Penguins chasing Horizon berth

By Brian Dzenis

bdzenis@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

From memory, Jelani Simmons knows where Youngstown State’s men’s basketball team is in the Horizon League standings. With 10 games left in the season, the Penguins have kept an eye on the standings with some concern.

“We have to win most of these 10 games. It’s how we get into the tournament. Everybody’s close. There’s four teams at 4-4, a few at 5-3 and then Northern Kentucky at 6-1,” the freshman forward said. “It’s us and Cleveland State at the bottom. If we win most of these games, we’ll be in the tournament.”

The Penguins (6-15, 2-6) are in ninth place in a 10-team league and the bottom two teams do not make the Horizon League Tournament. YSU is in Cleveland facing the last-place Vikings (6-15, 0-8) tonight.

“You’ve got to be honest with your players about where you stand right now. I think the most important thing is to show them where they can go,” Penguins coach Jarrod Calhoun said. “I think our guys are really smart. They play really hard and I hope and think it started with our coaching staff outlining where we can go. We have a tremendous opportunity in front of us.”

Simmons has received more opportunities on the floor for the Penguins recently. The Columbus native has become a full-time starter this month, starting the last eight games. Listening to coaches and fixing his shot in the offseason has paid off.

“In the summer, I couldn’t make 3s. I didn’t know why and I focused on them,” Simmons said. “It was the mechanics. I talked to my dad and he would tell me what’s wrong. I was short-arming it.”

Among Penguins with at least 100 shots, he’s shooting a team-best 50 percent and is 31 for 74 on 3-pointers. Simmons is averaging 8.1 points.

COMFORTS OF HOME

The YSU women’s basketball team has its third game of a five-game homestand today against Cleveland State. After a fruitless two-game swing in Wisconsin, Beeghley Center has provided everything the Penguins needed to get back on track.

“It’s nice to be at home. We’ve had great fans, great attendance and a lot of energy in the gym,” coach John Barnes said.

The Penguins (14-5, 6-2) are a game behind first-place Green Bay after winning their past two games, most recently a 77-66 win versus Northern Kentucky on Monday.

The Horizon League has recognized the Penguins, making Lordstown native Sarah Cash its Player of the Week. She’s the fourth different YSU player to earn the distinction after scoring 22 and 24 points in her last two games. On the season, she’s averaging 13.1 points.

“She’s continuing to do what Sarah Cash does. She finishes around the basket. She can rebound. She does a nice job taking care of the ball and making good passes to her teammates,” Barnes said. “She’s a heck of an all-around player and I’m glad she got recognized.”

A NEW LOCALE

The Horizon League Tournament is moving to Indianapolis next year, the league announced on Friday.

This March will mark the final season that Little Caesar’s Arena in Detroit will host the Horizpm League semifinals and finals in men’s and women’s basketball. Indiana Farmers Coliseum — the home of League member IUPUI — is the new arena. Quarterfinal games will still be played on the campus of the higher seed.

This year’s semifinals and finals will start on March 11 in Detroit.