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Slocum’s Penguins can’t keep momentum
Slocum’s Penguins
can’t keep momentum
By STEVE WILAJ
YOUNGSTOWN
For all the momentum the Youngstown State men’s basketball team had after three consecutive solid road performances and an impressive win at Oakland on Saturday, the Penguins didn’t bring it home with them on Wednesday.
After a competitive first 12 minutes, Milwaukee took control of the contest and downed the Penguins, 81-65, in the nightcap of the doubleheader at Beeghly Center.
“Very disappointed with our effort,” YSU head coach Jerry Slocum said. “I’m tired of it, frankly. I’m tired of playing great on the road, or hard on the road, and coming home and laying eggs. It’s disappointing. ... That’s not the team that I’ve coached the last three games on the road.”
YSU (6-10, 1-2 Horizon League) — which fell behind 45-28 at halftime — was led by Cameron Morse’s 18 points, while Francisco Santiago added 17. The Panthers (11-5, 2-1) were paced by Akeem Springs’ career-high 33 points on 14-of-18 shooting as they became the fifth Penguins opponent in six games to score at least 80 points.
“It was a very, very poor effort on our part tonight,” Slocum said. “We didn’t slide, we didn’t do anything well. Our offense affects our defense. We don’t make shots and then we take quick shots and then we don’t play defense.”
Playing in its third game since senior starting forward Bobby Hain went down with a foot injury, YSU trailed by just six with 8:39 remaining in the first half.
But Milwaukee outscored the Penguins 23-12 to close the period and never let YSU back into the contest. Despite the Penguins winning the second half, 37-36, the Panthers built their lead to as much 67-40 midway through the period.
Milwaukee finished at 50 percent from the field (30 for 60), while it also went 13 of 30 from behind the arc iand outrebounded YSU, 37-24. The Penguins made 7 of 17 3-pointers and shot 42 percent overall.
“I don’t know if anyone’s ever gonna completely stop them from behind the arc,” Panthers coach Rob Jeter said. “But without [Hain] in there — another inside presence — that hurts them.
“I think Coach [Slocum] is doing a phenomenal job of giving them a chance to win. The way they play gives them a chance to win. Sometimes they’re good, sometimes you don’t shoot the ball well like tonight and we’re fortunate to come away with the win.”
In addition to Wednesday’s poor defensive performance, YSU — dating back to Dec. 12 — has allowed 99 points to Purdue, 105 to Michigan, 87 to Notre Dame, 96 to Detroit and 98 to Oakland. The only game the Penguins didn’t surrender 80-plus points was a 99-58 win against Division III Geneva on Dec. 15.
“I just think it’s their style,” Jeter said. “They’ve been effective — I mean they beat Oakland that way. It’s just all about matchups. We were fortunate to come on the road and shoot well. Most road teams don’t come in and shoot as well as we did.”
Green Bay comes to town on Saturday in another doubleheader, as the Penguins will tip with the Phoenix at 7 p.m. after a women’s game. Slocum is concerned with getting YSU — which is 3-3 at home — to play better at Beeghly Center.
“We’re preparing them and doing the exact same stuff [as on the road],” he said. “At some point, home is gonna be something that they’re gonna have to take pride in and play with a little chip on their shoulder.”