The Town Crier

[PointGuard]

Penguins Open Defense of Horizon League Crown
By Steve Porter

C Will O’Neil scored the first 8 points for Youngstown State in their game last night in Milwaukee against the Milwaukee Panthers. After 6 minutes of play, YSU led 17-7. But after leading 21-11, the Panthers went on a run that gave them a 25-23 lead. The Penguins then scored 7 unanswered points to recapture the lead. When PG Pat White hit a long 3 with 4:11 left in the half, YSU went ahead 39-27. The Penguins then continued to dominate, hit 62% of their FG attempts, and left the court at halftime with a commanding 51-34 advantage. PG Pat White was on fire throughout the half, scoring 17 points and hitting all 4 of his 3-point attempts. C Will O’Neil scored 16 and pulled down 5 boards in the half.

The Penguins continued to put the ball in the hoop in the 2nd half and finished the game hitting 58% of their FG attempts and 54% of their 3’s. YSU had just 10 turnovers while forcing Milwaukee to turn the ball over 17 times. Youngstown State came away with a resounding 92-69 victory in their opening Horizon League game.

C Will O’Neil dropped in 25 points while hauling in 6 rebounds, dishing out 2 assists, and blocking 3 shots. PG Pat White finished with 22 points. Reserve C Kent Jones hit for 16 points and grabbed 9 boards, while PF Aaron Tice scored 14.

“It really was nice to see Pat White have a breakout game offensively for us. We knew he had it in him and shooting the way he did tonight should give him a lot of confidence for the future,” said Coach KD Durst. “It was great to get a win in our opener on the road.”

[PointGuard]

Penguins Romp Over Titans
By Steve Porter

The Penguins put together some rock-solid defense early against the Detroit Titans and went ahead 19-7 after 7 minutes of play. But with the refs continually whistling fouls against the Penguins, including 3 against C Will O’Neil, the Titans went to the foul line repeatedly and were able to hang in the game. The Penguins continued to stymie Detroit with a defense that held the Titans’ shooting to 28%. With YSU hitting 56% of their shots, the Penguins built a 53-31 halftime advantage. PF Aaron Tice dropped in 11 points and grabbed 6 rebounds.

After just 3 minutes of play in the 2nd half, C Will O’Neil and PF Aaron Tice were both relegated to the bench with 4 fouls apiece. The Penguins went on to drub the Titans 91-70. That win improved their league record to 2-0 and their season record to 9-2. The team’s RPI improved to 27th best in the nation.

Six Penguins' players scored in double figures: SG William Swan-14, PF Aaron Tice-12, PG Pat White-11, C Kent Jones-11, C Will O’Neil-10, and SF Colin Chambliss-10. Chambliss grabbed 11 rebounds to record a double-double. PG Pat White had 8 assists. Reserve C Kelley Johnson scored for Detroit.

“Even though the refs seemed to target our big guys with fouls limiting Aaron Tice and Will O’Neil to a combined 32 minutes of playing time, the rest of the team stepped into the breach and carried us to victory,” said Coach KD Durst.

[PointGuard]

Horizon League Award Goes to O’Neil
By Steve Porter

For the sixth out of seven weeks, the Horizon League Freshman of the Week award was garnered by Youngstown State’s Will O’Neil. In the Penguins first two league contests this past week, O’Neil scored 35 points, pulled down 9 rebounds, and had 4 blocks even though, due to foul trouble, he was limited to just 17 minutes on the court in the second game.

Coach KD Durst said, “Will is so effective inside the paint. Defenders have a really tough time from keeping him from working his way into the basket. Often the only way they can stop him is to foul him so he gets to the line more than anyone else on our team. He’s hitting 61% of this shots and is now leading our team not only in scoring but also rebounding and blocks.”

When asked about his team yesterday, Coach Kendrick “KD” Durst responded, “Gotta be happy when your team has a 7-game win streak going and stands 9-2. But we’re coming into a critical part of our schedule over the next week. Our next two road games are against Valparaiso and Wisconsin-Green Bay. Not only were both of those teams predicted to be up with us contesting for the league championship, but they both played as well and maybe better than us during pre-conference play. In the previous seasons since I got here, both teams have played us tough when we’ve gone up against them. Valparaiso has a big win as part of their 7-4 record. They beat Villanova on the road. And Wisconsin-Green Bay has a 9-3 record with their 3 losses coming on the road against Florida, Ohio, and Alabama. They have a solid road win against a tough Tulsa team and are tied with us for the Horizon League lead. So we go into both of those games as underdogs, particularly since we’re taking on both teams in their own gyms.

“In tomorrow night’s game against Valparaiso, all five of their starters started all last year for them. We have to try to contain their experienced C Travon Capel. He’s been averaging 16.5 ppg and 8.5 rpg. Derick Coffee, their starting PF, who is averaging 11.5 ppg, can punish you if you focus too much on Capel. And Jack Ray, their PG, is a 3rd year starter who really knows how to distribute the ball and can read defenses well. While SF Andrae Calloway’s scoring thus far is down from last year’s 13.1 ppg, he definitely can’t be ignored since I’m sure he will bust out soon.

“Wisconsin-Green Bay has three players averaging in double figures and their other two starters are averaging 9.6 and 9.1 ppg. Their C Pete Richmond is averaging nearly 15 ppg and SF Marlon Dunleavy is a high percentage shooter from outside. Four of their starting five started for them last season and PF Josh Abraham, a transfer from New Mexico, looks like a strong addition to the team. He’s averaging 10.7 ppg and provides some muscle under the basket.

“Sandwiched between these two games is a home game against Northern Kentucky. If you just look at their 2-10 record, you might consider them walkovers. But we can’t overlook them or we’ll get burnt. Anyway, I think we’ll have a much better understanding of how good our team is after the next eight days. We’re kind of at the point of the basketball equivalent of midterm exams. The results of midterms often give a pretty good idea of how you will do on the final exams.”

[PointGuard]

Penguins Stop Crusaders
By Steve Porter

Youngstown State got off to a slow start in their game against the Valparaiso Crusaders last night. But when they offense came alive, the Penguins spurted out to a 20-12 lead with 10 minutes to play in the first half. But as the half wound down the Crusaders fought back to take a small lead and it took a last second 3 by PG Pat White to give YSU a slim 33-32 halftime margin. Hampering the Penguins in the first half was poor shooting. They hit just 36% of their FG attempts compared to Valparaiso’s 44% shooting. PG Pat White notched 12 points to lead the Penguins.

The Penguins slowly drew away in the 2nd half and with 12 minutes to play had built a 53-40 lead. Valparaiso crept back and with just under 6 minutes remaining trailed by just a 59-57 score. The Penguins then scored the next 6 points to give them a 65-57 lead with 3 minutes to go. Valparaiso picked off a pass and scored on a breakaway with 37 seconds remaining to cut the Penguins’ lead to 67-63. The Crusaders then fouled William Swan on a 3 point attempt. Swan converted 2 of 3 to restore a 6 point lead. With neither team able to score, the final score stood at 69-63 in favor of Youngstown State.

Leading the scoring for YSU was C Will O’Neil with 18 points, followed by PG Pat White’s 16, and 13 from both PF Aaron Tice and SG William Swan. For Valparaiso, C Travon Capel chipped in 20 points, grabbed 8 boards, and had 5 blocks.

“Valparaiso didn’t give us many easy shots so it’s fortunate we were able to gain a17-9 turnover advantage,” said Coach KD Durst. “We weren’t successful controlling Capel in the 2nd half but did a good job defending the Crusaders’ other players.”

[PointGuard]

Youngstown State Win Streak Continues
By Steve Porter

In last night’s game against the Northern Kentucky Norse, Youngstown State scored the first 12 points of the game. With 11 minutes left in the first half, YSU was up 23-4. YSU let the Norse come back a little but still held a 45-30 halftime advantage. C Will O’Neil hit for 12 first half points.

Youngstown State held a healthy lead in the 2nd half until Northern Kentucky made a run that got them with 9 points with 5 minutes to play. But the Penguins then re-established a double digit lead and came away with an 87-72 victory to run their season record to 11-2, their win streak to 9 games, and their Horizon League record to 4-0. With Wisconsin-Green Bay losing to Oakland, the Penguins now are in sole possession for 1st place in the league and hold a one-game lead over the next closest 3 teams.

C Will O’Neil scored 23 points, PG Pat White hit for 13, and PF Aaron Tice added 12. SG Kevin Young scored 20 for Northern Kentucky.

[PointGuard]

O’Neil Horizon Frosh of Week
By Steve Porter

Another two strong games by C Will O’Neil cemented yet another Horizon League Freshman of the Week award for the talented freshman from New Carlisle, Indiana. In the Penguins’ two wins this past week, O’Neil scored 42 points, pulled down 13 rebounds, and had 2 steals and 2 blocks. O’Neil now is averaging 18.9 ppg in the 13 games played by YSU.

[PointGuard]

Penguins Dominance Continues
By Steve Porter

Defenses predominated early in the Penguins game against the Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix last night. After 78 minutes of play, YSU led 18-6 as the Phoenix had hit just 33% of their shots and already turned the ball over 7 times. Uncharacteristically, the Penguins were turnover prone with 5 at that point. But at that point the offenses caught fire with both teams scoring freely. By the end of the half, Youngstown State’s lead had ballooned to 50-32. The Penguins hit 58% of their FG attempts (including hitting 6 of 12 from beyond the arc) compared to the Phoenix’ 44% shooting. YSU completely dominated the boards 20-8. Reserve C Kent Jones led the team’s scoring with 10 points, but 11 Penguins’ players had scored.

In the 2nd half, YSU went ahead by as much as 30 points and then coasted to a convincing 85-67 thumping of the Phoenix. The Penguins dropped in 53% of their shots, 50% of their 3’s, and controlled the boards to the tune of 38-18.

Topping the scoring for YSU was C Will O’Neil with 21 points. SF Colin Chambliss, C Kent Jones, and SF James Asbury each scored 10 while PF Aaron Tice pulled down 13 rebounds.

“Wow, I’m so happy to get that game under our belt. The Phoenix are a talented team and for our team to play so well tonight was fun to watch. Our guys were totally focused on what they had to do tonight and simply were NOT to be denied. They combined a potent offense with a solid defense and rebounding dominance,” said Coach KD Durst.

[PointGuard]

Penguins Top Raiders
By Steve Porter

Youngstown State blazed out to a 13-2 lead in the first 2-1/2 minutes of last night’s game against the Wright State Raiders. The Penguins expanded their lead to 15 and then watched as Wright State went on a run late in the half that cut their lead at the end of the first half to 43-39. C Will O’Neil tossed in 14 points.

The Penguins rebuilt a double digit lead early in the 2nd half and held onto it throughout most of the rest of the game. They finished with a solid 81-71 win for their 11th straight win. That improved their season record to 13-2 and their Horizon League record to 6-0.

SG William Swan and C Will O’Neil both scored 17 points to lead the Penguins offensively. SF Colin Chambliss chipped in 14 points and PG Pat White added 12.

When asked about the team’s goals, Colin Chambliss said, “We all agreed to playing each and every game as if it were a championship game that we had to win. Additionally, we are committed to coming out on top of the Horizon League standings and then win the league tournament so we can go to the NCAA Tournament and come away with upset victories.”

[PointGuard]

O’Neil Again Horizon League Freshman of the Week
By Steve Porter

Youngstown State’s C Will O’Neil scored 38 points, picked off 10 rebounds, and had 3 blocks in the Penguins two games the past week. That was enough for him to again gain his 8th Horizon League Freshman of the Week award.

O’Neil is the Horizon League’s top scorer, averaging 18.9 ppg and is the 4th best in the league in blocks. Other Penguins in the Horizon League’s Top 5 are PG Pat White who tops the league in assists with 6.3 apg and PF Aaron Tice who is 4th in the league in rebounds, averaging 7.1 rpg.

The 13-2 Penguins now have the 26th best RPI in the nation. The team is 21st in the country in scoring with an average of 79.7 ppg. Defensively they are 56th best nationally, holding their opponents to an average of 67.6 ppg.

[PointGuard]

Penguins Have Trouble Finding the Basket
By Steve Porter

Youngstown State travelled to take on the Cleveland State Vikings. The Vikings have righted their ship after struggling in pre-conference play. Coming into last night’s game, they had won all three of their home games in Horizon League play.

The Penguins struck from outside early, scoring their first 9 points on 3-point shots but still trailed Cleveland State by a single point after 3-1/2 minutes of play. Poor shooting (36%) by the Penguins allowed Cleveland State to take a 33-32 lead to the locker room. PG Pat White had 6 points to top YSU’s scoring.

As Youngstown State’s shooting woes continued in the 2nd half, the Vikings opened a 53-43 lead at the 11:25 mark. The Penguins then crippled Cleveland State with a stout defense. And even though YSU’s shooting made catch up difficult, SG William Swan hit a jumper with 6:39 on the clock and converted a foul shot that cut the Vikings lead to 55-53. Cleveland State answered with two quick successful 3-point shots that re-opened an 8 point lead. The Penguins doggedly fought back and Swan’s 25 footer with 3 minutes to play cut Cleveland State’s lead to 66-65. With 55 seconds to go, Cleveland State converted a 3 point play to give them a 75-71 lead. Another missed shot by YSU forced the Penguins to foul. Cleveland State made one of two shots to go ahead by 5 with 38 seconds remaining. Following a time out, Youngstown State got B.J. Dennis open for a quick 3 that went cleanly through the silks narrowing the lead to 2 points. YSU again fouled quickly but this time Cleveland State sunk both shots to make the score 78-74 with 25 seconds left. The Penguins again called a time out, but this time with the Vikings’ fans screaming, B.J. Dennis tossed the ball out of bounds as he tried to set up Linehan Murphy for a 3 point shot. The Vikings avoided being fouled and dropped in a jumper to make the final score 80-74, pinning the first league loss on the Penguins. That dropped the Penguins into a tie for the league lead with Detroit.

PF Aaron Tice scored 13, PG Pat White and SG William Swan both scored 11, and SF Colin Chambliss added 10. C Will O’Neil had his first poor offensive game, scoring just 7 points, but he did pull down 9 rebounds.

“We out-rebounded the Vikings 37-32 and held a 15-11 turnover advantage, but we shot abysmally, hitting just 41% of our FG attempts and 57% of our free throws. It was really an off-night, but you have to give Cleveland State credit for a solid defense. They were simply were unwavering and would not let us get ahead,” said Coach KD Durst.