Box Score
Mary Dunn scored 24 points, and the Youngstown State women's basketball team hung on to beat Cleveland State 64-61 on Saturday at Beeghly Center in the regular-season finale for both schools.
The Penguins led for 35:51, and they were able to hold off another fourth-quarter charge by the Vikings. YSU's advantage was 59-49 with 3:18 left, and Cleveland State scored seven points in the next 37 seconds to close the gap to three. Maddie Schires scored five straight points for the Penguins to push the margin back to eight at 64-56, and Chelsea Olson blocked Destiny Leo's desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer once the Vikings go to within 64-61.
Olson finished the game with a career-high five blocks, and she had a big part in limiting the Horizon League's leading scorer Mariah White to 13 points on 25 field-goal attempts.
Youngstown State ends the regular season with a 9-7 record, and it stopped Cleveland State's seven-game winning streak. The Vikings concluded the regular season 9-8 overall and 8-8 in conference play.
Dunn led all scorers with her 24 points in just 22 minutes, and she was 10-for-12 from the field and 4-for-5 from the free-throw line. Nneka Obiazor collected her third double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Schires scored 10 of her 12 points in the second half.
Cleveland State led 5-2 and 7-4 early, but an 11-2 run by the Penguins gave them 15-9 lead. After Dunn's basket put Youngstown State ahead 8-7 at the 5:37 mark, the Penguins did not trail again.
The margin was six again at 18-12 after a Mady Aulbach 3-pointer at the 1:48 mark, and YSU led 18-16 at the end of the period.
A floater by Olson on the first possession of the second period accounted for the only points of the first 4:20 of the quarter. Cleveland State went scoreless for the first 5:05, which allowed the Penguins to take a 25-16 advantage. YSU's third nine-point lead of the quarter came at 29-20 on an Obiazor basket, but the Vikings had a 10-2 run to get within 31-30 at halftime.
A 3-pointer by Malia Magestro and a three-point play by Dunn in a 23-second span gave the Penguins 43-35 lead at the 6:55 mark of the third period, and the difference reached double digits for the first time when Dunn scored at the end of the shot clock with 5:34 remaining. YSU's largest lead of the game came at 52-39 on a Schires triple with 54 seconds left in the quarter.
YSU cooled down offensively in the fourth and scored two points in the first 4:25 of the period, and the first Penguins' field goal came on a Dunn layup at the 4:03 mark. That bucket put YSU up 57-49, and Dunn and Magestro split free throws to push the difference to 59-49 with 3:18 left.
Taylah Levy hit a 3 on Cleveland State's next possession, then Isabelle Gradwell had a four-point play on a 3 and free throw 32 seconds later to get the Vikings right back in the game at 59-56. Schires answered with a 3 on the next possession, then the sophomore drew a charge, got fouled on a rebound and hit two free throws to give YSU a 64-56 cushion at the 2:03 mark. Those free throws accounted for the Penguins' final points of the game, but the defense held enough.
Youngstown State shot 41.1 percent for the game, and it was 21-for-42 through three quarters. Cleveland State shot 32.3 percent, and it was 5-for-14 from 3-point range after going 10-for-26 in Friday's win.
Youngstown State will play host to Purdue Fort Wayne in the first round of the Horizon League Women's Basketball Championship on Thursday at Beeghly Center. The tip time will be announced later Saturday evening.
