Published: Wednesday, January 3, 2007
YSU
YSU
Men's basketball
INDIANAPOLIS — Senior guard Keston Roberts was named the Horizon League's men's basketball player of the week for the second time this season.
Roberts concluded an impressive month with his best career scoring performance, finishing with 30 points in a 76-71 Youngstown State victory over Loyola on Saturday.
Against the Ramblers, he was 9-of-18 from the field, 2-of-6 from behind the 3-point line while going 10-of-13 from the free-throw line.
His free throws made and attempts were also a career high. In 37 minutes, he also had three rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Roberts made the key plays down the stretch to help ensure the Penguins' third consecutive victory and longest winning streak since January 2004.
After Loyola had pulled within 72-71 with 21 seconds left, Roberts made a free throw and grabbed the offensive rebound of his own miss.
Five seconds later, he drilled two free throws to move the margin back up to four points and help seal the win.
He has scored at least 20 points in six straight games and in seven December contests he averaged 22.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. He's now tied for second in the Horizon League, averaging 18.1 points per game.
Volleyball
YOUNGSTOWN — Kelsi Bitter (Saline, Mich.), Haley Kapferer (Jefferson, Ohio) and Tasha Reid (Avonmore, Pa.) signed national letters of intent and Abigail Drost (High Point, N.C.) has accepted a written offer of athletic aid to play volleyball at YSU.
Drost, a 5-foot-11 outside hitter who is planning to enroll in January, was selected to the 2005 USA Volleyball High Performance Youth A3 Team and is a three-time conference player of the year.
Drost was also a three-time all-state selection in North Carolina.
Bitter, a 5-foot-11 outside hitter, was named her team's most valuable player in 2005 and 2004 and earned honorable mention all-conference in 2006.
Kapferer, a 6-foot-3 middle hitter, was a four-year letterwinner at Jefferson Area High School, a three-time first team all-conference selection, the 2006 conference player of the year and led Jefferson Area to four straight conference championships.
Reid, a 6-foot-2 right side/middle hitter, was named co-MVP at Kiski Area High School and second-team all-conference in 2006.
LOCAL
Schedule change
NORTH JACKSON — Monday's varsity girls basketball game between visiting Lowellville and Jackson-Milton has been changed to a 6 p.m. start due to the Ohio State-Florida BCS football bowl game.
REGION
Foulke arrives
for Tribe physical
CLEVELAND — Free agent reliever Keith Foulke arrived Tuesday to take his physical for the Cleveland Indians, the final step before the club can complete a one-year deal with the right-hander.
Foulke and his agent, Dan Horwits, have been in talks for several weeks with the club, which is believed to be offering a mutual option for 2008.
If he passes his physical — the team may not have complete results for a few days — Foulke would give the Indians another option at closer.
The club has already signed free agent Joe Borowski to improve a bullpen that had a major league-low 24 saves in 2006. Borowski had 36 saves in 43 chances last season for the Florida Marlins
The 34-year-old Foulke went 3-1 with a 4.35 ERA but no saves in 44 games in 2006 for the Boston Red Sox, but lost his closer's job to rookie Jonathan Papelbon. Foulke was slowed by elbow and back troubles last season.
Two years ago, Foulke saved 32 games for Boston and fielded Edgar Renteria's grounder for the final out as the Red Sox won their first World Series in 86 years. In November, the club chose not to exercise its $7.5 million option. Also on Tuesday, the Indians agreed to minor league contracts with free agent infielders Luis Rivas and Keith Ginter and invited them to their spring training camp.
The 27-year-old Rivas has a .262 career average with 30 homers, 177 RBIs and 78 steals in 565 games with the Minnesota Twins from 2000-05. He had his best season as a rookie in 2001, batting .266 with seven homers, 47 RBIs and 31 steals in 153 games.
After signing with Tampa Bay last January, he spent the season with the Devil Rays' Triple-A affiliate in Durham, N.C. He missed the first two months with a broken knuckle that required surgery.
NATION
Alabama, Dolphins
await decision
MIAMI — Miami Dolphins coach Nick Saban needed another day to consider a job offer from Alabama.
Saban met with Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga at the team complex for 10 minutes Tuesday and asked for more time to decide.
"The meeting went good," Huizenga said. "We had a quick meeting. We had a nice conversation. Coach asked if we could defer the decision until 10 o'clock tomorrow morning. And then he went into several reasons as to why he wanted to do that. I agree 100 percent with his reasons. I understand more now what he's thinking about."
Saban smiled and waved at reporters as he left the complex, but didn't stop to talk. For weeks he denied interest in the Alabama job, which became vacant when Mike Shula was fired in late November.
Vindicator staff/wire reports
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
YSU
Men's basketball
INDIANAPOLIS — Senior guard Keston Roberts was named the Horizon League's men's basketball player of the week for the second time this season.
Roberts concluded an impressive month with his best career scoring performance, finishing with 30 points in a 76-71 Youngstown State victory over Loyola on Saturday.
Against the Ramblers, he was 9-of-18 from the field, 2-of-6 from behind the 3-point line while going 10-of-13 from the free-throw line.
His free throws made and attempts were also a career high. In 37 minutes, he also had three rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Roberts made the key plays down the stretch to help ensure the Penguins' third consecutive victory and longest winning streak since January 2004.
After Loyola had pulled within 72-71 with 21 seconds left, Roberts made a free throw and grabbed the offensive rebound of his own miss.
Five seconds later, he drilled two free throws to move the margin back up to four points and help seal the win.
He has scored at least 20 points in six straight games and in seven December contests he averaged 22.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. He's now tied for second in the Horizon League, averaging 18.1 points per game.
Volleyball
YOUNGSTOWN — Kelsi Bitter (Saline, Mich.), Haley Kapferer (Jefferson, Ohio) and Tasha Reid (Avonmore, Pa.) signed national letters of intent and Abigail Drost (High Point, N.C.) has accepted a written offer of athletic aid to play volleyball at YSU.
Drost, a 5-foot-11 outside hitter who is planning to enroll in January, was selected to the 2005 USA Volleyball High Performance Youth A3 Team and is a three-time conference player of the year.
Drost was also a three-time all-state selection in North Carolina.
Bitter, a 5-foot-11 outside hitter, was named her team's most valuable player in 2005 and 2004 and earned honorable mention all-conference in 2006.
Kapferer, a 6-foot-3 middle hitter, was a four-year letterwinner at Jefferson Area High School, a three-time first team all-conference selection, the 2006 conference player of the year and led Jefferson Area to four straight conference championships.
Reid, a 6-foot-2 right side/middle hitter, was named co-MVP at Kiski Area High School and second-team all-conference in 2006.
LOCAL
Schedule change
NORTH JACKSON — Monday's varsity girls basketball game between visiting Lowellville and Jackson-Milton has been changed to a 6 p.m. start due to the Ohio State-Florida BCS football bowl game.
REGION
Foulke arrives
for Tribe physical
CLEVELAND — Free agent reliever Keith Foulke arrived Tuesday to take his physical for the Cleveland Indians, the final step before the club can complete a one-year deal with the right-hander.
Foulke and his agent, Dan Horwits, have been in talks for several weeks with the club, which is believed to be offering a mutual option for 2008.
If he passes his physical — the team may not have complete results for a few days — Foulke would give the Indians another option at closer.
The club has already signed free agent Joe Borowski to improve a bullpen that had a major league-low 24 saves in 2006. Borowski had 36 saves in 43 chances last season for the Florida Marlins
The 34-year-old Foulke went 3-1 with a 4.35 ERA but no saves in 44 games in 2006 for the Boston Red Sox, but lost his closer's job to rookie Jonathan Papelbon. Foulke was slowed by elbow and back troubles last season.
Two years ago, Foulke saved 32 games for Boston and fielded Edgar Renteria's grounder for the final out as the Red Sox won their first World Series in 86 years. In November, the club chose not to exercise its $7.5 million option. Also on Tuesday, the Indians agreed to minor league contracts with free agent infielders Luis Rivas and Keith Ginter and invited them to their spring training camp.
The 27-year-old Rivas has a .262 career average with 30 homers, 177 RBIs and 78 steals in 565 games with the Minnesota Twins from 2000-05. He had his best season as a rookie in 2001, batting .266 with seven homers, 47 RBIs and 31 steals in 153 games.
After signing with Tampa Bay last January, he spent the season with the Devil Rays' Triple-A affiliate in Durham, N.C. He missed the first two months with a broken knuckle that required surgery.
NATION
Alabama, Dolphins
await decision
MIAMI — Miami Dolphins coach Nick Saban needed another day to consider a job offer from Alabama.
Saban met with Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga at the team complex for 10 minutes Tuesday and asked for more time to decide.
"The meeting went good," Huizenga said. "We had a quick meeting. We had a nice conversation. Coach asked if we could defer the decision until 10 o'clock tomorrow morning. And then he went into several reasons as to why he wanted to do that. I agree 100 percent with his reasons. I understand more now what he's thinking about."
Saban smiled and waved at reporters as he left the complex, but didn't stop to talk. For weeks he denied interest in the Alabama job, which became vacant when Mike Shula was fired in late November.
Vindicator staff/wire reports
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Senior guard Keston Roberts was named the Horizon League's men's basketball player of the week for the second time this...
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