Staff Photo/Neil Madhavan Youngstown’s Jaylen Pitts of Youngstown State goes up for a layup.
YOUNGSTOWN — Before arriving at Youngstown State, Jaylen Pitts averaged 9.0 points per game in about 30 minutes of playing time as a junior at Florida A&M.
But when he joined the Penguins, he had to learn and accept a new role. However, this was not the easiest transition. Through YSU’s first 11 games, Pitts averaged just 3.7 points per game over 12.0 minutes of action.
On Monday, Betts showed why the Penguins drafted him out of the transfer portal, scoring a season-high 19 points as YSU cruised to a 117-45 win over nearby Westminster (Pa.).
“Honestly, I was struggling a little bit, trying to get the ball, looking for the best shot, making the right plays of the basketball.” Bates said. “Coming in here, I knew it was time for me to get my confidence back, shoot the ball well and play some great team basketball in the mix. It was a great team win, and I can’t really complain about 19 players. But my teammates They are the ones who really helped make this happen.
After a recent game, Betts was alone on the Begley Center floor. It was quiet. The fans are gone, and the players, coaches and team staff have gone home.
But there was Betts, who used the team’s shooting machine to get extra shots. The only sound that filled the gym was the sound of the ball bouncing and the ball going through the net.
“He has a lot of energy in training, and he is a very curious kid who has a lot of questions. I think he wants to be great.” said head coach Jerrod Calhoun. “I think adversity and struggle sometimes is the greatest teacher. J.B. has been through what a lot of these other guys on the bench are going through. Most of these guys were rookies or played big minutes (elsewhere). But these kids on the bench are going to win.” With our matches.”
Pitts was one of six players to score in double figures for YSU in its highest-scoring game of the season so far. EJ Farmer scored a team-high 20 points, while DJ Burns had 16, Brett Thompson and Brandon Rush had 13 each, and Emanuel Zorgvoll finished with 11 points.
With 117 points, the Penguins equaled their point total from last season when they defeated the Giants.
Westminster scored the first two points of the game, but that was the only bright spot of the evening for the Giants, as YSU’s stifling defense was limited to 24.6% shooting, 19 turnovers and their lowest point total of the season.
“They didn’t shoot the ball well, and they struggled a little bit this year.” Calhoun said. “So I fully expect them once they get back into the league after the break to start shooting because they definitely can play a lot better. I think our kids had something to do with it. But I think it was just one of those nights that their guys couldn’t show up.”
Local flavour
For all intents and purposes, the Titans are the Mahoning Valley “all Stars” a team.
For those who follow area high school basketball, Westminster’s roster is full of players with roots in local schools.
The full roster includes: freshman Vinnie Flautto (Ursulline), freshman Brady and sophomore Trey DiPietro (Boardman), freshman Jackson Hendershot (West Branch), sophomore Drew Ware (Salem), freshman Alex Rothwell (Springfield), and freshman Skiphos Kouros (Campbell). , sophomore Mick Hergenrother (Cardinal Mooney), sophomore Quincy Jones (Chaney), senior Reece Lyon (Western Branch), freshman Josh Solida (Brookfield) and senior Andrew Clark (Springfield).
“This is a continuous chain from when I was the coach until much later.” Calhoun said. “It’s good for our city. There’s really a lot of local flavor in the game — a lot of kids who grew up with Youngstown State basketball, watched it and saw all the good players come here.”
YSU continues home for the holidays with an early tip-off at 2 p.m. against Navy on Thursday.
nmadhavan@tribtoday.com
The Bates College women’s basketball team and Youngstown State showed no mercy as they dominated the Westminster College team, blowing them out with a staggering 117-45 victory. This impressive win showcased the formidable skills and teamwork of both Bates and Youngstown State, leaving the Westminster team no chance to retaliate. The overwhelming performance on the court left spectators and fans in awe, solidifying Bates and Youngstown State as teams to watch in the college basketball arena.