Penguins cap road trip with visit to UIC
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CHICAGO -- As the season continues to wind down, the battle for the Horizon League's top spots has begun to narrow.
With last night's results, YSU (13-10, 7-6), sixth in the Horizon as of now, finds itself with an opportunity to gain ground on No. 5 Detroit Mercy (8-11, 5-4), who was clobbered by No. 3 Wright State (13-10, 10-4) on Friday, 90-69.
The result it didn't get came in Northern Kentucky's overtime win over Oakland (16-6, 9-2). Had the Norse (12-9, 8-4) dropped the contest, YSU could have come within a game of the ever-important top four.
Circumstances aside, the Penguins are still focused on what they can control, and that's their own schedule. YSU faces Illinois-Chicago at 2 p.m. today in the Credit Union 1 Arena.
"As the season goes, just a sense of urgency (is important). Your lifespan as a team runs out. We only have so many games with our seniors," YSU coach Jerrod Calhoun said. "So as a coach, you want to constantly remind (the players) to enjoy it, but also understand that the clock's ticking, and each game gets more meaningful."
UIC enters at 8-12 overall and 4-7 in Horizon League play, but that record is a bit deceiving, Calhoun warns. All seven of UIC's league losses have come to teams presently in the conference's top five.
The Flames have been swept by Detroit Mercy, Wright State and Oakland, and also suffered a loss to Northern Kentucky. UIC's other game against NKU was canceled.
UIC entered the weekend on a four-game skid, but topped Robert Morris on Thursday, 80-75.
"I think they're really good. I don't think there's a lot of difference between any of the teams," Calhoun said. "They're talented, they're older, they're very, very good at home. They're in a position to make a run here. They've got a very home-dominant schedule down the stretch, so it's going to be a very difficult task."
The Flames are an efficient team, boasting the Horizon League's best assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.28. That's largely built through protecting the ball, as UIC gives up a Horizon League-low 11.9 turnovers per game.
Three UIC players are averaging in double figures. Damaria Franklin leads the team at 17.8 points per game, and adds 7.1 rebounds. That's bolstered by Kevin Johnson's 13.8 points per game and Zion Griffin's 11. Franklin is fourth in the Horizon League in scoring.
UIC also features a Mahoning Valley native, as graduate transfer Brandon Battle is from Warren. He attended North Crowley High School in Fort Worth, Texas, however.
Perimeter defense will be at a premium for YSU, as the Flames take the second-most 3-pointers in the league -- about 28 per game. So, too, will be defending the pick-and-roll, Calhoun noted.
"They try to put you in middle pick-and-rolls and get downhill and drive and kick, so we have to do a good job of building our walls, being in our gaps and contesting with two hands," he said. "They're going to shoot a lot of threes. That's what they do; that's their MO. How do you take that away? You have to guard the basketball, because if you're in rotations where they're getting downhill and you're helping and collapsing, they're going to get open looks. We're going to switch our defenses. I think we'll play man and we'll play zone and try to keep them off balance."
The Penguins are coming off a 61-55 win at IUPUI in which they had to fight for their lives. Dwayne Cohill led with 14 points, his ninth consecutive game in double figures, while Michael Akuchie added 11 points and 10 rebounds. Myles Hunter scored in double figures for the second consecutive game, adding 12 points, while Shemar-Rathan Mayes had 11.
UIC's defense gives up the second-most points per game in the Horizon -- 73.1.
Calhoun says the Penguins will look to attack the rim both through their posts and with drives.
"They start two freshman bigs (Jace Carter and Filip Skobalj). I think we have to throw inside to (forwards Akuchie, Will Dunn, Jacori Owens and Jamir Thomas)," he noted. "And then dribble penetration. There's a million ways to attack the rim. You either do it through your driving or your post-ups. We have to do a little bit of both."
The game also marks YSU's final trip to the Windy City to take on UIC, as the Flames are departing the Horizon League for the Missouri Valley Conference effective July 1.
A win would give the Penguins a 2-0 start to February, a month in which they've had success in the past few seasons. After last night's win, YSU is 18-6 in the regular season's final month.
It also would put Youngstown State on a four-game win streak going into a critical five-game home stand that begins with three games in five days against Oakland, UDM and Robert Morris, and then rounds out with UIC and IUPUI.
Continuing that trend and building momentum to finish the season are paramount if the Penguins are to accomplish their goals.
"I think our teams get better as the season goes on. ... We're a development program. We want to get better with time," Calhoun said. "Then, you have to credit our kids. They're pretty determined to get better collectively as a team, and it's something I think championship teams have to do -- you have to get better throughout the season. It's so long. So I'm really proud of the fact that our team has gotten better."
jwhetzel@tribtoday.com