A great Saturday afternoon at Beeghly

Saturday afternoon was another great time at Beeghly Center.
The Youngstown State Penguins have played more Saturday afternoon games this year than ever before and everybody seems to love them. Let's play them all on Saturday afternoon.
This past Saturday was extra special. Not only did the Penguins defeat Horizon League leaders UW-Milwaukee 85-84, but the day was also spent honoring former YSU basketball coach Dom Rosselli.
Rosselli coached for nearly 40 years at YSU in basketball and baseball and over 200 of his former players showed up Saturday to honor the winningest coach in YSU history.
First teacher at YU
For me it was extra special also because Dom and I go way back. He was the first teacher I had when I was a freshman at then Youngstown University back in 1962.
Dom taught a health class back then and of course I had him in the winter quarter which was basketball season. I never learned so much about basketball in a health class and we even got tested on some of the team's game films that we got to see in class.
As long as I've known him he has never changed. He's always been that easy-going type of guy, never had a bad word to say about anybody, still doesn't.
Rosselli retired from coaching after the 1981-82 season, but in the 22-years since he hasn't missed many YSU home basketball games.
He got to see a good Penguin victory on Saturday as the men finally beat a contending Horizon League team in the Panthers.
OK, so they made it a little closer than they should have, it was still a big win for the program and puts the Penguins in a position that could still bring a first-round league tournament game to Beeghly.
Three Horizon games left
YSU has three league games remaining, at Wright State on Thursday, at Butler on Feb. 25 and home with Detroit on Feb. 28.
They're all crucial games at this time of the year. Butler is two games ahead of YSU for sixth place. The Bulldogs must play UW-Milwaukee, YSU and Illinois-Chicago in its last three games.
The Penguins also have a Bracket Buster game next Saturday at Bowling Green. They need to feed off Saturday's win.
One reason the Penguins are playing better is the improved play of their guards.
Guard play improves
YSU coach John Robic praised his guards on Saturday, especially freshman Mike Woodard, who Robic said has made tremendous progress this season.
"We got out and ran the floor today," Robic said after the game. "It was the improved play of our guards, Jonathan Mends and Mike Woodard, that made that possible."
If junior guard Doug Underwood can stay out of Robic's doghouse for the remaining four games and keep shooting the way he did Saturday, only good things can happen.
One of the best moves Robic made all season was moving senior TeJay Anderson from a starting role to a reserve role off the bench.
The 6-foot-6 forward is playing now like everybody expected him to do his last three years and he enjoys the role.
"It makes no difference to me whether I start or come off the bench," Anderson said. "I just want to do whatever I can to contribute to the team."
In Woodard and freshman Quin Humphrey the Penguins have a pair of future standouts over the next three years.
Big recruits coming
If their two 6-10 recruits for next year are as good as Robic says they are, teaming them up with Woodard, Humphrey and Underwood could make the Penguins a force to reckon with in the Horizon League.
But that's a long way off, right now the Penguins would just love to sneak into that No. 6 slot in the standings and get one more home game at Beeghly. Then we'll talk about next season.
XPete Mollica covers YSU athletics for The Vindicator. Write to him at mollica@vindy.com.