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Tired Penguins cruise past Thiel
By Steve Wilaj
YOUNGSTOWN
Head coach Jerry Slocum could tell from the outset of Youngstown State’s matchup with Thiel on Sunday. Starting guard Marcus Keene admitted it afterward.
The Penguins are a tired team — and rightfully so. They’ve played four games in the past nine days, including a contest at South Dakota on Friday that ended with a 16-hour bus trip back to Youngstown on Saturday.
But it’s a good tired.
With a 70-45 victory against Division III Thiel at the Beeghly Center, YSU concluded its rough nine-day stretch with three wins. The Penguins — who were paced by Keene’s 21 points and Bobby Hain’s 15 — have won six of their past seven games.
“We looked tired and played tired,” Slocum said. “But we’ve come off a tremendous stretch and I’m very, very proud of our guys. I’m also equally proud of our staff.
“I have a lot of respect for our guys for what we’ve had to go through.”
Over that stretch, YSU picked up wins at South Dakota and Robert Morris. Its lone loss came in overtime at Illinois State. Next up, Slocum said, is a couple days off.
“We’re really tired,” said Keene, a sophomore. “But coach always says it’s about toughness. If we be tough going into every game, we’ll come out with a win.”
YSU (7-4) jumped out to a 35-21 halftime lead against the Tomcats, paced by Keene’s 11 early points.
Keene — who shot 6 of 10 overall, knocked down four 3s and added six rebounds and five assists — scored 10 more in the second half as the Penguins outscored Thiel, 35-24. Senior DJ Cole chipped in nine points, while freshman Sidney Umude finished with 10 points and seven rebounds.
“I been feeling hot lately and my teammates have been finding me,” Keene said. “Everybody’s sharing the ball and everybody’s getting touches. We’re also taking a stance on the defensive end to get stops.”
Slocum said that YSU’s defense — which held Thiel to just 32 percent shooting — has been a pleasant surprise and a major reason for the Penguins recent success. He also mentioned Keene’s emergence, as well as some other factors.
“We’ve settled on a lineup and they’ve found their niches,” Slocum said. “Shawn Amiker has played tremendous. Although it didn’t show tonight, we’ve shot the ball better. We’re a team evolving.”
Thiel (3-5) was led by Khari Bess’ 13 points.
The Penguins will travel to Texas A&M for their next game on Saturday at 5 p.m. YSU then returns home for three straight games, beginning on Dec. 17 against Kennesaw State.
Those four contests are the Penguins final non-conference games before Horizon League play starts on Jan. 2 at UIC.
“I think we’re a ways away yet,” Slocum said. “The thing that makes me feel that way is that when we’re good, we’re really good. When we’re bad, we’re really bad. When you’re bad, you want to be medium, not terrible.
“So I’m glad that we have some games left [before conference play] to kind of right some of the mistakes.”