Penguins could be better

Since the Youngstown State men's basketball team has only played one of its four Horizon League games at home these last two weeks, it makes it that much more difficult to accept its 2-2 record.
I know, for the past four years YSU fans would have killed for a 2-2 start in conference play. But still it could have been better.
I could only listen to the away games on the radio, (I still haven't figured how to log onto the internet telecasts), but the loss at Illinois-Chicago to open league play was a game they should have won. And the one Saturday at Detroit was a game they gave away.
Still, the Penguins could be looking at a 4-0 start in the conference. Then again, they probably could have had a winning record at this point with a break or two here or there this year.
YSU is still a very entertaining team to watch and sometime today junior Quin Humphrey will probably be named the Horizon League player of the week. If he isn't, something is very, very wrong with the selection system in Indianapolis.
Humphrey emergesas scoring machine
In his last four games, Humphrey has scored 114 points, averaged eight
rebounds, four assists and two steals and has practically carried the team on his back.
And he'll be the first to tell you that without the screens and passes from his teammates, he'd never come close to those totals.
The Penguins finally get a home-stand to talk about as they play their next four games at Beeghly Center, beginning with Thursday's contest against Wright State. That game is part of a doubleheader as the YSU women meet UW-Milwaukee in the opener at 5:15.
This stand can only make the Penguins better because it gives head coach Jerry Slocum time to work on some of the problems the Penguins have had.
"It's tough to work on fundamentals when you are on the road four out the last five games," Slocum said. "This week we'll finally get some work done."
Women strugglingafter injuries
While the men are playing very well despite their 5-9 season log, the YSU women are reeling toward disaster.
Coach Tisha Hill lost her standout sophomore point guard and one of her captains (Lauren Branson) last week with a torn ACL. She's out for the season.
"It's bad enough to lose your point guard, but she is also one of our captains and leaders," Hill said.
Hill said that senior Ashlee Russo has assumed the leadership role.
"Ashlee has taken over the team," said Hill. "When I came into the locker room after the game she was already laying in on her teammates. She's a leader, but she needs some help."
The Penguins were blown away by Detroit at home Saturday 77-48. Not only was it poor shooting, but the Penguins didn't even play good defense, something that they have been doing most of the year.
Hill said YSU has three players that she can count on, and that she will have to find two more quickly as the Penguins try to turn around a 4-10 start, 0-3 in the Horizon League.
Unfortunately for Hill and the Penguins, their next two games are against the two best teams in the Horizon League, UW-Milwaukee and UW-Green Bay.
Both teams will play two more doubleheaders this season at Beeghly Center.
Following Thursday's twinbill, the Penguins will play another doubleheader on Saturday night when the women play UW-Green Bay in the opener and the men host Cleveland State.
The final doubleheader will be on Feb. 2 with Hill's women meeting Butler and Slocum's men taking on Illinois-Chicago.
Schedule, extensionnear completion
Skipping over to football for a moment, YSU athletic director spoke briefly about both next season's schedule and on head coach Jon Heacock's contract.
Actually Strollo didn't really say much, only that he is very close to finishing out the 2006 football schedule and should have something within the next week or so.
Also on Heacock's new contract, Strollo said that all the preliminaries have been worked out and it is just a matter of finishing things up and signing the deal.
In other words, we don't know any more than we did before we asked the question.
XPete Mollica is a sportswriter for The Vindicator. Write to him at mollica@vindy.com.