Magestro, YSU finding their groove
Penguins face WVU Tech tonight on 3-game win streak
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YOUNGSTOWN -- The early challenges are paying their dividends.
When putting together this year's schedule, Youngstown State coach John Barnes wanted his team to be put to the task early and often. As such, the Penguins took on a difficult November slate that included Wofford, a WNIT team a season ago, as well as road trips to MAC programs Akron and Western Michigan and Big Ten program Penn State.
YSU came out of that November schedule at 2-3 overall, and the losses -- all on the road -- came in succession to PSU, Akron and WMU.
Now, the Penguins (4-3 overall) are riding a three-game win streak and standing at 2-0 in Horizon League play after dispatching Northern Kentucky and Wright State in their own arenas.
It marked the first time in program history YSU was able to sweep the NKU-Wright State road swing.
"We definitely ramped up the schedule this year playing tough teams on the road," Barnes said. "I don't know if we win these two (NKU and WSU) on the road if we hadn't played such a tough nonconference schedule on the road to get us ready for that. It was huge to get those two games."
Now, the Penguins are putting their three-game win streak on the line as they welcome WVU Tech, an NAIA program, to the Beeghly Center tonight (7 p.m., ESPN+, 570 AM WKBN).
That is the first of six consecutive home games through the end of December, and YSU also will play eight of its next 10 at Beeghly.
"I think it'll be really fun just to be in front of our home fans. ... It will be nice to just be able to stay here (in Youngstown) the whole month and just continue what we're doing," said YSU guard Malia Magestro.
For her part, Magestro has been critical in the Penguins' recent efforts. Magestro has scored at least 20 points in each of YSU's last three games, making her the first Penguin to do so since Brianna Kenneally did so in 2000.
"I think my teammates are finding me for my shot and everything," Magestro said. "And I think people have scouted me to be a shooter, so that's kind of been opening up the lane for me to drive and get to the hoop. That's what I've really been working on in the offseason is getting to the hoop."
Barnes added, "I think we need her to be more aggressive offensively, and she's doing that. I'm also running a few more things to her, and she's taken advantage of that. There's so much attention on Lilly (Ritz, a forward), that we needed our perimeter players to step up, and I think Malia has done a great job of stepping up."
So, too, has Megan Callahan, who has posted efficient numbers during large swaths of playing time. During the two-game road trip to NKU and WSU, she played at least 34 minutes in each game, and scored 10 points against NKU and 11 against Wright State. She also had five assists between the two games.
Dena Jarrells also pieced together her best game of the season at Wright State, posting 12 points and six assists to just two turnovers in 16 minutes of play.
"Malia's been more consistent, Dena's stepping up, Megan's being more consistent," Barnes said. "Paige (Shy) has been pretty good the whole time, Lilly also."
The improved play isn't restricted to the offense, either. After Barnes expressed some concerns in the preseason about the team's defense, the Penguins used that very side of the ball to deliver a win at Northern Kentucky. The Penguins held the Norse to a paltry 31.7 percent from the field and kept NKU to just 3-of-16 from three-point range. That followed a performance against St. Francis Brooklyn in which the Penguins gave up just 41 points.
"We're only going to go as far as our defense takes us," Barnes said. "We took a couple of losses because we weren't as sharp as we would like to be defensively. I think the players are really buying into the defensive end of the game and getting some satisfaction and energy out of getting stops. It also helps that we're finally making a few shots, which also gives us energy."
And now, with four home nonconference games on deck before the Penguins host Cleveland State on Dec. 29, Barnes and Co. would like to build some momentum.
"We've talked about protecting our home court and taking care of business there," Barnes said. "This is a great stretch for us to do that."
jwhetzel@tribtoday.com