…where’s the restrooms?, when was this here park created?, how hot will it be tomorrow?, what’s the best trail to hike?...that sort of thing. I take it as a challenge to provide the same answer but in fresh, new ways making it seem like their question is unique and original.”

[PointGuard 70]

Ambush in Chi-Town
By Steve Porter

“This is the middle of a rough set of 3 games in a row where we play the league leader and the 2 teams tied for 3rd. Playing at UIC is tough, so we need to get it all together tonight if we expect to have a chance of winning,” said Coach KD Durst before the game with the Flames began. “Ronald Spruel, their go-to shooting guard who is averaging over 16 ppg and is hitting 53% of his shots, just never seems to have an off night. We’ll try to keep fresh legs on the floor to put some pressure on him and try to prevent him from busting out.”

The UIC Pavilion was rocking before the game as the Flames held a special event dubbed as “Leopard Seal Night”, recognizing the leopard seal as the main predator of Penguins in Antarctica. So the large crowd was revved up by a series of pregame events that focused on the demise of Penguins.

Youngstown State began the game as if they were offended by the pre-game antics. The team applied a staunch defense and leapt out to an 22-11 lead after 6-1/2 minutes of play. UIC came back to score the next 9 points and drew within 2. C Will O’Neil, who had been getting a breather on the bench returned and devastated the Flames’ defense. But SG Ronald Spruel scored well for UIC to keep them in the game. The half ended with the Penguins holding a 42-36 lead. YSU outrebounded UIC 25-12 and hit 50% of their shots compared to 36% shooting by the Flames. But UIC hit 5 three’s compared to none by the Penguins. O’Neil scored 20 and yanked down 8 rebounds and SG/SF James Asbury scored 5 and had 3 assists and 7 rebounds for Youngstown State while Spruel hit for 13 and SF Thurman Coursey scored 12 for UIC.

The Penguins led in the 2nd half until UIC hit a bucket and then made two quick backcourt steals, scoring on both to tie the game at 68-68 with 8 minutes to go. Following the media time out, scored 8 quick unanswered points. The Penguins made a few runs cutting the lead in half, but each time the refs called repeated fouls against YSU that allowed the Flames to regain their footing. With the UIC student body collectively dispaying the choke gesture toward the Penguins, the game ended with Youngstown State on the short end of a 93-84 score. UIC hit 11 of 26 three’s and scored 14 more points at the free throw line than did the Penguins.

C Will O’Neil scored 22 and had 9 rebounds, PG Pat White popped in 19 points and dished out 7 assists, and SG/SF James Asbury finished with 10 points, 5 assists, 9 rebounds, 3 steals and a block. The Flames SG Lonnie Sinville had 21 points and 5 steals, SF Thurman Coursey notched 20 points, and SG Ronald Spruel hit for 19 and those 3 players hit 9 of 19 three-point shots.

Coach KD Durst said, “We let this game get away from us. That 8 point scoring spree in 10 seconds was the turn-around and took the wind out of our sails. Kudos to their outside shooters though.”

It’s rumored that the loss brought out some ugliness within the team with LeRoy Delea complaining about Andre Lilly being unfairly favored. The coaching staff refused to comment saying they wouldn’t discuss internal team matters.

[PointGuard 70]

Penguins Defang Panthers
By Steve Porter

Youngstown State jumped out to a 12-2 lead but visiting Milwaukee struck back to go ahead 15-14. The lead then shifted back and forth, but in the final 8 minutes of the first half, the Penguins gradually pulled away. When the buzzer sounded, YSU was on top 45-30 by outshooting the Panthers 56% to 32%. PF/C Andre Lilly and C Will O’Neil both scored 10 points.

The Penguins continued to roll in the 2nd half and stomped the Panthers 88-58 with the entire bench getting playing time. YSU held hit 52% of their shots whereas Milwaukee scored on just 34% of the field goal attempts. The Penguins held a 20-11 turnover advantage and out-rebounded the Panthers 39-33. 

C Will O’Neil hit for 18 points while grabbing 9 rebounds and getting 4 steals and 3 blocks. PF/C Andre Lilly also scored 18 and SG Noel Manley added 12. SG Kyle Selby, who scored 26 points, was Milwaukee’s lone bright spot.

The 18-7 (11-5) Penguins remains in 2nd place in the Horizon League, following Detroit by 1 game. YSU’s RPI is 43rd best in the country.

Walk-on PG Blake Elleby strained his abdominal muscle and is expected to be on the injury list for 2 weeks. But the Penguins announced that PF Donnie Williams broken toe has healed and he will be ready to play in their next game.

[PointGuard 70]

Penguins Play Game for First Place
By Steve Porter

Knowing that Detroit lost earlier in the day meant that Youngstown State could tie for the lead if only they could win a road game against Wisconsin-Green Bay. After falling behind 4-0, the Penguins went on a 13-0 run, but C Will O’Neil picked up his 2nd personal foul just 3-1/2 minutes into the game. PG Pat White joined O’Neil on the bench with 2 fouls at the 15:41 mark. After 5 minutes of play the Penguins already had been charged with 7 team fouls while none had been called on the Phoenix. With 11:40 remaining in the first half, Wisconsin-Green Bay recaptured the lead 16-15. With 2-1/2 minutes to go in the half, the Phoenix were called for their first foul! But someway the Penguins came out of the half with a slim 34-32 lead. That was primarily due to SG/SF James Asbury’s scoring early in the half and C Will O’Neil’s scoring late in the half. Both had 10 points at the break. C Jamil Weekes scored 13 to lead Wisconsin-Green Bay.

The Penguins controlled the game in the early going of the 2nd half. But with 13 minutes to play and YSU ahead 51-42, C Will O’Neil picked up his 4th foul. As the refs continued calling fouls against the Penguins and not the Phoenix and with the game score tightening, Coach Durst had an outburst that resulted in a technical. The Penguins gamely held onto a slim lead. With 4 minutes remaining YSU was ahead 69-65. O’Neil, Lilly and White expanded the Penguins lead to 75-67 but at that point O’Neil fouled out. The Phoenix began intentionally fouling, but YSU could not connect on a free throw. With 39 seconds remaining Wisconsin-Green Bay sunk a 3 to cut the lead to 77-75. Lilly was fouled with 28 seconds to go. He hit the first but missed the second and the Phoenix, now trailing by 3, rebounded and called time out with 26 seconds to go. The Phoenix beat the Penguins full court press, but before they could get their play set up, Pat White stepped in front of a pass and stole the ball. He quickly pushed the ball upcourt to a flying Colin Chambliss who slammed down a dunk to put YSU ahead by 5 points with 13 seconds left. Wisconsin-Green Bay got off a 3 point attempt but it went off the rim and out of bounds. The Penguins ran out the clock and won the tight game 80-75. Although the Phoenix scored 12 more points at the line, the Penguins hit 52% to Wisconsin-Green Bay’s 42%.

Even though limited to just 21 minutes of court time, C Will O’Neil scored 16 as did PG Pat White who also had 11 assists. SG Matt Angner tossed in 14, C/PF Andre Lilly scored 11, and SG/SF James Asbury added 10. C Jamil Weekes led Wisconsin-Green Bay’s scoring with 21.

“While I have comments about the officiating, I’m not going to expound upon them,” said Coach KD Durst. “Instead I’m just happy we were able to pull this one out even though several of our players’ court time was limited by foul troubles.”

Going into the final game of the regular season, the Penguins are now tied with Detroit for 1st place in the Horizon League with 12-5 records. Youngstown State’s season record is 19-7 while Detroit’s is 17-9.

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Penguins Surface to the Top
By Steve Porter

In the Penguins final league game, they didn’t score against visiting Valparaiso for the first 3 minutes of the game. The Penguins defense stymied the Crusaders for most of the first half and YSU was able to build a 37-24 lead at the break. Even though Valparaiso hit some late shots in the half, they still connected on just 33% of their field goals attempts. With C Will O’Neil again getting into early foul trouble, PG Pat White and C/PF Morris Phelan led Youngstown State’s scoring with 8 points apiece. 

After 5 minutes of play in the 2nd half, YSU led by 21. The lead ballooned to 25 points before the Penguins coasted to an easy 68-52 victory. YSU out-rebounded the Crusaders 47-28. Surprisingly, Detroit lost at home so the win by the Penguins boosted them into sole possession of 1st place in the Horizon League. Youngstown State finished the regular season with an overall 20-7 record and were 13-5 in the Horizon League. Their RPI is now 34th best in the nation. The team has averaged 82.4 ppg while giving up 73.4 ppg. They will ride a 3-game win streak into the Horizon League Tournament.

C/PF Morris Phelan scored 13 and grabbed 7 rebounds. PG Pat White hit for 12 points and SG/SF James Asbury dropped in 11 points. 

“Coming out on top of the Horizon League in our final game of the regular season was a shocker, but the team is ecstatic to have pulled it out,” said Coach KD Durst. “With Will O’Neil getting tagged with some petty fouls these last two games, the team had to find different ways to win which was a confidence-builder.”

Donnie Williams said, “After having to sit out for nearly 2 months with an injury, it sure was nice to get back on the court for this last game of the regular season. I feel ready for and look forward to tournament play and hope to be able to contribute positively to the team.” Williams started and finished the game with 8 points and 9 rebounds. Coach Durst added, “Donnie picked right back up where he was before he got injured. He had a really strong game tonight.”

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Penguins Take Horizon Crown
By Steve Porter

On the final day of Horizon League play, the Youngstown State Penguins edged ahead of all competitors to take the Horizon League crown. This is the fifth straight season that the Penguins have finished atop the Horizon League.

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Player in the Spotlight: Pat White 
By Steve Porter

Senior PG Pat White came to the Penguins via transfer after playing at the University of Oregon in his freshman year. 1st Assistant Coach Brandon Warren said, “Pat started every game during his one year at Oregon and played exceptionally well as a freshman, averaging 11.6 ppg. We were certain he would provide us with the court generalship we needed after he sat out the required year here due to transferring.”

White hasn’t disappointed the coaches or the fans. He’s started all but one game during his three subsequent seasons with the Penguins. Each season he’s averaged between 8.4 and 11.0 ppg and his assist totals have continually improved to the point this season where he’s averaging 7 assists each game, which is tops in the Horizon League. His defensive capabilities have improved each year also. Last season he was chosen for the Horizon League All-Conference 2nd Team. Thus far this season, White is averaging 9.9 ppg, 7.0 apg, 2.8 rpg, 1.1 spg, and 0.9 bpg. “Pat has shown he can score from anywhere on the court. This year he has given up some scoring opportunities as he’s become even more adept at finding the open man which is reflected by an increased number of assists,” said Coach KD Durst. “If we’re to make it back to the NCAA Tournament this season, Pat’s experience and ability to direct the action will be a big reason why.”

White hails from Kahuko, Hawaii. He said, “Playing here in Youngstown has meant that my family has only been able to see me play a few times since not only are they far away but they don’t like Ohio’s winter weather, but I have no complaints. The coaching staff has been great. I also feel fortunate to have been able to play in the NCAA Tournament the past two years and in the NIT the year before that, and I’m confident we’ll get back to the Big Dance this year also.” 

Majoring in education with a 3.0 GPA, White said he hopes to teach and coach at the high school level. White indicated he’s not sure if he will stay in Ohio or return to Hawaii and said, “I’ve had a chance to travel to many places while playing basketball and there are even other areas of the U.S. I think would be good places to live, so we’ll just have to see how things work out.”

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Horizon League Tournament—Day 1
By Steve Porter

Last night the Horizon League Tournament kicked off with two play-in games matching up the bottom four teams in the league standings. Wisconsin-Green Bay (led by Josh Abraham’s big scoring effort) won in overtime while Cleveland State (with a typical stellar effort by Michael Schau) won with relative ease to move on to take on the two top teams in the league in the 2nd round.

Game #1:
#10 Northern Kentucky Norse (8-19, 5-13, RPI 326) —31-37-4—72 (SG Will Flores-20 pts)
vs 
#7 Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix (10-17, 7-11, RPI 302)—40-28-15—83 (SF Josh Abraham-27 pts)

Game #2:
#9 Wright State Raiders (10-17, 7-11, RPI 276)—30-39—69 (SF Kent Evans-11 pt, C Jerald Johnson-11 pts)
vs 
#8 Cleveland State Vikings (11-16, 7-11, RPI 246)—35-44—79 (SG Michael Schau-23 pts)

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Horizon League Tournament—Day 2
By Steve Porter

Even though UIC, the league’s hottest team at the end of the season, got a tremendous performance from Thurman Coursey, Wisconsin-Green Bay led from start to finish and won going-away. For the Phoenix Josh Abraham came up with another strong game but had good support from C Jamil Weekes and PF Julian Bonner who both scored 15.
#7 Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix (11-17, 7-11, RPI 302)—43-50—94 (SF Josh Abraham-18 pts)
vs 
#2 UIC Flames (18-9, 12-6, RPI 68)—34-44-78 (SF Thurman Coursey-24 pts)

In the second game of the day, the slumping Detroit Titans were nearly defeated by lowly Valparaiso. Detroit was led offensively by Thurman Coursey with PG Jim Avery dishing out 10 assists. Valparaiso was carried by a double-double performance by freshman Marty Jeppson.
#6 Valparaiso Crusaders (7-20, 7-11, RPI 306)—37-38—75 (PF Marty Jeppson-24 pts/12 reb) 
vs 
#3 Detroit Titans (17-10, 12-6, RPI 174)—41-37—78 (SG Copley Scott-22 pts)

With Gary Johnson ablaze Oakland stormed away from Milwaukee in the first half and then went on cruise-control throughout the 2nd half and still won with ease in a game that was expected to be a toss-up. 
#5 Milwaukee Panthers (15-12, 10-8, RPI 139)—24-44—68 (C Reggie Ratliff-18 pts)
vs 
#4 Oakland Golden Grizzlies (14-13, 10-8, RPI 166)—52-33—85 (PG Gary Johnson-25 pts)

Even though the refs calls against Youngstown State sent 3 starters to the bench early in the 2nd half, their offense was cooking so that by mid-way through the first half they had a double-digit lead. The Penguins hot-shooting (55%) and 7-1 turnover advantage kept them well-ahead as they finished the first half on top 48-34. 
Youngstown State never let the Vikings get close in the 2nd half and won in workmanlike fashion. Although fouls limited his playing time, C Will O’Neil still was the Penguins leading scorer with SG Noel Manley and SG/SF James Asbury each adding 12 points. Cleveland State had 5 players score in double figures, but it wasn’t enough. The Penguins held the usually high-scoring Michael Schau scoreless.
#8 Cleveland State Vikings (12-16, 7-11, RPI 246)—34-45—79 (SG John Smith and C Darryl Graham-16 pts apiece)
vs 
#1 Youngstown State Penguins (20-7, 13-5, RPI 34)—48-43—91 (C Will O’Neil-17 pts)

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Horizon League Tournament—Day 3 (Semi-Finals)
By Steve Porter

In a game with 23 lead changes and 8 ties, Detroit and Wisconsin-Green Bay were forced to go to overtime. The Phoenix outscored the Titans and came away with an upset victory, again led by Copley Scott. Jamil Weekes was top scorer for the Titans but PF Julian Bonner had a double-double with 10 points and 11 boards.
#3 Detroit Titans (18-10, 12-6, RPI 174)—29-37-13—79 (SG Copley Scott-18 pts)
vs
#7 Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix (12-17, 7-11, RPI 302)—32-34-19—86 (C Jamil Weekes-17 pts)

Youngstown State pulled away early in the first half and led by 12 midway through the half. But the Penguins’ shooting cooled and Oakland’s 3 point shooting caught fire along with the refs sending the Golden Grizzlies to the line so that they roared back to take a late 3 point lead. PG Pat White hit a last second 3 for the Penguins to tie the game at 43-43 at the break. White and C Will O’Neil both scored 11 for YSU while PG Gary Johnson and SG Clint Smith both had 10 points for Oakland.
Oakland went on a 12-2 run to begin the second half. The Penguins fought back to cut the Golden Grizzlies’ lead to 2. But YSU’s shooting went south allowing Oakland to pull away again. Youngstown State was unable to recover and fell by a final score of 82-72. Oakland scored 17 more points at the free throw line than did YSU. PG Pat White led the Penguins scoring with 21 points while C Will O’Neil finished with 15. PG Gary Johnson topped Oakland’s scoring with 17 points.
Coach KD Durst said, “We played well for most of the first half but we let the game get away from us in the last 25 minutes. Oakland played with the will to win so give them all the credit. RIght now we're super-disappointed, but we need to pick ourselves up because we'll be participating in SOME post-season tournament and need to be ready to perform well.”
#4 Oakland Golden Grizzlies (15-13, 10-8, RPI 166)—43-39—82 (PG Gary Johnson-17 pts)
vs
#1 Youngstown State Penguins (21-7, 13-5, RPI 34)—43-29—72 (PG Pat White-21 pts)

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Horizon League Tournament—Day 4 (Championship)
By Steve Porter

Oakland jumped out to a 7-point lead early in the game, but the Phoenix cut their lead to 35-33 at the halftime break. Then in the 2nd half, Wisconsin-Green Bay began hitting their shots while shutting down Oakland’s offense and controlling the boards and ran off to a 21-point lead. The Golden Grizzlies cut into their lead late in the game but the Phoenix came away with their 3rd straight upset victory, taking the championship 73-60. C Jamil Weekes continued to lead the way for Wisconsin-Green Bay with 16 points and 8 boards. C Rasheem Dorsett hit for 13 for Oakland.
#7 Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix (13-17, 7-11, RPI 302)—33-40—73 (C Jamil Weekes-16 pts)
vs
#4 Oakland Golden Grizzlies (16-13, 10-8, RPI 166)—35-25—60 (C Rasheem Dorsett-13 pts)

The upset wins by the sub-.500 Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix (now 14-17) were amazing but likely mean that they will be put in a play-in game with the winner tabbed to take on a #1 seed.

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Youngstown State's Player Stats
By Steve Porter

Now that the regular season is over, the 2022-2023 Penguins' stats were dominated by C Will O'Neil and PG Pat White but a closer look shows contributions by nearly everyone on the team.

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Five Horizon League Teams Selected for Tournaments
By Steve Porter

On Selection Sunday five teams from the Horizon League were selected for the four post-season Division I tournaments.

NCAA Tournament Selections:
Wisconsin-Green Bay plays Campbell in a play-in game for a #16 seed.
#1 seeds: North Carolina, Arizona, Florida, Georgia Tech

NIT Selections:
Youngstown State is the #3 seed in the East Region and plays #6 seed Charleston Southern

CBI Selections:
UIC is the #1 seed in the West Regional and plays #8 seed Lamar

CIT Selections:
Oakland is the #6 seed in the Midwest Region and plays #3 seed North Dakota
Detroit is the #7 seed in the South Region and plays #2 seed Kentucky (Kentucky in the CIT—oh how the mighty have fallen)

Coach KD Durst said, "After not winning the Horizon League tournament, we realized we wouldn't be returning to the NCAA tournament. But we're happy to be a part of the NIT tournament and want to make some noise within it."

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CIT Recap
By Steve Porter

Round 1:

#6 seed Oakland Golden Grizzlies (16-14) vs #3 seed North Dakota Fighting Hawks (18-13)
North Dakota came out with a sizzling offense that resulted in the Fighting Hawks gaining a 46-39 lead at the half. Oakland fell behind by as much as 18 points in the 2nd half and came out on the short end of an 83-69 score. North Dakota hit 55% of their FG attempts including 46% of their 3-point shots. The Fighting Hawks PF Livan Walton scored 20. Oakland’s PF Keanan Cole matched Walton’s 20 points but the Golden Grizzlies his just 46% of their FG attempts and only 29% of their 3’s.

#7 seed Detroit Titans (18-11) vs #2 seed Kentucky Wildcats (18-13)
While Detroit hung with the Wildcats at the outset of the game, Kentucky gradually pulled away and took a 43-31 lead to the locker room. Detroit made things close in the latter part of the game but fell to the Wildcats 81-75. Detroit outplayed Kentucky in the game with the exception of turnovers where they made 21 to Kentucky’s 11 and free throws where they scored 10 fewer points than the Wildcats. C Louvon Coursey scored 18 and had 11 rebounds for the Titans while PG Jim Avery scored 9 and dished out 10 assists. SG Henry Hyle led the scoring for Kentucky with 14 points. 

Championship: Vermont-71, Weber State-64