Box Score
Senior Naz Bohannon scored a game-high 22 points to lead the Youngstown State men's basketball team to a 72-70 victory over Purdue Fort Wayne on Saturday night at Beeghly Center.
The Penguins, who have won five consecutive games, improve to 13-10 overall and 8-10 in the Horizon League while the Mastodons fall to 6-13 overall and 5-13 in the league.
Senior Garrett Covington scored 16 points, including 14 in the second half, while freshman Shemar Rathan-Mayes posted 15 points and junior Darius Quisenberry added 11 points.
Leading the Mastodons was Jarred Godfrey with 17 points and Jalon Pipkins with 16 points.
The Penguins and Mastodons battled through 10 lead changes and four ties in the second half, and both squads shot well from the field. Purdue Fort Wayne connected on 56 percent from the floor and YSU shot 46.7 percent with four 3-pointers.
The Penguins used a 12-2 run early in the second half to turn a three-point deficit into a seven-point advantage, 48-41, with 12:47 left in the game. Covington made a nifty reverse layup and a 3-pointer from the corner, Rathan-Mayes hit a 3-pointer and a jumper and Quisenberry added two free throws to key the run.
Purdue Fort Wayne went on a 11-2 run of its own to retake a 52-50 lead at the 8:47 mark.
The teams traded the lead four more times before a Bohannon layup and a 3-pointer by Covington gave the Penguins a 60-56 lead. A Covington layup gave the Penguins a 64-58 lead before the the Mastodons scored six straight to tie the game at 64-64 with 3:08 remaining.
Bohannon hit two free throws and made a basket to regain a four-point edge, 68-64, before the Mastodons trimmed the lead to 69-68 with 59 seconds left.
The teams traded a pair of free throws and Quisenberry split a pair of free throws with 1.2 seconds remaining to seal the victory.
The Mastodons led the first half for more than 17 minute as the Penguins had a tough time finding their rhythm from the field. Youngstown State shot just 31.3 percent from the floor and went 2-for-17 from 3-point range.
Purdue Fort Wayne connected on 50 percent of its shots and made four 3-pointers and built a nine point lead, 23-14, with 8:12 left.
The Penguins outscored the Mastodons, 16-6, to close out the half and took a 30-29 lead into the lockerroom after a 3-pointer by Quisenberry 58 seconds left.
Youngstown State close out the regular season with a two game series against IUPUI, Feb, 19-20. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. on both days at the Beeghly Center.
