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YSUwomen’s basketball team prepares for long stay at home
Penguins play next 4 games at Beeghly
By Steve wilaj
YOUNGSTOWN
When it comes to interviews and speaking to the media, Youngstown State sophomore guard Nikki Arbanas — more than any other Penguins player — is on the same page as head coach John Barnes.
For example, both were posed with the same question at Monday’s press conference: How does it feel to have the next four games at Beeghly Center, where the team is 8-1 this season?
Barnes: “It’s nice to have this stretch of being at home — being in your own environment and sleeping in your own bed. Getting in that routine is definitely good for the team and it’s definitely an advantage.”
Arbanas: “I think having four home games is gonna be good for us. It’s never fun having to travel hotel to hotel and sleeping on the road.”
Then, each ended their answer with the same — and most important — point.
Barnes: “The bottom line is you gotta get it done and get wins while you’re at home.”
Arbanas: “Regardless of where we’re at, we need to have the same game plan and get it done.”
YSU (13-5, 4-3 Horizon League) starts its longest homestand of the season on Thursday against Wright State at 7 p.m.
The Penguins then welcome Northern Kentucky on Saturday at 1 p.m., while Oakland and Detroit come to Youngstown late next week.
YSU — which won at Illinois-Chicago on Thursday before falling at Valparaiso on Saturday — sits in fourth place in the conference standings with 11 regular-season games remaining.
“I think that we work really hard and we play really well together,” Arbanas said. “We’ve been learning each other a lot with some of the freshmen having big roles on our team. So I’m excited to see where the next half of the season takes us.”
Wright State (15-5, 5-2) is one of three teams ahead of YSU in the Horizon League. They possess the top scoring-offense in the conference (78.3 points per game), while WSU is also in the top three in 13 different statistical categories.
“Big challenge,” Barnes said. “They’re an excellent team and they’ve been playing very well.
“You definitely have to have good starts against the best teams. They’ve proven themselves night in and night out the past few years.”
First though, YSU has to get itself healthy.
During their two road games last week, starters Indiya Benjamin, Janae Jackson and Sarah Cash all got banged up. Cash didn’t miss any significant time, but Benjamin and Jackson each played only 20 of 40 possible minutes against Valpo.
“We had some injuries against UIC kind of spill over into Valpo,” Barnes said. “But we’re hoping to be at full strength by Thursday. ... It was kind of a rough week for us but I think they’re all gonna be fine by Thursday.”
Cash, a sophomore, leads the team with 15 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Arbanas is second at 11.2 ppg, while she’s also closing in on 100 career 3-pointers.
The Hickory High School graduate has 97 3-pointers in 50 games. The fastest to 100 in program history is Heather Karner (2006-08), as it took her 47 games. Dianne Rappach (1988-92) is next at 58 games, but Arbanas should pass her sometime during the homestand.
However, YSU has more important goals over the next four games.
“[Wright State] is always really athletic and they have really good players,” Arbanas said. “We definitely have to come out right from the start and play a good game.”