The Town Crier

[PointGuard]

League Play Begins For Penguins
By Steve Porter

The Youngstown State basketballers came out with guns blazing as they opened league play last night. Midway through the first half they led the visiting Milwaukee Panthers 29-14 by hitting 67% of their FG attempts. At the half, Youngstown State led 46-22. SG Josh Jones led their scoring with 14 points in the half.

While the Penguins attack slowed in the 2nd half, they kept the Panthers from mounting a serious run and came away with a commanding 76-57 victory to open league play. Penguins knocked down 49% of their FG’s including 54% of their 3’s. They also out-rebounded Milwaukee 37-28.

SG Josh Jones finished with 23 points. PF Rich Braswell scored 12 and SF Chad Delzell had 11. C Jamal Grady had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

The win pushed Youngstown State’s win streak to 6 games. Coach K.D. Durst said, “While we played with a lot of confidence tonight, our fans really got into the game from the get-go and that was really a big plus. We played particularly well on both ends of the court in the first half.”

[PointGuard]

Penguins Tail-Feathers Singed By Fire
By Steve Porter

The Youngstown State basketball team journeyed to Chicago last night to take on the University of Illinois-Chicago. The Fire burned the nets early to pull away to a 19-10 lead in the first 7 minutes of the game. Led by C Jamal Grady, the Penguins gamely fought back and finally took a 34-33 lead with 3 minutes remaining in the half. The half ended with UIC on top 43-42. C Jamal Grady accounted for 16 points for Youngstown State in the first half.

The refs called 6 fouls on the Penguins in the first 3 minutes of play in the 2nd half as UIC streaked out to a 51-42 lead. Youngstown State was ice cold and failed to knock down a field goal for the first 10 minutes of the 2nd half. By then they trailed 60-46. The Penguins tried to come back but were unable to sustain a run and fell to the Flames 79-67. Youngstown State hit just 36% of their shots and a dismal 13% of their 3’s.

C Jamal Grady finished with 21 points. PF Aaron Tice scored 14 and SF Chad Delzell added 12. PF Rich Braswell scored 8 and pulled down 11 rebounds.

“We were sure we could take this one after coming back in the first half. Maybe we were a little bit too high and over-confident in the locker room at the half. But then ten minutes without any of us hitting a shot from the field. And we had some good looks at the basket. I hope never to have that happen again. It was so frustrating and ultimately sealed our fate,” said Chad Delzell.

[PointGuard]

Penguins Home Court Raided
By Steve Porter

Wright State came into town sporting the same 1-1 league record as YSU. Before the game, PG Tim Lostetter said, “This is a game we have to win. We match up well with the Raiders and need to control teams when they’re playing in our gym.”

But the Penguins shot poorly throughout the entire first half, hitting just 33% of their field goal attempts. They were also out-rebounded by the Raiders 20-12. Youngstown State only turned the ball over 4 times though while Wright State had 11 turnovers. After 14 lead changes and 10 ties, the half ended in a 34-34 tie. C Jamal Grady led the Penguins scoring with 9 points.

The 2nd half was as close as the first half had been. Both teams opened small leads but were reeled in. With a minute to go, Wright State led 73-70. YSU played for the steal but was unable to accomplish that and ended up fouling the Raiders on a shot with 23 seconds remaining. Wright State made just one of two free throws but that put the Penguins in a 4 point deficit. After a time out, the Penguins freed Rick Martin up for a 3 that swished through the net to cut the Raiders’ lead to 74-73 with 7 seconds to go. Wright State made quick passes and the Raiders lobbed up a long shot to avoid a foul. The shot went off the backboard and through the hoop, saddling the Penguins with a disappointing 77-73 home-court loss. The difference in the game was that Wright State hit eight 3-pointers while Youngstown State managed to make just 4 of 15 from beyond the arc.

C Jamal Grady scored 16 while his replacement Kent Jones had 11. SG Josh Jones also scored 11. Substitute PG Levall Hart sprained his finger and is expected to miss a couple games.

[PointGuard]

Youngstown State Disintegrates
By Steve Porter

YSU’s defense allowed the Penguins to take a 10-2 lead in the first 4 minutes of the game. Cleveland State made a few runs that kept the game close, but Youngstown State finished the half on top 46-39. PF Andrew Tice was the Penguins top scorer in the half with 9 points.

The Penguins maintained a double digit lead through much of the 2nd half, but the Vikings made a run and with 4:53, the Vikings took their first lead of the game at 67-66. After Cleveland State quickly built a 6 point lead, the Penguins struck back to cut the Vikings lead to 78-76 with 47 seconds on the clock. Cleveland State then took control to defeat the Penguins 81-76. The loss dropped Youngstown State’s record to 7-6. More troubling, though, they are now 1-3 in the Horizon League which ties them for last place.

Leading the scoring for the Penguins was C Jamal Grady with 17 points but SG Josh Jones and PF Andrew Tice both tossed in 15 while SF Chad Delzell added 10. The Vikings’ SG Lloyd Sanders topped all scorers with 21 points.

Coach Durst said, “We simply let this ball game get away from us tonight. At the end, the Vikings just wanted it more. We have to refocus and get back on track.”

[PointGuard]

Noises From The Colony
By Steve Porter

The Penguins Fan Club, better known as the Colony, has become a little restive. The Colony was riding high as the YSU basketball team built a 6-game winning streak. But unrest within the club has developed about the Penguins performance following the team’s team’s 3-game losing streak in Horizon League play.

“I thought this would be the year we rocked the Horizon League”, said Ron Braxson. “Instead we’re now down at the bottom of the League standings again and the chance of becoming conference champs seems like a pipe dream.”

His buddy and fellow Colony member Carl Fredrickson added, “They brought in this new coach last season and hyped him as the second coming of Jesus. He’s not been a complete bust, but the team sort of fizzled the end of last season and now after a good start, they stumble coming out of the blocks in league play.”

But Paul Sorenson, the president of the Colony, was quick to rebut their remarks, “Coach Durst came in here with a tough challenge. Our basketball program had been withering for years and you just can’t expect that it will turn into a champion in a short period of time. Let’s see how Coach Durst does after the entire team is made of his own recruits and he’s had a chance to develop players fully with his approach to the game.”

Jill Haverworth, a long-time booster, echoed Sorenson’s comments saying, “The team has given us something to really root for and I’m excited by how they’ve played overall. Jamal Grady is getting stronger and more accomplished and he’s just a sophomore. And even though Chad Delzell isn’t scoring as well as I think he will soon, he’s a beast on the boards. By the end of this season, the Penguins will surprise a lot of people.”

Don Aldine commented, “I just became a Colony member this season, but it seems like most of the members just are starved for success after years of seeing their team be the doormats of the Horizon League. I’d like to see Durst spend a little more time with the Colony, because I think he then could get more of us on his side. I know he’s focused on his team, but the Colony is the base of the teams’ fans support and we’re important too.”

Reached for comment after the meeting, Vic Morrissey, YSU’s Athletic Director, said, “We value The Colony and the support and contributions they bring to the program and the university. There’s always going to be a variety of opinions within any group. But membership is growing within The Colony, and I’ve seen a growth in their optimism about how the team is progressing and I meet with them regularly.”

[PointGuard]

Youngstown State Crashes Boards
By Steve Porter



This was a game of first versus last. Wisconsin-Green Bay came into the game tied for first in the Horizon League while Youngstown State was tied for last place. The Penguins had the task of trying to contain high-scoring SG Ross Lang who was scoring 17.9 ppg and upon whom the Phoenix’ offense was centered.

YSU’s offense sparkled as the Penguins streaked out to a 17-8 lead in the first 5-1/2 minutes. The Penguins held onto a solid lead until the latter stages of the first half. Wisconsin-Green Bay’s offense caught fire and by the end of the half, the Penguins trailed 49-45. C Jamal Grady led YSU with 9 points. Even though he was double-teamed the entire half, the Phoenix’ Ross Lang still was able to garner 15 points.

The Phoenix continued to control the game and led by 8 at the midpoint of the 2nd half. But with Ross Lang resting on the bench, the Penguins made a run that regained the lead for them at 66-65 with 7:30 to play. But with 5:40 to play with YSU on top 71-67, C Jamal Grady fouled out. Grady had led the Penguin attack with 20 points. Wisconsin-Green Bay regained the lead at 76-75 with 3 minutes to go. Coach Durst’s cobbled together lineup led 79-76 with 1:30 remaining. The Phoenix stole a pass and drove for a dunk to cut the lead to a single point at the 1:11 mark. Rick Martin worked a pass into Andrew Tice who went directly to the basket and scored putting the Penguins on top 81-78 with 57 seconds to go. After a time out, Ross Lang missed a 3 and the Penguins rebounded. Working the ball in and out freed up Chad Delzell for a 3 that found the mark to give YSU a 6 point lead with 33 seconds on the clock. YSU kept the Phoenix from scoring and notched an 85-78 victory.

Beyond C Jamal Grady’s 20 points, 5 blocks and a steal, the Penguins’ PF Andrew Tice hit for 16 plus pulled down 12 boards, PG Tim Lostetter scored 14 and fed out 7 assists, SG Josh Jones put in 13 points, and SF Chad Delzell scored 9 and grabbed 10 rebounds. For the Phoenix, SG Ross Lang dropped in 23 points but only hit 9 of 28 shots and 3 of 16 from 3 point range.

Coach KD Durst was buoyant in the post-game interview, saying “We played a tough team tonight and our guys fought hard the entire 40 minutes. Our positioning and work on the boards made it possible for us to win (YSU held a 43-23 rebounding advantage). We had to play people out of position a lot tonight, but all the guys came through. We couldn’t keep Ross Lang from scoring, but we definitely made him work for it by not letting him get free for easy shots. On the other hand, our guys worked the ball around and screened effectively to allow us to get good shots so that every one of our starters plus Andrew Tice hit at least 50% of their FG attempts. I know that we’re all happy to finally get back into the win column.”

[PointGuard]

[NOTE: This dynasty was started using DDSCB2017. But DDSCB2018 allows CB2017 associations to be transferred into CB2018. The transfer to CB2018 was done for this dynasty's association, and the new and improved functions and actions within CB2018 are now being performed for this association.]


Penguins Cold As Weather At End Of Game
By Steve Porter

With the temperature dipping below 0 degrees outside the Athletic Center Arena in Richmond Hills, Michigan, the Youngstown State Penguins took on the Oakland Golden Grizzlies. Both teams entered the game with identical 2-3 league records.

Oakland’s SG Josh Angner scored 8 points in the first 4 minutes of the game as the Golden Grizzlies stormed out to an 11-2 lead. The Penguins never could catch up in the first half and trailed 41-36 at the break. C Jamal Grady scored 12 for YSU. Josh Angner had 13 for Oakland.

After getting with a single point twice early in the 2nd half, Chad Delzell sunk 2 free throws to allow the Penguins to finally tie the game at 54-54 with 9:50 remaining. With 5 minutes to play, Jamal Grady hit a 10 foot jumper to give YSU its first lead at 65-63. But Oakland then went on a 13-0 run that put the game out of reach with 2 minutes to play. The game ended with a disappointing 83-70 loss by the Penguins. The difference in the game was that YSU hit just 0 of 6 from beyond the arc while the Golden Grizzlies hit 13 of 34 threes. The loss dropped the Penguins back into a tie for last place in the Horizon League.

C Jamal Grady again led the scoring for the Penguins with 23. PF Aaron Tice dropped in 17 points while pulling down 9 rebounds, and PF Rich Braswell scored 8 and had 11 boards. The Penguins perimeter starters (Lostetter, Jones, and Delzell) hit just 3 of 18 FG attempts.

Coach KD Durst said, “We struggled for 35 minutes to hang in the game, only to totally fall apart in the final 5 minutes. Our inside game was solid tonight but we just couldn’t get the job done from outside.”

[PointGuard]

Penguins Cruise
By Steve Porter

Last night the Youngstown State Penguins stomped the Northern Kentucky Norse 87-64 at Beeghly Center to the delight of the hometown faithful.

The two teams stayed within 2 points of each other until midway through the first half when Youngstown State scored 10 unanswered points. From there the Penguins went on to take a commanding 54-35 halftime lead. YSU hit 54% of their shots in the half. PF Aaron Tice topped all scorers with 14 points.

The Penguins continued their dominance in the 2nd half and finished the game by hitting 55% of their shots. C Jamal Grady tossed in 18 points, PF Aaron Tice finished with 16 points and 8 rebounds, SF Rick Martin had 12, and PF Rich Braswell added 10. For Northern Kentuckiy, C Troy Fingelton led all scorers with 25 points.

Interviewed after the game, Aaron Tice said, “We were cookin’ tonight. We just got tired of getting our butts kicked lately. I hope we can use this game to get back on track and put together a great last half of league play and use that momentum to win the league tournament.”

The Horizon League now has extremely unusual standings with UIC on top with a 6-1 record, Milwaukee and Valparaiso tied for second place with 4-3 records, and the remaining 7 teams all tied for 4th place with 3-4 records.

[PointGuard]

Penguins Vanquished by Crusade(rs)
By Steve Porter

Rather than taking control, the Penguins and their opponent, the visiting Valparaiso Crusaders, both seemed more intent upon trying to give control of the game to the other throughout the entire first half of their game last night. Their offenses sputtered with the Crusaders hitting just 36% of their shots while Youngstown State hit an abysmal 32% of theirs. But Valparaiso’s 13 turnovers allowed the Penguins to take a 29-25 lead to the locker room. SG Josh Jones led all scorers with 10 points.

The two teams continued to struggle in the 2nd half. With 2-1/2 minutes remaining and Youngstown State trailing by 3, PF Aaron Tice hit a turn around jumper to cut the Crusaders’ lead to 57-56. The Penguins’ full court press resulted in a turnover by Valparaiso. Following a timeout, the Penguins worked the ball around until Tice muscled up a contested 14 footer that fell through the silks to put YSU on top 58-57 with 1:55 to go. Valparaiso brought it up court and quickly hit a 3 to go ahead by 2. The Penguins’ Tim Lostetter cut around his defender and drove down the lane. His shot was off the front of the rim but rebounded right back to him, and he put it back up and in to tie the game at 60-60. On the succeeding possession by the Crusaders, Lostetter tried to steal, but hooked the arm of Valparaiso’s PG John Clark. Clark hit the first of a one-and one but missed the 2nd shot to put Valparaiso back on top by a single point. Another time out by the Penguins gave Coach Durst a chance to set up a pick and roll that freed up Lostetter to again drive inside and score on a 6 foot jumper putting YSU on top 62-61 with 59 seconds left. Valparaiso hit yet another 3 to give them a 64-62 lead. With 37 seconds remaining, Josh Jones was fouled. He sank both free throws to tie the game. Ian Boyce missed a shot, but the refs called Jamal Grady for a foul on the shot. Boyce hit both foul shots to put the Crusaders back on top by 2 with just 15 seconds on the clock. With time running out Josh Jones’ shot rimmed around but failed to drop and the Penguins lost a heart-breaker at home, 66-64.

Even though 4 of the Penguins scored in double figures (SG Josh Jones with 16, PF Aaron Tice with 13, PG Tim Lostetter with 11, and PF Rich Braswell with 10), poor shooting (38% of all FG attempts and just 0 of 6 from 3 point territory) doomed Youngstown State to defeat. The loss dropped their Horizon League record to 3-5 and a 3-way tie for last place. 4 of the the Penguins 5 league losses have been by 2-5 points and 6 of their 8 losses this season have been by 5 or fewer points. 7 of their 9 victories have been double-digit wins.

“This was a game we should have won,” said Coach KD Durst. “We had every opportunity but couldn’t get the job done. But ultimately it was my fault for using all our timeouts so we couldn’t set up a play for our final possession.”

[PointGuard]

Penguins Unleash Dynamic Offense
By Steve Porter

Before last night’s game in Detroit, when asked about the Detroit Titans freshman center William Rogers, who has been the Horizon League Player of the Week the past 5 weeks and 7 of the past 8 weeks and who’s has averaged 21 ppg and over 10 rpg during the Titans 3-game win steak they own coming into this game, Jamal Grady stated, “He’s a talented guy and has made quite a statement in his first season. I’m just going to do my best to try to contain him. I’ll probably need a little help inside from my teammates, so he can expect some double-teaming. But if he does break out with another big game, we’re just going to have to put together enough offense to counter it.”

Rogers scored the first 4 points of the game. But the Penguins pounded the ball inside, causing Rogers to pick up 2 personal fouls in the first 4-1/2 minutes of the game. To protect him, Detroit benched him with YSU on top 16-10. Midway through the first half, the Penguins’ lead had ballooned to 28-12. The Titans caught fire late in the half though, and when time expired Youngstown State led by a narrow 36-34 margin. C Jamal Grady and PF Aaron Tice both scored 9 points to lead the Penguins, while Detroit’s SF Garvin Moore led all scorers with 11 points.

Detroit scored the first 13 points of the 2nd half. Youngstown State answered by rolling off a 17-0 run to retake the lead 53-47 with 12-1/2 minutes left to play. The Penguins held onto a small lead but then expanded it to 10 with 4 minutes remaining. From there YSU stormed to a 90-73 thrashing of the Titans.

The Penguins’ attack was led by SG Josh Jones 21 points and 6 assists, PF Aaron Tice’s 19 points, C Jamal Grady’s 13 points and 7 boards, PG Tim Lostetter’s 10 points and 8 assists, and SF Chad Delzell’s 12 rebounds.

After the game, Coach KD Durst said, “Typically I’d be raking my guys over the coals when they make 21 turnovers, but that was because they were really pushing the ball on offense. Hell, they hit 57% of their FG attempts, 50% of their 3’s, and knocked down 22 of 24 foul shots. And we were simply terrors on the boards (a 36-22 advantage).” When asked about William Rogers, Durst replied, “He may have scored just 8 points, but because of foul problems he only played 13 minutes. What I saw in that limited amount of time proved to me that he’s going to be a real force in this league for the next 4 years.”