Box Score
Freshman Shemar Rathan-Mayes scored a game-high 17 points and dished out five assists as the Youngstown State men's basketball team defeated Point Park, 72-52, in the 2020-21 season opener at the Beeghly Center on Wednesday night.
Senior Michael Akuchie poured in 13 points and made four 3s and senior Garrett Covington posted his second career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds while dishing out four assists with three steals.
The Penguins were rusty in the first half shooting just 30 percent from the field, making just two 3-pointers and going 6-for-11 from the charity stripe, and clung to a 26-25 lead at halftime.
The Penguins used a 14-4 run to open the second stanza to boost the lead to 40-29 with 15:58 left.
Akuchie hit a 3-pointer at the 9:44 mark to give the Penguins a 14-point edge, 51-37, before the Pioneers sliced the lead down to nine, 51-42, at the 8:19 mark.
A 9-0 run over the next three minutes expanded the YSU lead to 60-42 capped by a Geoff Hamperian layup.
A basket by freshman Myles Hunter gave the Penguins 69-49 lead with 1:25 to go, and a Hunter 3-pointer with 35 seconds remaining was the game's final basket.
