Box Score
Cleveland, Ohio -- The Youngstown State men's basketball team cut a late second-half 10-point deficit down to one with a chance to win the ballgame, but came up just short in a 64-61 loss to Cleveland State on Friday evening at the Wolstein Center.
The Penguins, who trailed by as many as 11, 57-46, with just over five minutes left, faced a 10-point deficit, 62-52, after a 3-pointer by Cleveland State's D'Moi Hodge with 3:59 left.
Youngstown State scored nine straight points to cut the lead down to one, 62-61, with 43 seconds left.
A free throw by Shemar Rathan-Mayes and baskets by Dwayne Cohill and Tevin Olison sliced the lead in half, 62-57, at the 1:35 mark. Cohill's steal and fast-break layup got the Penguins within three and Olison made a pair of free throws with 43 seconds left.
The Penguins defense forced a missed shot and called timeout with five seconds left. Cohill, however, was called for a charge with 2.3 seconds left on his game-winning attempt. Tre Gomillion's breakaway layup put the Vikings up three with 1.0 seconds left before Cohill's desperation 3-pointer from three-quarters court went off the front of the rim.
Cohill led the Penguins (10-8, 4-5 Horizon League) with 20 points, six rebounds and three assists while Olison scored 18 points and Michael Akuchie added 10 points.
Leading Cleveland State was Yahel Hilll with 15 points and Chris Greene with 12. Green scored all of his points on four 3-pointers.
Youngstown State trailed at the intermission, 32-31, but the Vikings scored seven straight points to take a 39-31 lead and forced a YSU timeout with 17:19 remaining.
The Penguins answered with a 11-2 run to take a 42-41 lead with 12:22 to go. Cohill started the run with a 3-pointer and two charity tosses by Olison cut the lead to three. Olison's 3-pointer at the 14:39 mark tied the game at 39-39 before the Vikings regained a 41-39 advantage.
Akuchie's layup with 13:13 knotted the score against and a free throw by Cohill put the Penguins up, 42-41.
The Vikings scored the next seven points and nine of the next 10 to take a 50-43 lead. A three-point play by Cohill trimmed the lead down to four, 50-46, before Cleveland State scored the next seven points to boost its lead to 11, 57-46.
Cleveland State (14-4 and 8-1) made seven of its 11 3-pointers in the first half and built a seven-point lead, 32-25, with just 2:16 left. Seven of Cleveland State's final eight baskets of the first half were from behind the arc.
Olison, though, made a pair of 3-pointers to get the Penguins within one at the intermission.
For the game, Youngstown State shot 41.3 percent from the field and made eight 3-pointers while the Vikings shot 46.2 percent and outrebounded YSU, 34-24.
The Penguins visit Purdue Fort Wayne on Sunday. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.
