Remember the power outage in Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center that spoiled Youngstown State’s season opener against DII Westminster? Well, that game was finally made up today, but instead of facing the Titans, they played 2-17 Penn State-Shenango for the first time in school history.
The Guins handed the Nittany Lions their 12th straight loss, winning in resounding fashion with a final score of 112 to 63. YSU set a record for the most rebounds grabbed in a single game with 72. Six players reached double-digit marks in the scoring column. The team also made 15 three pointers, which is tied for the fifth-highest mark in a single game.
They won under the guidance of associate head coach Dwaine Osborne, as head coach Ethan Faulkner was serving a one-game suspension for “Unsportsmanlike Actions” toward an official after Wednesday’s game against Robert Morris. The league office issued the statement two and a half hours before today’s game. The league didn’t elaborate on the details of what occurred between Faulkner and the official, so it’s best to put it in the past since he will return to the sidelines come January 30th against Wright State.
It may feel a bit head-scratching to host a 2-17 USCAA team in the middle of conference play, where YSU currently sits in fourth place with a 7-4 record. But in reality, you can look at it as a get-right game that fosters confidence for the whole team. After all, the last time the Guins played a non-D1 opponent in Bethany back in November, it sparked an 8-game win streak. With all that being said, let’s look at the key takeaways from today’s win.
Three-point Shooting
As stated above, YSU made 15 threes on 43 attempts against Shenango, slightly under 35 percent on the day. (34.9% to be exact) In the first half, they shot 12-24 from the perimeter. For a team that’s only shooting 30.9% from distance on the year, that’s an improvement to hang your hat on. As of today, YSU leads the Horizon League in 3-pt field goals attempted with 608 this season. Considering the Guins’ high volume of attempts from beyond the arc, it’s paramount to shoot above their season average from long range in order to be closer in games. Ty Harper was a perfect 5-5 from deep, while Chris Carroll and Jason Nelson both shot above 50%. Here’s why today’s performance was a step in the right direction.
When you run the numbers from a surface level, it might seem like there isn’t a huge discrepancy between their 3-pt shooting in wins and losses. Over the four conference-play losses, YSU averaged 30.4% from three. In the 7 league wins, the Guins shot 34.1% from distance. Not a very big difference just looking at the stats.
Digging deeper into the results, the one conference loss where they shot better than their season benchmark of 30.9% was against Cleveland State, where YSU shot 41%. In that game, it didn’t matter how well the Guins’ shot from long range, because the Vikings were lights out from deep, shooting 50% from 3pt range in their 80-72 win. In the three conference wins when YSU shot below the benchmark of 30.9%, Oakland and Robert Morris both shot under 14% from deep, and Green Bay handed YSU 20 points off of their 16 turnovers. Sure, YSU can win games without efficient perimeter shooting, but that forces them to be perfect in the other aspects of the games. Given the high volume of attempts from 3pt range, YSU can make winning a lot easier if they shoot above their season average. Knocking down 15 threes in the win over Shenango certainly ignites optimism on that front heading into the next nine games.
EJ Farmer’s Return
EJ Farmer led YSU in scoring today with 20 points on 9-16 shooting in just 22 minutes off the bench. The Guins’ leading scorer was sidelined for four games due to an injury sustained after the Purdue Fort Wayne game. He struggled in his first game back against Robert Morris this past Wednesday, where he posted just five points shooting 2-9 from the field in the 20 minutes he played off the bench. Although his productive output came against a 2-17 USCAA team, Farmer was very comfortable getting downhill and finishing at the rim today, and having your leading scorer gain confidence in his offensive repertoire after an injury is never a bad thing.
Ty Harper’s Emergence
Harper was the second leading scorer today with 17 points, with the aforementioned 15 points from 3-pt range. He’s heated up on the offensive side of the ball over the past six games, averaging 13.7 points per game in those contests. Harper is now second on the team in 3-pt shooting percentage at a clip of 34.3%. His impact scoring the ball and shooting from distance can’t come at a better time for the Guins, as his presence gives teams another player they can’t disregard on the perimeter.
Looking Ahead
Today’s win may be something most glance over, given the stature of the opponent. What’s important is that this victory helps the team gain confidence in themselves as they head into the back half of conference play. They have six days of rest before they host Wright State January 30th, giving them plenty of time to build off this dominant win.
