Box Score
Daniel Ogoro made a go-ahead three-pointer with five seconds to play to lift the Youngstown State men's basketball team over Wright State on Saturday night at Beeghly Center, 90-87.
The Penguins improve to 10-8 overall with a record of 4-4 in the Horizon League, while the Raiders fall to 9-8 with a conference record of 6-2. The YSU victory snaps Wright State's eight-game winning streak.
Dwayne Cohill scored a career-high and team-leading 25 points for the Penguins, going 9-of-17 from the floor and 1-of-3 from behind the arc. Cohill was also 6-of-7 from the free throw line. Michael Akuchie finished with 19 points and Shemar Rathan-Mayes added 15. Nine Penguins contributed to the scoring effort.
In a back-and-fourth opening four minutes to the contest that saw a combined 22 points scored, both teams opened the first half of play shooting the ball at greater than 50 percent clips.
By the 11:15 mark, seven Penguins had made a basket, including three who connected from behind the arc. Likewise, the Raiders' found themselves shooting 11-of-18 (61.1 percent) from the field and 6-of-9 (66.7 percent) from three.
At the 10:41 mark and a 26-22 advantage in favor of YSU, Wright State would put together an 18-8 scoring run to take a 40-34 lead with just under four minutes to play in opening 20 minutes of play. During the hot stretch, the Raiders would build their lead to eight and take their biggest lead of the half following a six point unanswered stretch of baskets.
A pull-up jumper at the far elbow from Rathan-Mayes at the 2:00 minute mark would end nearly a three-minute YSU scoring draught and pull the Penguins back within six of the Raiders, 44-38.
A Jamir Thomas made layup acted as the lone made basket by either team during the final 1:07 of play and Wright State would head into the halftime locker room holding a 46-40 advantage.
Out of the break, the Penguins opened the half shooting 5-of-6 as Cohill started to get a hot hand. The Cleveland, Ohio, native began the final period shooting 4-of-4 with a make from long range. YSU got within one at the 17:50, 17:01 and 16:33 marks during the first five minutes, but a Raiders' bucket on each ensuing possession stretched their lead just out of striking distance.
Barring a pair of made layups by Akuchie at the 11:55 mark, the Penguins endured a scoreless streak that began at the 12:57 mark and ended with a Rathan-Mayes jumper with 9:22 remaining to play in the half. During the span, Wright State was able to score four unanswered.
YSU was able to pull back to within five at the 6:04 mark on a Chris Shelton three-ball, but Wright State's Tim Finke answered on the Raiders' ensuing possession with a three of his own to pull the lead back to eight.
With 3:00 remaining in regulation, a Shelton jumper sparked a 5-0 scoring run that gave the Penguins their first lead since the 15:22 mark of the first half. Shelton buried a three-point basket at the 2:25 mark to put YSU up, 82-81.
The score would reach a stalemate at the 53 and 33-second marks just before Rathan-Mayes found Ogoro in front of the YSU bench to sink what would be the game-winning shot with five ticks on the clock. The Raiders would intentionally foul Ogoro and he would sink the back end of a pair of free throws to ice the contest, 90-87.
YSU shot 47.8 percent (33-of-69) from the field and made 8 3-pointers in the game. YSU was also 16-of-19 from the free-throw line, for an 84 percent clip. Wright State had three players score in double figures led by Tanner Holden's game-high 27 points. Grant Basile also had 26 and added 10 rebounds. Wright State shot 42.6 percent (29-of-68) for the contest, including 9-of-22 from long range.
The Penguins are back in action next week with a two-game road trip, taking on Cleveland State and Purdue Fort Wayne. Friday's tipoff against the Vikings is scheduled for 7 p.m.
