The Town Crier

[PointGuard]

NIT Recap
By Steve Porter

1st Round:

#6 seed Charleston Southern Buccaneers (21-9, 13-5) vs #3 seed Youngstown State Penguins (21-8, 13-5)

On paper these two teams appeared very evenly matched. Charleston Southern is led by C Jason O’Bannon (13.9 ppg, 6.5 rpg) and SG John Walton (13.9 ppg).

The early going was tight, but Youngstown State gradually crept ahead and with 7 minutes remaining in the first half opened a 10 point lead with solid all-around play. Hitting 50% of their shots and holding a 7-2 turnover advantage, the Penguins stormed to a 49-32 halftime lead. YSU got even scoring from 9 players with SG Noel Manley leading with 8 points. Five players for the Penguins were charged with 2 fouls though in the half, though. C Jason O’Bannon dropped in 10 points to top the scoring for the Buccaneers.

The Penguins continued their assault on the Buccaneers as the 2nd half started and went ahead by 20 with 16:48 to play. YSU then maintained a sizeable lead the rest of the game and finished with a sound 91-74 thumping of Charleston Southern.

Topping the scoring for the Penguins was C Will O’Neil with 16 points. C/PF Andre Lilly and SG Noel Manley both scored 12 while SF Colin Chambliss added 11 along with 8 rebounds. C Jason O’Bannon and PF Willie Leach both scored 15 for Charleston Southern with Leach grabbing 10 boards.

Moving to the 2nd round, Youngstown State will now face #2 seed Nebraska which advanced by trouncing Winthrop 82-65.

[PointGuard]

NIT Recap
Steve Porter

2nd Round:

#3 seed Youngstown State Penguins (22-8) vs #2 seed Nebraska Cornhuskers (18-12)

Youngstown State hit 7 of their first 9 shots including 3 of 4 from beyond the arc to leap ahead 17-10 after 5-1/2 minutes of play. But the refs were piling fouls up against the Penguins. Nebraska also shot well and with 8 minutes left in the half the Cornhuskers captured their first lead at 33-32. The Penguins roared back with an 8-0 run in the next 90 seconds. Nebraska came back and only a last second jumper by PG Pat White gave YSU a slim 47-46 lead at the break. Both teams made over 50% of their FG attempts. White finished the half with 13 points and 5 assists while Nebraska’s C Chris Crooks scored 11.

The Penguins maintained a small lead throughout much of the 2nd half. But midway through the half YSU wore down Nebraska’s defense and opened a double digit lead. The Penguins held that until the last few minutes when the Cornhuskers made a desperate attempt to comeback and narrowed YSU’s final winning margin to 92-88. The Penguins overcame a 25-14 foul differential that sent Nebraska to the line 18 more times where they scored 12 more points than Youngstown State.

PG Pat White burned the nets for 22 points to go along with his 8 assists. SG Matt Angner dropped in 15 points while SF Colin Chambliss and C Will O’Neil both scored 11. For the Cornhuskers, C Chris Crooks finished with 17 points.

“I’m hoarse from hollering at the refs all night. So I’ll keep my remarks short. I can’t say much about our defense, but our offense was on fire the entire night. Pat White really carried our team tonight even though he was in foul trouble for much of the game,” said Coach KD Durst.

The Penguins’ win moves them on to the East Regional final against #5 seed North Texas which has beaten Nevada 85-70 and Southern 87-77 in the tournament.

[PointGuard]

NIT Recap
By Steve Porter

3rd Round:

#3 seed Youngstown State Penguins (23-8) vs #5 seed North Texas Mean Green (21-11)

SF Colin Chambliss came out on fire, blocking the first two shots by the Mean Green and hitting a baseline jumper on the Penguins first possession. He added another block and 3 rebounds in the first 6 minutes of play. But YSU’s had a difficult time getting the ball in the hoop and North Texas went ahead by 7 midway through the half. The Penguins were able to come back and by the end of the half, they held a 37-33 lead. PG Matt Stafford hit for 9 points and SF Colin Chambliss scored just 4 points, but had 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 blocks.

The Penguins came out in the 2nd half with a renewed energy and a lock-down defense. With 14 minutes to play they had opened a 14-point lead at 53-39. YSU hung onto a solid double-digit lead until the last few minutes when they’re play got sloppily. But the Penguins won 77-69. Youngstown State hit just 43% of their shots, but the Penguins defense limited the Mean Green’s shooting to 36% and the Penguins amazingly blocked 13 shots.

Leading the way offensively for the Penguins was PG Pat White who scored 16 and dished out 7 assists. PG Matt Stafford hit for 13. SG/SF James Asbury added 10. SF Colin Chambliss finished with 6 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal and 3 blocks. SG Gavin Woodley scored 16 for North Texas.

“The 2-3 zone employed by North Texas gave us fits and really limited out interior game, but our defense was even more stingy,” said Coach KD Durst.

The Penguins will go up against #2 seed Cincinnati in the semi-finals. In the other semi-final game, #1 seed Oklahoma takes on #1 seed Mississippi State.

[PointGuard]

NIT Recap
By Steve Porter

Semi-Finals:

The four teams remaining in contention for the NIT Championship traveled to New York City for the last two days of the NIT Tournament. All four teams have had strong seasons.

First Semi-final Game: #1 seed Mississippi State Bulldogs (20-12) vs #1 seed Oklahoma Sooners (19-13)

The lead shifted back and forth early, but Oklahoma took control midway through the first half and the Sooners finished that half on top 39-26. Mississippi State tightened the game in the 2nd half, but came up on the short end of a 74-67 final score. PG Jason Blake led Oklahoma to victory with 18 points and 6 assists. The Bulldogs’ SF Jake Carroll scored 17 and hauled down 8 boards.


Second Semi-final Game: #2 seed Cincinnati Bearcats (20-12) vs #3 seed Youngstown State Penguins (24-8)

The Penguins entered this semi-final game as a definite underdog. Youngstown State needed to figure out a way to control Cincinnati’s slick PG Todd Johnson who averaged 14.9 ppg, 5.2 apg, and 7.2 rpg during the season but has stepped it up his scoring to over 21 ppg during the tournament. Coach KD Durst said, “We need to keep from getting overwhelmed by playing at Madison Square Garden in front of such a large crowd and then just play OUR game.”

When the Penguins turned the ball over on their first two possessions and then fell behind 15-4, Durst’s concerns seemed well-founded. YSU then made a comeback to narrow the gap to 19-15. With about 4 minutes remaining in the half, Matt Stafford sank two successive 3’s bringing the Penguins to within a single point at 28-27. After Cincinnati scored the final 7 points in the half YSU was saddled with a 43-32 deficit at the break. The Penguins anemic shooting (41% FG%, 25% 3P%, and 31% FT%) contributed to their first half difficulties. C Will O’Neil scored 8 points for YSU while top-scorer for Cincinnati was SG Wade Wilson with 9 points.

The early-going of the 2nd half was difficult for Youngstown State as they fell behind by 14 points, but they doggedly fought back. With 11:18 remaining Matt Stafford cut around a pick and hit a 10 footer to tie the score at 52-52. With 5:20 to play Stafford stole a pass and up-courted the ball to a streaking Matt Angner who slammed down a dunk to give the Penguins their first lead at 63-62. Cincinnati’s PG Todd Johnson hit a long 3 to put the Bearcats ahead 70-66 with 3:34 left. On the next possession O’Neil then was fouled and sunk both free throws to cut the lead to 2. After a miss by Cincinnati, YSU worked the ball inside where Angner hit a short jumper to tie the game at 70-70. PF Donnie Williams then blocked a shot and during the ensuing possession, he knocked down a 10 footer to put the Penguins on top 72-70 with 2:19 remaining. The defense for both teams then took control. Neither team was able to score until PG Pat White worked himself inside, took a pass and dropped in a short shot with 48 seconds to play to make it 74-70. Cincinnati them missed a 3 point attempt and had to foul. White sunk both free throws giving YSU a 6 point lead with 25 seconds to go. The Bearcats missed another shot and fouled. Matt Angner made 1 of 2 shots making it 77-70 with just 7 seconds on the clock. Cincinnati hit a last second 3 to make the final score 77-73 in favor of Youngstown State. The Penguins outshot the Bearcats 49% to 41% and outscored Cincinnati 38-16 in the paint.

C Will O’Neil scored 21, SG Matt Angner hit for 17, PG Matt Stafford put 15 points on the board, and PG Pat White added 10. For Cincinnati, PF Brendan Allaway scored 13 and PG Todd Johnson added 12.

“That was a really tough game,” said Coach KD Durst. He added, “We knew coming in that Cincinnati was a very strong team and they definitely proved it tonight. Playing before such a large and boisterous crowd, we had a few jitters early but the guys put those aside pretty quickly. The final 10 minutes of this game was textbook college basketball with both teams giving it their all. We had to dig ourselves out of a couple deep holes tonight. I’m truly proud of how the guys came back and never quit. Now we need to rest up because the championship game against Oklahoma is sure to be a huge challenge for our guys. The Sooners don’t make many mistakes. Tonight we came in as underdogs, so the guys are used to that now and realize they have to really step up.”

Oklahoma beat St. John’s, Rhode Island, Georgetown, and Mississippi State enroute to the championship game. The Sooners prefer to slow it down and have a strong man-to-man defense. They primarily use a motion offense. While Youngstown State has a strong bench, Oklahoma’s depth is even greater.

“We felt pretty down when we didn’t win the Horizon League tournament and knew that meant the end of our NCAA Tourney dream. But playing in the NIT has been a blast and now that we will be playing in the championship game, we’re really excited,” said SF Colin Chambliss. “Playing here in New York City is weird because not only is there a big crowd, but most of them are not really die-hard fans of either team. So enthusiasm and cheering seems to veer back and forth with people rooting for one team, and then as things change in the game, they often switch their allegiance.”

[Wayne23]

Great win! Go YSU!

[PointGuard]

NIT Recap
By Steve Porter

Championship:

#1 Oklahoma Sooners (20-13) vs #3 Youngstown State Penguins (25-8)

Youngstown State’s defense stymied the Sooners in the early going. After 12-1/2 minutes of play the Penguins led 25-12 and had only allowed Oklahoma to make 19% of their shots. Shooting didn’t improve for the Sooners and they finished the half hitting just 16% of their FG attempts and trailing in the game 39-23. Had it not been for the refs calling 15 fouls against the Penguins which put Oklahoma on the line 22 times, the difference in the score would have even been greater. YSU hit 48% of their shots and out-rebounded the Sooners 21-12. Centers Will O’Neil with 10 points and Andre Lilly with 8 points buoyed the Penguins. Reserve SG Myron Reyes topped the Sooners’ scoring with 7 points.

Midway through the 2nd half the Penguins led by 26 points. Coach Durst emptied his bench making sure all players saw action, and the Sooners cut into the lead but never seriously threatened. When the buzzer sounded, Youngstown State had won its first tournament championship in the school’s history by a score of 69-55. Youngstown State’s season record was 26-8.

C Will O’Neil led the scoring for the Penguins with 18 points. SF Colin Chambliss had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. C Andre Lilly hit for 10 points. SG Myron Reyes 11 points were high for Oklahoma.

“Our guys executed our game plan flawlessly from start to finish,” exclaimed Coach KD Durst. “I’m so proud of how they played not only tonight but throughout the entire tournament. Winning the NIT is a big accomplishment for our team, for the university, for the city of Youngstown, and for the state of Ohio. It was nice to be able to get everyone into the game tonight since this entire year has been one in which the entire team pulled together and contributed.”

Lee Pauly, who scored 9 points in his final game for the Penguins, said, “It’s been an incredible ride this past 4 years playing for YSU and for Coach Durst. Winning the NIT Championship was like icing on the cake. We’re gonna party-hearty tonight!”

[Tim Moungey]

So now Durst packs his bags for another job, right?

[PointGuard]

Champs Return Home
By Steve Porter

The Youngstown State Penguins basketball team returned home yesterday to be greeted by a huge crowd of cheering fans. Mayor Ben Bryce saluted the team and gave each of them a Key to the City. Bryce said, “We’ve watched this team develop over the past few years and are so proud that they’ve brought home the first championship trophy. This team personifies Youngstown in that they’re hard-working, never-give-up types who have come together to produce something as a group that magnifies their personal achievements.”

Tom Tibbets, owner of Tom’s Burgers said, “All of us fans weren’t able to get over to New York to watch the Penguins in person, but we were all pulling for them as we watched the game on TV. I hope they could hear the collective cheers that were coming from our couches as they played the game. It was so exciting to watch them roll through the tournament. A lot of these guys stop by my joint for burgers, fries and shakes and they’re all great kids.”

[PointGuard]

Penguins Rake In Horizon Awards
By Steve Porter

Horizon League Player of the Year: C Will O’Neil

Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year: SF Colin Chambliss

Horizon League Coach of the Year: Kendrick “KD” Durst

Horizon League 1st Team All-Conference: C Will O’Neil

[PointGuard]

Youngstown State Recruiting News
By Steve Porter

Spring recruiting paid dividends for Youngstown State. They previously had only filled one scholarship when SG Doylan Anderson, a 6-1 SG from Virginia High School in Virginia, Illinois committed and signed an LOI last fall. Anderson finished his senior season averaging 14.4 ppg, 3.7 apg, 3.5 rpg, 2.1 spg, and 1.9 bpg. Anderson was a top 10 player in the Chicago Prep Revue.

Then in the past two weeks, the Penguins filled their three remaining scholarships. Last week Aidan Byams, a 6-6 SF who attended junior college in West Terre Haute, Indiana signed. Byams is ranked as the 95th best recruit in the nation and is a good shot both inside and outside. He averaged 16.4 ppg, 3.6 apg. 5.0 ppg, 2.2 spg, and 2.2 bpg this past season. The same week, the Penguins surprised everyone when they announced that Lucas Broering, a 6-2 SG from Brazil would be playing for them next season. Broering is rated at the 55th best recruit in the nation. He has a sweet outside shot and is an excellent passer. He also is a strong rebounder. During his last season as a high school player, he averaged 16.8 ppg, 5.6 apg, 8.9 rpg, 4.3 spg, and 1.7 bpg. Then this week, Keith Orr, a 6-0 PG who played basketball for Tri-County High School in Plainfield, Wisconsin signed an LOI. Orr is an excellent outside shooter and is a skilled ball handler. He’s ranked as the 239th best recruit nationally and averaged 16.3 ppg, 2.2 apg, 4.2 rpg, 1.3 spg, and 1.5 bpg.

Brandon Warren, YSU’s 1st assistant coach and recruiting coordinator said, “After only filling one of our four scholarships that will be opening during the fall recruiting period, things were looking a little bleak for us. We were pretty quiet about our recruiting activities this spring because the discussions with recruits were touch-and-go so there was a lot of uncertainty. But recently everything came together for us and we came out with a very strong recruit class. We are extremely pleased with the four recruits who will join our team this coming season. Signing Lucas was a real coup since we didn’t have much money to spend on international recruiting so we had to it all on a shoestring. To be honest it was a shot-in-the-dark that worked. Of course, winning the NIT tourney was a big shot-in-the-arm to our recruiting efforts.”