Youngstown State University
7-6,0-0Horizon
West Virginia
10-1,0-0Big 12
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | 35 | 40 | 75 |
| Youngstown St. | 38 | 26 | 64 |
Penguins Turn In Gritty Performance in 75-64 Loss to No. 25 West Virginia
12/21/2019 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Youngstown, Ohio -- The Youngstown State men's basketball team went toe-to-toe with the No. 25 team in the country but dropped a 75-64 decision to West Virginia on Saturday afternoon at the Covelli Centre.
The Penguins close out non-league play with a 7-6 record while the Mountaineers improve to 10-1 on the season.
Sophomore Darius Quisenberry scored a game-high 22 points with five rebounds and four assists while junior Garrett Covington added 11 points.
Five players in scored in double figures led by Oscar Tshiebwe with 19 points and six rebounds. Derek Culver poured in 15 points while Jermaine Haley had 11, and Mile McBride and Taz Sherman each added 10 points.
After being down by six on three occasions in the first half, including 20-14 with 11:28 left, the Penguins went on an 11-5 run to take a 29-25 lead. Jelani Simmons and Devin Morgan sparked the run with a pair of 3-pointers to tie the game at 20-20. Simmons hit another 3-pointer to tie the game at 25-25 and gave the Penguins their first lead, 26-25, on a made free throw with 6:59 left. Quisenberry added a jumper and Covington split a pair of free throws for the Penguins four-point edge with 5:38 to go.
Youngstown State extended its lead to six, 32-26, and 34-28 before the Mountaineers sliced the deficit to one, 36-35, with 20 seconds left. Quisenberry closed out the half with a made jumper at the buzzer to give YSU a 38-35 lead at the intermission.
Naz Bohannon, who had seven points and 13 rebounds, made two quick baskets to start the second half and pushed the YSU lead to seven, 42-35, at the 18:33 mark.
West Virginia used an 11-2 run to take a two point lead 46-44, but the Penguins recaptured the lead 48-46 after a jumper by Qusienberry and two free throws from Covington with 14:07 remaining.
A 12-3 run gave the Mountaineers a seven-point edge, 58-51, midway through the stanza, but the dunk by Olamide Pedersen and a 3-pointer by Michael Akuchie got the Penguins back within two, 58-56.
After the Mountaineers rebuilt their lead to seven, 67-60, with 2:46 left, Covington and Quisenberry each made a pair of free throws to cut the lead down to 67-64 with 2:14 left.
The Mountaineers scored the final eight points of the game.
Youngstown State opens Horizon League play against IUPUI, Saturday, Dec. 28, at Noon in Indianapolis, Ind.
