Junior forward Brandi Brown and junior guard Blake Allen are the Jambar Players of the Week.
Brown and the Youngstown State University women’s basketball team played three games last week: one at home and the other two in her home state of California.
The Penguins fell to American University on Nov. 21, 48-41, at Beeghly Center. Brown led the team with 14 points and nine rebounds. She was just a point shy of 1,000 for her career tally. But she eclipsed that mark on Friday.
“It’s not something that I tried to think about, but it was definitely a thought in the back of my mind,” Brown said. “I’m happy it came, and I’m happy it went. Now I just want to play.”
With 1,043 points, Brown ranks 16th on the women’s basketball scoring list. She is 27 points from reaching the top 15.
The Penguins defeated Loyola Marymount University, 64-50, behind Brown’s double-double consisting of 19 points, which led all scorers, and 14 rebounds.
“I was really happy that we got a win in front of my family and people that have supported me,” Brown said. “I was definitely happy for both of them.”
Brown led all scorers again the next night against the University of Northern Iowa with 25 points in a 90-73 defeat.
Throughout the week, Brown compiled 58 points and 26 rebounds. She went 20-22 from the foul line.
In the Horizon League, Brown ranks fourth with 17.3 points per game, eighth in rebounds per game (8.3) and seventh in free-throw percentage (86 percent).
On the flip side, junior guard Blake Allen helped the men’s team go 1-1 in Pennsylvania last week.
The Penguins fell to Pennsylvania State University, 82-71, on Wednesday. Allen led the team with 25 points and a career-high seven 3-point field goals.
The Penguins turned things around and defeated Saint Francis University on Saturday, 60-59. Allen collected 9 points and played all 40 minutes.
Allen accumulated 34 points, seven rebounds and three assists. He played every minute of every game.
Allen ranks first in the Horizon League with 3.2 3-point field goals per game and sixth in points per game (13.8).
Head men’s basketball coach Jerry Slocum said Allen is committed.
“Blake’s kind of been a consistent guy for us,” Slocum said. “If he gets a [3-point field goal opportunity], he’s going to knock it down. It’s all what you put in you’ll take out. I hear a ball bouncing, and it’s Blake in there getting some shots up on a Sunday.”
Allen said he focuses on scouting reports and extra work before games.
“Just trying to be prepared, approach every game the same with the mindset to go in and try to help the team in any way that I possibly can,” Allen said.
Allen, originally from Tampa, Fla., participated in every game last year and made 18 starts, including the last 17. He averaged 7.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.
He spent one season at Redlands Community College in Oklahoma before coming to YSU, averaging 14.2 points and 4.2 assists per game.
Allen ranks 11th on the Brandon High School scoring list with 2,006 career points. He was a second-team all-state selection and first-team all-county pick. He also earned all-conference honors and made 393 career 3-point field goals.
