Box Score
The Youngstown State women's basketball team struggled with turnovers and was cold from the field in the third quarter in a 71-61 loss to Oakland on Friday evening at Beeghly Center.
The Golden Grizzlies went 8-for-15 from 3-point range in the opening half, but Youngstown State was well within striking distance at 41-36 at the break. YSU went 3-for-17 from the field in the third quarter as Oakland extended its lead to 10, and it couldn't make up any ground in the fourth.
Youngstown State committed 22 turnovers, which was twice as many as it forced, and Oakland had a 22-7 edge in points off turnovers.
McKenah Peters tied for game-high honors with 14 points, 11 of which came in the first half, and Nneka Obiazor matched her career high with 12 points. Malia Maestro added a career-best eight points off the bench.
Kahlaijah Dean tied Peters with 14 points, and Alona Blackwell was right behind her with 13. Oakland got 30 points from its bench.
Oakland scored the first nine points of the game as the Penguins had three turnovers in their first five possessions. The lead grew to 12-2 on a 3-pointer by Breanne Beatty at the 7:37 mark. Youngstown State got within three on three occasions before the end of the quarter, the final time coming on layup by Mary Dunn at 17-14. Oakland scored five straight points to push the lead to 22-14, and Malia Magestro's 3 on YSU's last possession made the score 22-17 after 10 minutes.
Oakland scored the first four points of the second period to take a 26-17 lead, but Youngstown State went on a 15-4 lead to take its only lead of the game at 32-30 when Nneka Obiazor scored at the 3:36 mark. Chelsea Olson scored the first five points of the run, and Maddie Schires and Magestro hit 3s during the spurt. Sydney Gouard hit a 3 for Oakland 21 seconds after Obiazor's go-ahead basket, and the Golden Grizzlies scored eight straight points en route to a 41-36 lead at halftime.
Peters hit a 3, for her fourth of the game, two minutes into the third quarter to get the Penguins within 43-39, but that was YSU's only make in its first 13 field-goal attempts of the period. Youngstown State still trailed by just four at 45-41 at the 5:29 mark, and the margin was 51-45 following an Olson basket with 2:04 left. Oakland scored the final four points of the period to take a 55-45 lead heading into the fourth, and it extended the lead to 57-45 earl in the fourth. An ensuing basket by Dunn, a steal by Peters and a 3-pointer by Schires in transition gave the Penguins a spark, but Oakland answered with six straight points to take its largest advantage at 63-50 with 5:33 left. The margin was at least nine the rest of the contest.
After going 8-for-15 from long distance in the first half, Oakland was 1-for-7 in the second half to finish 9-for-22. YSU went 6-for-11 in the first half and 2-for-9 in the final 20 minutes. Oakland held a slight overall shooting edge at 37.5 percent to 36.2 percent. The Golden Grizzlies also had a four-point advantage at the free-throw line.
Youngstown State and Oakland will play game two of its weekend series on Saturday at Beeghly Center. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on 570 WKBN, iHeartRadio, ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
