Friday, February 17, 2012
Photo
Youngstown State’s Macey Nortey (13) goes to the hoop against UW-Milwaukee’s Ashley Green (4) during the second half of Thursday’s game at YSU’s Beeghly Center. The Panthers rallied to defeat the Penguins, 74-71.
By Joe Scalzo
YOUNGSTOWN
Her team had just suffered arguably its most disappointing loss of the season, her coach had just dropped a few words that Jesus wouldn’t like in his post-game press conference and as a visibly angry Liz Hornberger sat in front of the media, she was asked, “You’re not going to cuss are you?”
“No,” the YSU sophomore guard said.
Really?
“I was trying to calm myself down in the hallway,” said Hornberger, who tied her career-high with 12 points in Thursday’s 76-71 come-from-ahead loss to visiting Milwaukee. “It’s really disappointing. I’m upset with myself and my teammates.
“We continually lose because we decide to take minutes off.”
The Penguins lost their fourth straight because they committed seven fouls in the first four minutes of the second half, shot 6 of 20 from the field over the final 20 minutes, blew an 11-point halftime lead and saved their worst basketball for the game’s final 90 seconds.
After YSU guard Melissa Thompson hit a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to one, 70-69, with 1:38 left, the Penguins gave up a short jumper to Milwaukee center Courtney Lindfors with 1:12 left.
YSU’s Kelsea Fickiesen then missed two free throws on the other end and the Panthers’ Sami Tucker hit a 3-pointer with 34 seconds left that made it 75-69.
Ballgame.
“We miscommunicated on a ball screen/flare screen, which is something we’ve guarded 100 times, and gave up a 3 on it,” YSU coach Bob Boldon said. “I think when we look at the film we’ll probably see five or six possessions where if we just could have got that stop, maybe it would have changed the outcome of the game. Obviously we did not.
“We hardly got any stops and we certainly didn’t get any important ones.”
Ashley Green scored 14 of her 17 points in the second half for Milwaukee (7-17, 3-10 Horizon), which shot 58 percent from the field in the second half. Lindfors and Tucker each added 18 for the Panthers, who also beat YSU 76-68 on Jan. 21.
Brandi Brown scored 20 points with nine rebounds for YSU (10-15, 4-10), which plays its final home game Saturday against league power Green Bay.
When asked if Thursday’s loss was the most disappointing of the season, Boldon said, “I think so. I mean, probably that or the first time we lost to them. You can pick.”
Some of YSU’s defensive struggles were due to foul trouble. The Penguins were called for 22 fouls — one short of their season high and six more than their average — and, at one point, the Panthers owned an 18-4 advantage in free throw attempts.
When a reporter brought up the officiating, Boldon said, “I don’t make enough money to get fined, so don’t ask me.”
But Hornberger wouldn’t blame the loss on the officials.
“You can’t blame the refs for the game,” she said. “We reached in a couple times. I mean, calls aren’t going to go your way and you can’t blame that on the game. We didn’t guard the post well. We didn’t take things away in the second half.
“We came out flat. That’s why we lost the game.”
When a reporter offered up another excuse — fatigue after 25 games — Hornberger batted it away just as quickly.
“After our last two practices, I wouldn’t say we’re a tired basketball team at all,” she said. “I think mentally sometimes we get tired and we’re not willing to fight through.
“That’s what kind of killed us tonight.”