Horizon is next for YSU

There weren’t many people other than YSU women’s coach Cindy Martin, her staff and players, who believed that the Penguins were going to win another game this season.

For months, and that’s how long the Penguins’ 18-game losing streak covered, Martin told anyone who would listen that her team was getting better and they wanted to be ready for the start of the Horizon League’s postseason tournament.

Well, Martin and the Penguins made believers out of a lot of people on Saturday afternoon when they completely dominated a pretty good Valparaiso team, 54-38, in the regular-season finale at Beeghly Center.

It was only fitting that on Senior Day the Penguins would put forth their best effort of the season.

Does this mean that the Penguins are going to be a force to contend with when the tournament begins tonight? Probably not, but YSU’s win gave teams notice they had better not take the Penguins lightly.

I don’t think Valparaiso was looking past the Penguins. The Crusaders just started off with a horrible shooting night, got way behind and were never able to recover as the Penguins finally learned how to put a team away.

Yes this was the same Valparaiso team that defeated the Penguins 86-43 on Jan. 3 in the Horizon League opener

Martin said earlier in the week that the teams they play now will be surprised at just how much the Penguins have improved since the early going and I’m sure the Crusaders were.

Next up for the Penguins will be Milwaukee in the tournament opener tonight in Milwaukee with tip off slated for 8 p.m. The Penguins are the No. 10 seed in the tournament and the Panthers are No. 7. The winner will play at No. 2 Butler on Wednesday night.

That game, by the way, will be broadcast live over WKBN-AM (570) with YSU assistant athletic director Rob Schmidt handling the play-by-play.

The Penguins lost twice to the Panthers in the regular season, but then the Penguins lost twice to everybody but Valparaiso in the regular season.

The Panthers won 72-60 in Youngstown and 78-51 in Milwaukee, but Martin likes the way the Penguins match up against the Panthers, especially the new Penguins.

Ever since the Penguins got blown away at Cleveland State on Feb. 14, 65-35, they have been playing much better basketball. Three of their next five losses were by less than 10 points and they almost pulled off an upset at Illinois-Chicago before falling 68-64.

“Who knows what the win today will do for this team?” said Martin on Saturday. “It certainly means everything to us and we really know how to appreciate a win.”

Martin started five seniors against Valparaiso on Senior Day and those five got the Penguins off to an 18-2 lead before Martin substituted, bringing in freshman Camisha Alexander, who promptly tossed in the first of her four 3-point goals, and the rout was on.

The Penguins could go one and out on tonight, but then again who knows? Like Martin said Saturday, “at this time of the year anything is possible.”

Spring sports are in full swing at YSU and both the baseball and softball team already have scored victories and they are still on the road.

The men’s golf team is in Las Vegas where it will get its season underway and the tennis and track teams are just about ready to move outdoors for their spring seasons.

Spring football practice is less than a month away as the Penguins will officially kickoff off the year on March 30 at Stambaugh Stadium.

YSU coach Jon Heacock will be trying something a little different this spring as all the practice sessions will be held early in the morning with starting times between 7 and 8 a.m.

The Bob Dove Coaches Clinic will be held on April 4 at 8:30 a.m., while the lone jersey scrimmage is slated for April 18 at 9:30 a.m.

Everything will lead up to the annual Red-White spring game which will be held April 24 at 7:30 p.m.

XPete Mollica covers YSU for The Vindicator. E-mail him at mollica@vindy.com