Youngstown State beats Cleveland State 73-67

[IAA Fan]

CLEVELAND (AP)—Damian Eargle scored 20 points and pulled down 10 boards, leading Youngstown State to a 73-67 win over Cleveland State Saturday.

DuShawn Brooks added 17 points and Ashen Ward 15 for the Penguins (7-6, 2-1 Horizon League), who used a run out of halftime to beat the Vikings. Youngstown State has now won two straight after a season high four-game losing slide.

Trailing 31-29 at the break, Eargle dropped in a layup followed by a pair of free throws to help spark a 16-9 run out of halftime to take a lead the Penguins wouldn’t relinquish. The Vikings pulled within one, 59-58, with 4:31 left to play, but an Eargle jumper 36 seconds later sparked a 14-9 run the rest of the way to secure the win.

Jeremy Montgomery led Cleveland State (12-3, 2-1) with a game-high 21 points. The Vikings came in with seven wins in their last eight.


Youngstown State Penguins
Name    Min    FG    3Pt    FT    Off    Reb    Ast    TO    Stl    Blk    PF    Pts
A. Ward    31    4-7    3-5    4-4    0    4    2    2    0    0    0    15
K. Perry    36    3-5    0-1    2-3    0    1    5    3    2    0    0    8
B. Allen    37    3-9    2-5    1-2    0    3    4    2    2    0    1    9
D. Brooks    39    5-8    3-5    4-7    2    7    4    2    0    0    2    17
D. Eargle    25    8-11    0-0    4-5    3    10    0    5    2    1    4    20
F. Larson    9    0-1    0-0    0-0    0    1    0    0    0    0    0    0
N. Perry    4    0-0    0-0    0-0    0    1    1    1    0    0    1    0
D. Cole    3    0-0    0-0    0-0    0    1    1    0    1    0    0    0
S. Amiker Jr.    10    1-1    0-0    0-2    0    0    0    0    1    0    1    2
J. Chojnacki    6    1-1    0-0    0-0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    2
Totals       25-43    8-16    15-23    5    28    17    15    8    1    9    73
Percentages       .581    .500    .652       Team Rebounds: 1

Cleveland State Vikings
Name    Min    FG    3Pt    FT    Off    Reb    Ast    TO    Stl    Blk    PF    Pts
D. Brown    35    7-13    2-2    4-4    2    3    0    1    1    0    3    20
T. Harmon    22    2-7    0-3    0-0    0    2    1    2    0    0    1    4
J. Montgomery    37    7-10    6-8    1-2    0    5    3    4    2    0    3    21
T. Kamczyc    35    3-7    1-5    0-0    1    4    6    2    1    0    2    7
A. Pogue    19    1-3    0-0    0-0    0    2    0    0    0    0    2    2
S. Douglas    10    0-0    0-0    1-2    0    1    1    0    0    0    0    1
L. Ndaye    4    0-0    0-0    0-0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0
A. Grady    22    2-7    0-1    3-4    3    5    1    1    0    0    3    7
C. Lee    13    2-5    1-2    0-0    0    0    1    2    0    0    4    5
I. Nwamu    3    0-0    0-0    0-0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0
Totals       24-52    10-21    9-12    6    22    13    12    4    0    18    67
Percentages       .462    .476    .750       Team Rebounds: 2
Game Info

Technical Fouls:
    None

Arena:
    Wolstein Center, Cleveland, OH

Attendance:
    3,513

Officials:
    Bill Jacobson, Chris Beaver, Bryan Anslinger

[IAA Fan]

CSU Senior Forward D'Aundray Brown

"They have good guard play and good bigs down low. We took them for granted and came out on the wrong end today."

[goodnews]

I am on the west coast and it is now 11:50 in Ytown and the local paper has yet to post an article online about the Penguins victory over a team with an RPI of 44 and arguably their biggest rival (Cleveland State) in the Horizon League.  You gotta feel bad for the players and coaches. 

[ysuindy]

We are able to listen to the game on our way home from a week in Ytown.  Fortunately the game ended before the 570 signal faded around Mansfield. 

Great win.  I think just about every YSU fan would have signed up for a 2-1 start in the Horizon League given 3 road games to start the league season, including 2 of the top 3 teams in most pre-season prognostications (CSU and UDM) and a place we never win (Wright State).

Yes the non-conference games frustrated me, most fans and I am sure the coaches and players, but the HL games are what counts. 

Great, great win.  Eargle tremendous, nice for Ward to get a win in Cleveland. 

December 31 and every team has at least one loss in the HL. 

Big week coming up against two of the bottom dwellers in the league, UIC and Loyola.  Nothing is ever easy with this team and one needs to look for no further than what CSU did today to see the danger of overlooking an opponent. 

Practice hard and smart this week.

[ysuindy]

By David S. Glasier
DGlasier@News-Herald.com
@nhglasier

Youngstown State senior guard Ashen Ward and his teammates believed.

They believed the four straight losses they carried into Saturday's game at Cleveland State didn't accurately portray their talent or the progress they are making under veteran coach Jerry Slocum.

Ward and the Penguins believed they could come into the Wolstein Center and spring an upset on the Vikings, who were 13-2 overall and 2-0 in the Horizon League.

Ward and company turned belief into action, outplaying the Vikings from beginning to end en route to a 73-67 victory.

"This is a huge win for us, sitting on four losses and knowing we're so much better than that,'' Ward said.



The former Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School standout scored nine of his 15 points in the final three minutes of the game as the Penguins refused to wilt under the pressure.

YSU improved to 7-6 overall and 2-1 in league play.

"Nobody was afraid," Ward said. "We were ready for the challenge, and we took it. I'm not surprised we won.''

Ward, sturdily built at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, made two important baskets in crunch time to give the Penguins much-needed breathing room.







With three minutes remaining and YSU clinging to a 61-59 lead, Ward drained a 3-pointer to make it 64-59. One minutes later, Ward drove through the heart of CSU's usually stingy defense to cash in a layup that extended Youngstown's lead to 66-60.

"When the game is on the line, Ashen makes plays,'' Slocum said.

CSU coach Gary Waters gave Ward and his teammates all the credit in the world for securing the victory, shooting 58 percent from the field and scoring 73 points against a CSU squad that came into game yielding a league-low 57.8 points per contest.

"Youngstown outplayed us. They deserved to win,'' Waters said.

The Vikings slipped to 12-3 and 2-1 in the league.

"It's a crushing loss because it's at home,'' Waters said.

The Penguins got 20 points and a game-high 10 rebounds from junior forward Damian Eargle. The former Warren Harding star was 8 of 11 from the field. On defense, he limited CSU senior center Aaron Pogue to two points and two rebounds.

YSU senior forward DuShawn Brooks also was a thorn in CSU's side with 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

The Vikings were a two-man show Saturday, getting a game-high 21 points from senior guard Jeremy Montgomery and 20 points from senior forward D'Aundray Brown.

CSU got off to a sluggish start, falling behind by as many as 12 points midway through the first half. Brown and Montgomery caught fire, though, helping CSU overcome a 19-7 deficit with a 21-8 run over the next nine minutes.







Montgomery accounted for 12 of those points when he drained four straight shots from beyond the 3-point line. The last of those four treys, from 25 feet, was a "heat-check'' special.

CSU had a 31-29 halftime lead.

The Vikings suffered a blow when senior guard Trey Harmon was knocked to the floor at the 15:27 mark of the second half while chasing a long rebound. Harmon lay prone for a few minutes before heading to the locker room with a trainer.

The 6-foot-1 senior from California, averaging 11.4 points, suffered a concussion and did not return. Waters said he'll play it safe with Harmon, given the fact the player has been sidelined in the past with concussion symptoms.

Montgomery acknowledged that the Vikings got caught looking past the Penguins.

"We took them for granted and came up on the wrong side,'' Montgomery said.

CSU swings back into action Thursday, hosting Horizon League foe Illinois-Chicago.

http://www.news-herald.com/articles/2011/12/31/sports/nh4920151.txt?viewmode=fullstory

[ysuindy]

Damian Eargle scored 20 points to lead three Youngstown State players in double figures and push the Penguins to a 73-67 win over host Cleveland State in men's college basketball before 3,513 fans on New Year;s Eve at the Wolstein Center.
 
Eargle was joined by DuShawn Brooks with 17 and Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph High graduate Ashen Ward who scored 15 as the Penguins broke a 4-game losing string, improved to 2-1 in Horizon League play and 7-6 overall.
 
Cleveland State, which had won two in a row and seven of eight, fell to 2-1 in league play and 12-3 overall with the loss.
 
The Penguins led by as many as 12 in the first half before Cleveland State's Jeremy Montgomery hit three straight 3-pointers in the last 2:24 of the opening 20 minutes to help the Vikings to a 31-29 lead at intermission.
 
But Youngstown State, with its first win over Cleveland State after losing the five previous meetings and eight of nine, bounced back, scoring on eight consecutive possessions in the second half to take a 52-44 edge with 10:47 left on a jumper by Josh Chojnacki.
 
Cleveland State, which lost starting guard Trey Harmon to a possible concussion with 14:27 left in the second half, rallied behind a 10-2 run that included 3-pointers by Tim Kamczyc and Montgomery along with a shot clock-beating jumper by Kamczyc to trail 59-58 with 4:31 remaining.
 
But the Penguins got a jumper from Eargle for a 61-58 lead with 3:50 left and never let Cleveland State to get any closer the rest of the afternoon by hitting seven of 10 free throws in the final 1:16.
 
"We had an advantage in the league race by winning two on the road but we gave it back today with a loss at home," said Cleveland State head coach Gary Waters. "It's crucial that you win your home games in this league. It's so tough to win on the road."
 
Waters knows what went wrong in the Vikings's first league setback.
 
"We had a nice crowd (3,513) and we didn't give them what they deserved. We have to get back to basics and get it right defensively."
 
The Penguins used a 58% shooting day from the field with Eargle leading the way by hitting 8-for-11 from the field on his way to 20 points.
 
Youngstown State hit 25-of-43 field goal tries and went 8-for-16 from behind the arc, led by Brooks and Ward who each went 3-for-5.
 
"It's a big win," said Ward, a 6-3 senior who played his high school basketball just east of the Cleveland State campus at VASJ. "We lost four in a row and we're better than that. We were were up for the challenge. We are an unselfish team. We don't care who gets the shot as long as it's a good shot."
 
With the win, Youngstown State coach Jerry Slocum's team is one of seven with one loss in Horizon League play.
 
Cleveland State and Milwaukee entered New Year's Eve as the only two unbeatens in league play but Butler edged Milwaukee, 54-50 in another Saturday afternoon game to give the Panthers their first league loss after three wins.
 
"You can't give away possessions against Cleveland State and today we executed for the full 40 minutes," said Slocum.
 
Cleveland State got a game-high 21 points from Montgomery who was 6-for-8 from behind the 3-point arc while D'Aundray Brown added another 20 that included 2-for-2 on 3-pointers and 4-for-4 from the line.
 
The 73 points for YSU were the most allowed this season by the Vikings, who earlier suffered a 70-55 loss at South Florida.
 
"We didn't play Cleveland State basketball," added Waters. "We made it an offensive game and we have to make it a defensive game to win. We scored our 65 points today but that was not enough. Give Youngstown State credit. They shot the ball very, very well."
 
The Vikings also shot well, especially from behind the 3-point line, hitting 10-of-21 with Montgomery leading the way on 6-of-8, tying a career-high with his six successful tries.
 
The Cleveland State loss snapped a 17-game win steak for the Vikings against Ohio opponents. The last loss for Cleveland State to an Ohio school was a 72-59 setback to Ohio State on Dec. 22, 2009.
 
Youngstown State's win at the Wolstein Center snapped a 5-game slide on visits to Cleveland, winning a 68-63 decision over the Vikings on Jan. 28, 2006.
 
Cleveland State, now 4-1 on its home floor, remains home for its next two, facing Illinois-Chicago on Jan. 5 and hosting Loyola on Jan. 7 at the Wolstein Center.
 
Youngstown State, the Horizon League travel partner of the Vikings, will entertain Loyola on Jan. 5 and face Illinois-Chicago on Jan. 7 at the Beeghly Center.
 
The Vikings and Penguins meet again Jan. 28 in Youngstown


Continue reading on Examiner.com Youngstown State upends Cleveland State on New Year's Eve, 73-67 - Cleveland Cleveland State Vikings | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/cleveland-state-vikings-in-cleveland/youngstown-state-upends-cleveland-state-on-new-year-s-eve-73-67#ixzz1iJG7x112

[ysuindy]

From the Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Forty-one points, 20 rebounds and nine assists.

That's what it took for Cleveland State to beat Youngstown State in the final game between these two teams last season. For Norris Cole, it was one of the greatest boxscore lines ever: 41-20-9. It also was a strong hint that the senior guard could be a valuable part of an NBA team.

Just ask the Miami Heat, where Cole comes off the bench and is averaging 11.0 points and shooting 45 percent in his first four pro games.

But no more Cole was just part of the reason that Gary Waters feared Saturday's game with Youngstown State. "They start five guys, and all five can score," said the Cleveland State coach. "And they knew it took Norris having that great game to beat them. They were ready for us."

CSU was not prepared for the Penguins, who upset CSU, 73-67, at Wolstein Center. It was YSU's second victory in three Horizon League games, matching CSU (12-3) in conference records.

Youngstown State was sizzling from the field, shooting 58 percent -- 8-of-16 on 3-pointers. This against a team that ranked No. 8 in the country in defensive 3-point field goal percentage (25 percent). The Vikings were outrebounded (29-24) by a smaller team and seemed baffled by the different zone defenses employed by the Penguins.

"Flat" was the operative word from CSU after the game. Flat-footed defense. Flat-footed rebounding. Flat emotionally against a team fired up to knock off a local rival.

Consider that Warren Harding product Damian Eagle scored 20 points with 10 rebounds, while Ashen Ward (Villa Angela/St. Joseph) had 12 of his 15 points in the second half.

Waters has some issues. Starting center Aaron Pogue is hobbled by thigh injury, and in the second half, starting guard Tre Harmon suffered a concussion.

"But we just didn't play well," he said. "There is only one way for us to play -- it's win with defense."

This is an experienced CSU team that starts four seniors and a junior. But it lacks a future NBA first-rounder such as Cole. Nor does it have a reliable scorer, as D'Aundary Brown leads the team at 12.4 per game. Next is Harmon at 11.4. Saturday, Jeremy Montgomery delivered 21 points, Brown scored 20. So offense wasn't the problem. At least, that would have been true had CSU held Youngstown under 60 points, Waters' goal for his team in each game.

YSU's 73 points was the most Cleveland State has allowed all year.

"We had a good crowd [3,513] and they gave us energy," said Waters. "We didn't give them the performance they deserved."

In many ways, it's amazing the Vikings are 12-3. They have been winning while shooting only 43 percent from the field. They have knocked off Vanderbilt, Kent State, Akron, Toledo and Wright State despite a huge deficit in free throws attempted (339-206). They also are being outrebounded, and the key to their victories is forcing nearly 20 turnovers a game.

But not Saturday, as Youngstown lost the ball only 15 times.

Long after the game was over, Waters let out a long sigh. His team is 58-13 at home since the start of the 2007-08 season. That's part of the reason he called this "a crushing loss."

"Now, we start over," he said. "We go back to the basics. Back to defense. Back being the team that can't rely on someone like Norris Cole to bail us out in a game like this -- because he's gone."

http://www.cleveland.com/pluto/blog/index.ssf/2011/12/without_a_star_leading_the_way.html

[ysuindy]

Another cheap shot from YSU hater and MAC worshipping PD honk Elton Alexander.  What a piece of work this guy is - 20 years of shots at YSU while worshipping at the Kent and Akron altar

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Facing the bottom of the Horizon League barrel in Youngstown State, the Cleveland State Vikings dove in and rarely surfaced, suffering a stinging 73-67 loss Saturday afternoon before 3,513 in the Wolstein Center.

Senior Ashen Ward, a 6-3 swingman out of Villa Angela-St. Joseph, delivered nine of his 15 points down the stretch to keep the Penguins on top in a game they led much of the way. The Vikings did nothing they traditionally do against opponents more highly regarded than YSU, and paid for it dearly.

Adding to CSU's woes was the loss of senior guard Trevon Harmon to a concussion early in the second half. His availability is day-to-day.

CSU entered the game holding the opposition to 26.7 percent 3-point shooting. The Penguins made 50 percent (8-of-16). The Vikings average forcing 19.2 turnovers. The Penguins committed 15, and only three came in the final 3:36, when CSU was within 61-58. Before Saturday, only one team had reached 70 points against the Vikings. Now it's two.

While this is only the third loss for the Vikings (12-3, 2-1 Horizon) on the season, it's the first setback at home.

"It's a crushing loss, because it is at home," CSU head coach Gary Waters said, noting the Vikings' first two league wins were on the road. "We just gave that advantage back."

The Penguins were the better team for most of the 40 minutes as they calmly handled CSU's defensive pressure. Three players posted double figures, led by Damian Eargle's 20 points. But it was Ward who knocked down a big 3-pointer for a 64-59 YSU lead, then followed with a driving, twisting layup for a 66-59 lead before YSU closed the game out at the line.

Ward's first basket in that run came after CSU's Charlie Lee kicked the ball off his foot and out of bounds. Ward's second came after Jeremy Montgomery did the same thing.

"Two unnecessary turnovers," Waters said.

The Penguins (7-6, 2-1) snapped a four-game winning streak, and are tied for first place in the HL standings.

"These guys are a sneak-up team," said CSU's Montgomery, whose 21 points and torrid 3-point shooting in the first half gave CSU a 31-29 lead at halftime. "We took those guys for granted and came out on the wrong side."

Youngstown State built a 19-7 lead as the Penguins limited their turnovers early. Then Montgomery went to work.

The first 3-pointer from the stocky 6-2 senior guard from Chicago tied the game at 20. The second came with a finger pointed at his defender. The third came with three fingers raised to the CSU band, then the fourth came with a scream as he back-pedaled down the court.

YSU took the lead back to start the second half before a Montgomery trey tied it at 40. But Ward answered with a 3-pointer and YSU never trailed again.

http://www.cleveland.com/sports/csu/index.ssf/2011/12/cleveland_state_absorbs_a_pain.html

[Wick250]

goodnews,

The Vindicator did not even send a sportswriter to the game.  That is how much that rag cares about YSU.

Indy,

Didn't that Alexander hack actually pick us in the middle of the pack this season?  So, we revert to bottom feeders when we defeat CSU.  Nice touch.  Horizon League bottom feeders always win two out of three road games.

As Indy noted, let us hope that this team does not rest on its laurels and puke away this start with poor performances at home against UIC and Loyola.  Besides the outside shooting yesterday, it was really encouraging to see our players take the ball to the hoop and finish when CSU overextended on defense.  How many of us thought they would fold down the stretch?  Perhaps the lessons learned from the RMU game took hold.

Before we get carried away, the bench scored only four points and had only four rebounds.  Perry, Allen, and Brooks all played 36 minutes or more.  They cannot continue to carry that much of the load as we go through the league season.  But with no depth, what can you do?

[IAA Fan]

I thought there were several really good thing that happened.

1. CSU is not that good of a basketball team. I should say not as good as I thought.
2. With Eargle scoring ...we have a team that is really 5 offensive shooting guards.
3. We had 32-minutes of play off the bench ...getting better each week. Chojnacki was a presence inside for us.
4. 28-rebounds & we cut down on the turn-overs just a bit.
5 Perhaps the biggest ...24-points in the paint.
6. Slocum planned and called a very good game. This is why think we will do well in conference. We can put up numbers. CSU tried to out-shoot us ...I thought they were going to get it right at the end but they kept trying for threes & the rebounds came way back. The Slocum moved everyone back & we were in position late. Then we had a really bad turn-over and thought we lost the game. We were up by one & Ward dropped a 3-pointer.
7. When CSU turns up the defense they foul constantly.

[HLecter]

All great posts.

I don't ever listen to YSU games but I caught it yesterday while driving and I've got to say Rob Schmitt does a TREMENDOUS job.

This win and listening to Slocum's comments postgame will get me out to see the Guins this year.

[goodnews]

This guy from Cleveland.com outta proofread his articles prior to posting as he published that the Penguins snapped a 4-game winning streak...?   

[YsuPride]

We will get respect when we start to consistantly win and make them notice us.

[ysuindy]

Wick - you are correct.  Alexander picked YSU fourth in his pre-season article.  What a joke.

Lecter - we also caught the game on the radio.  I just wish Schmidt would can the obsession with meaningless statistics.  For example, CSU scored on a three in the closing moments.  YSU inbounded and was fouled.  But we didn't know that for about 10 seconds because Schmidt was too busy telling us that was the third three pointer of the season for the guy from CSU who made the shot.  When the game is on the line, call what is on the floor, don't look at your stat sheet.  How many points a player had last year against CSU is simply filler.

[YSUGO]

Down year in the Horizon...chance for us to move up...just like last years Butler's game...favorite played poorly and we ambushed them...lets hope this was a good win...not a lucky one!