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After big win, YSU moves on
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YSU junior forward Damian Eargle said Saturday’s win over Cleveland State boosted the Penguins’ confidence and proved they can compete with anyone in the Horizon League.
Staff report
YOUNGSTOWN
With one terrific performance on Saturday, the YSU men’s basketball team erased a four-game losing streak, won its biggest game of the season and provided a much-needed confidence boost.
But the Penguins’ 73-67 win over Cleveland State doesn’t mean much if they don’t take care of business against Loyola tonight, YSU coach Jerry Slocum said.
“We’re one possession away from being 3-0 [in the Horizon League] but that means nothing — you’ve got to play every night in this league,” said Slocum. “One thing about this league that’s different from all the other leagues in the area is that everybody is really good and competitive.
“You can’t take a night off. If you do, somebody is going to get you.”
YSU (7-6, 2-1) has already matched its conference win total from each of the last two seasons and will play back-to-back home games for the first time since mid-November. After playing nine of their first 13 games on the road, the Penguins will play nine of their last 17 games at home.
“Hopefully we get some calls from the refs,” joked junior forward Damian Eargle, who earned Horizon League player of the week honors for his 20-point, 10-rebound performance against the Vikings. “It’s nice to be back home.”
While YSU’s win over CSU was considered a big upset league-wide — the Vikings’ 12-3 record is the Horizon’s best — it wasn’t surprising to Slocum.
“My quote to them was this was not an accident that we won tonight, but we’ve got to keep that same preparation as we prepare for a Loyola team that’s physical and strong,” said Slocum. “Their strength is our weakness.”
Loyola (5-9, 0-4) was picked to finish ninth out of 10 teams in the Horizon’s preseason poll, while YSU’s opponent on Saturday, UIC (5-9, 1-3), was 10th. True to form, the teams share the league’s worst record.
If YSU wants to prove Saturday’s win wasn’t a fluke, beating both teams would be a good start.
“We know we basically can compete with any team now,” said Eargle. “Our league is competitive but we think we’re in one of the top tiers in our conference right now.”