Better starts are needed by YSU

January 12, 2011 at 12:08a.m.

Youngstown

Bob Boldon knows if his Youngstown State women’s basketball team is going to turn the corner, it’s just as much about how the team starts as how it finishes.

At his weekly press conference Monday, Boldon said the team needs to do a better job of starting strong in order to avoid playing catch-up as the game goes on.

“Our intensity to start the game has got to be better than it is,” he said. “It takes a lot of energy to consistently keep coming back from deficits.”

Boldon added a stronger start this past weekend may have netted the Penguins (2-13, 0-4 Horizon League) a pair of wins against Green Bay and Milwaukee.

The Penguins were down by double-digit margins in both games but fought back. Boldon said the thing he learned most from the games was a better start may equate to better results.

“I think if we could mature a little bit and learn how to play with that sort of energy and that sense of urgency from the tip-off, rather than after we feel like that game has slipped away from us it was a valuable weekend,” he said.

Green Bay is at the top of the Horizon League with a 15-1 overall record and perfect 4-0 conference mark. Milwaukee hasn’t fared nearly as well and sports a 4-11 mark with a 1-3 conference record. The Penguins’ next test might show them where they rank in Boldon’s first rebuilding year.

The Penguins will travel to Valparaiso in a very winnable game in the Horizon League. Valparaiso is just above YSU for the last spot in the conference standings. And at 3-12, (and 0-4 in the league) the Penguins could look to capitalize.

“I think that a good start is kind of an all-encompassing answer,” Boldon said. “I guess it’s more of the particulars in order to do that. We need to take care of the basketball and get good shots. I think we need to have defensive intensity from the beginning of the game and have people in the proper defensive positions to make plays.”

A strong start against Valparaiso would be just what the doctor ordered. And speaking of doctors, Boldon was quite candid about the status of two injured Penguins.

Junior Makayla Gasparek, a Boardman High graduate, and freshman Heidi Schlegel have each missed significant time with injury. Gasparek has been idle since the season opener at Pitt on Nov. 12, and Schlegel hasn’t played since Dec. 4. Neither injury has been specified.

Boldon said he’s not optimistic that either player will return this season.

“As far as I’m concerned, yes, I think they’re probably done for the year,” he said. “And if not, then it will be a happy day to have them back and we’ll make the most of it.”

That leaves the Penguins with nine healthy players.

Injuries were a huge factor in last season’s 0-30 campaign. At times, YSU would have six or seven healthy players on game day.

Boldon said he and his staff have had to deal with the lack of players, which makes five-on-five drills next to impossible. But, the team pushes forward.

“I would rather have more [healthy players], absolutely,” he said. “But that’s just what we’ve got. We’re trying to get those other kids healthy, and that’s just what it is.”

But even with the adjustments and alterations, Boldon hasn’t let the setbacks affect his sense of humor.

Asked whether or not the team is healthy, Boldon gave his opinion.

“I had the sniffles earlier this week,” Boldon joked, “but I’m OK.”