Postseason awaits YSU men, women

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

In 1977, Jimmy Carter arrived, Elvis departed (or so they say), “Star Wars” played at its first theater and the Youngstown State’s men’s basketball team played its last postseason game.

Tuesday night, the Penguins (17-15) will end that 36-year streak when they host Oakland in the opening round of the CollegeInsider.com tournament.

YSU has never competed in a Division I postseason tournament since moving up from Division II in 1981. The Penguins lost to Randolph-Macon in the first round of the NCAA Division II Great Lakes regional in 1977.

Kent State and Horizon League-members Wright State UIC are among the teams who have also accepted CIT bids.

The full bracket of all 32 teams was not released in time for this edition.

On Sunday, YSU’s women’s basketball team clinched its first postseason tournament berth since advancing to the NCAA tournament in 1999-2000.

YSU’s women secured a WNIT berth by virtue of top-seeded Green Bay winning the Horizon League tournament to earn a NCAA berth.

The WNIT’s automatic berth goes to the team that finishes highest in the regular season standings and does not make the NCAA Tournament.

YSU will have a gathering at Cassese’s MVR today at 10:30 p.m. to see who it will play in the WNIT.

Fans are invited to attend as the tournament bracket will be announced between 11 p.m. and midnight on www.womensnit.com.

Youngstown State has never placed both its men’s and women’s basketball teams in a postseason tournament in the same season.

Brown honored

YSU senior forward Brandi Brown was named to the Horizon League’s all-tournament team for her efforts in the Penguins’ two tournament contests.

Brown had the highest scoring game of the tournament with 31 points in the Penguins’ 69-62 victory over Cleveland State in the quarterfinals.

She also had 13 rebounds against the Vikings, and she had 11 points and 11 rebounds in YSU’s loss to Loyola in the semifinals.

Brown is the first Penguin to earn conference all-tournament team honors since Brianne Kenneally and Jen Lyden were on the Mid-Continent Conference All-Tournament Team in 2000.