By JOHN VARGO - Sports columnist (jvargo@tribtoday.com) , Tribune Chronicle
TUESDAY'S game at the Bryce Jordan Center showed Penn State and the Horizon League a couple of things.
One is that the Nittany Lions weren't 17 points better than the Penguins.
The Penguins got the full effect of Big Ten officiating. Fouls, especially against Penn State, weren't called as they probably would've been if this was a Horizon League contest. But shooting 3-of-4 from the foul line didn't doom YSU.
It will make the Penguins a tougher team going forward.
Facts are that Penn State has better athletes than YSU. It is a Big Ten school. Their quickness wasn't anything YSU experienced in its first six games. That was a given coming into Tuesday's game.
Not making 3s hurt YSU as it shot 4-of-23 from 3-point range.
"I feel if we make some more shots from the outside, make some of the open ones we did have, the game is right there," YSU coach John Barnes said. "It's not as easy to shoot down the stretch when it's a two-point game as opposed to a 12-, 14-point game."
The Penguins weren't destroyed on the boards. Penn State held a 42 to 33 edge and boxed out well, especially Lordstown native Sarah Cash, whose 6-foot-1 frame was tested all night - especially against 6-6 Penn State senior Candice Agee.
"Sarah Cash did a really great job against really big post players," Barnes said. "Hopefully that made her realize she can score on them. She can score on anyone.
"I thought we did a good job getting the ball to her. We did a solid job penetrating. Those are things that will help us going into Saturday (at home against Kent State)."
That's something YSU can build upon. The way the Penguins dominated the inside game early was nothing short of textbook, going up 7-0 in the early going.
It faded very quickly.
"Especially a team like Penn State, being able to get the ball in the post," YSU sophomore guard Nikki Arbanas said. "For Sarah, it's great how she gets around all the tall people and someone that large. That really opens up our inside and outside game. When Sarah's doing really well this season, people will have to start to crash in on her. We'll be out to get 3s and things like that. That's something coach Barnes always talks about, inside-out games."
It's just the outside game wasn't there. There's a good reason YSU went 4-of-23 from 3-point range.
"With their size, length and quickness, they can get out there and do that," Barnes said. "They disrupted our rhythm a little bit. Ultimately we'd like to shoot a little bit better even if we have defense right on us. I think we're going to shoot better Saturday and go on from there."
If YSU can use that first couple of minutes against Penn State, harness it and go forward, the Penguins will be a team to be reckoned with in the Horizon League.
"It definitely helped us learn we have to play a full game, 100 percent," Arbanas said. "Always being more aggressive than the other team and outworking them. I thought we came out in the beginning very aggressive. As time went on, we let up a few times or didn't work hard to our full capacity.
"That and certain things like transition defense is something we need to focus on. It's definitely a good learning experience for us to play that good of a team."
For the Penguins, it is a lesson learned
