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Penguins can’t hold on to lead at home
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YSU's Kenya Middlebrooks (5) takes a shot in front of Valparaiso's Betsy Adams (5) during the second half of a game at YSU's Beeghley Center on Thursday evening.
A 10-0 run by Valparaiso to start the second half doomed the women, who remain winless.
By JON MOFFETT
Vindicator sports staff
YOUNGSTOWN — Head coach Cindy Martin was careful with her words during a postgame press conference, but was clearly upset with her Youngstown State University women’s basketball team after a 66-41 loss to Horizon League rival Valparaiso.
The Penguins (0-16, 0-5) remained winless, despite leading the Crusaders (5-10, 2-2) by 13 points in the first half of Thursday’s game.
“It’s hard to be pleased with anything after our second-half performance, to be honest with you,” Martin said. “I thought that we kind of got blown out there in the second half, so everything we did in the first half doesn’t really mean much to me right now.”
Martin said she believes her team is better than the performance it gave in a second half where the Penguins gave up 44 points. YSU led 26-22 at the half.
But the numbers game finally caught up with the Penguins, who had seven players and were without leading scorer Bojana Dimitrov, who is out with an injury.
Martin said Dimitrov, who is averaging almost 13 points per game, was hurt in the team’s Jan. 9 game at Loyola and is out indefinitely.
Sophomore Kenya Middlebrooks did her best to pick up some of the slack with the loss of Dimitrov. The sophomore guard had a team-high 15 points and eight rebounds.
Senior center Rachael Manuel finished with eight points and three rebounds.
Valparaiso was guided by sophomore guard Betsy Adams with 25. Adams was 5 for 8 from beyond the arc and made 10 of 15 field goals.
Two other Crusaders had double-digit points. Senior forward Lauren Kenney had 14 points and junior forward Ashley Varner had 10.
Martin said the hustle was there, but fatigue set in and players began to get tired legs toward the end of the game.
“I just thought it was a very physical game and we just didn’t have the legs to withstand it,” she said. “We quit cutting off screens hard, we didn’t set screens in the second half. We didn’t use the screens, we didn’t meet the screens,” she said. “And once again, that’s all my fault as the coach. I need to find a way to correct that and make sure that, even if we’re tired, even if we’re playing with five, maybe four girls that are healthy, we can still find a way to play a little bit better.”
The Penguins seem to have battled the injury bug as much as Horizon Leagues opponents.
Martin said there isn’t one player on the Penguins roster who isn’t in the trainer’s office “at least one hour every day.”
But Martin said she knows it’s her responsibility to make sure the team is prepared, regardless of how many girls suit up.
“I take full blame,” she said. “Any time we lost I think it’s the coach’s fault and when you win it’s the players’ credit. So right now I’ve got a whole lot of fault and I’ve got some things I need to correct as a coach.”
Martin added that she must do a better job of teaching by example.
“I’m trying to be the best leader I can be and teach our ladies how to be resilient, how to be intense, how to be something that withstands the storm,” she said.
Those without major injuries are still suffering from bumps, bruises, cuts and scrapes.
Freshman forward Brandi Brown was elbowed in the face in the second half and had to play the remainder of the game with a piece of athletic tape under her nose.
Brown entered the game as the only player in the Horizon League to average a double-double per game.
Brown was limited to six points and eight rebounds.
“Credit to Valparaiso, they shut her down tonight,” Martin said.
Martin said the most important things is to stay positive and made no excuses about playing hard despite “the healthy seven” being not so healthy.
“You know what keeps me going, honestly, is these ladies,” she said.
She added that “most basketball players” would have given up on the coach or season at this point, which is a testament to the players.
jmoffett@vindy.com