PREVIEW
YSU MEN (13-16, 7-9)vs. DETROIT (11-18, 6-10)
When: Today, 7:05 p.m.Where: Beeghly CenterRadio/TV: WNIO-AM (1390); Fox 17/62 (tape delayed at 11 p.m. today)YSU projected starters: Forwards Jack Liles (6-8 sophomore 7.4 points per game) and Dwight Holmes (6-6 senior, 2.8 ppg); guards Quin Humphrey (6-4 senior, 19.1 ppg), Byron Davis (6-2 junior, 8.7 ppg) and Keston Roberts (6-4 senior, 15.7 ppg)Detroit projected starters: Brandon Cotton (6-0 junior, 17.6 points per game); Ryvon Covile (6-9 senior, 13.9 ppg); Brandon Bell (5-11 junior, 6.3 ppg); Chris Hayer (6-8 sophomore, 5.0 ppg); Muhammed Abdur-Rahim (6-4 senior, 2.5 ppg)Coaches: Jerry Slocum (The King's, N.Y. '75) is 20-37 in his second year at YSU and 600-362 in 32 seasons overall. Perry Watson (Eastern Michigan '72) is 254-174 in 14 seasons with the Titans.Notes: The Penguins lost 68-55 to Cleveland State in regular season finale Saturday. Even with the loss the Penguins finished in a three-way tie for fourth place in the Horizon League, their highest finish ever. They earned tonight's home game against the Titans by winning a tiebreaker with UIC to gain the No. 5 seed. The Penguins got only eight points from top scorer Quin Humphrey, while Keston Roberts, the team's No. 2 scorer, missed the entire second half Saturday with a thigh bruise and finished with just two points. Roberts is expected to play tonight. The Penguins and Titans split their two regular season meetings each winning at home. The Titans won 66-51 in Detroit, and the Penguins won 82-70 at Beeghly. Detroit had a two-game winning streak snapped on Saturday dropping a 56-36 contest to Butler, their lowest point total this season.Next: The winner of tonight's first-round game will advance to the quarterfinals Thursday at Wright State's Nutter Center in Dayton. The winner will play the winner of the UW-Green Bay-Cleveland State game at 8 p.m.
Vindicator staff report