Rochester, Mich. – Brandon Rush scored a season-high 30 points and the Penguins made 14 3-pointers as the Youngstown State men's basketball team knocked off Oakland, 85-69, at the Athletics Center O'Rena.
Youngstown State improves to 14-5 overall and 6-2 in the Horizon League while snapping Oakland's five game winning streak. The Golden Grizzlies fall to 7-12 overall and 5-3 in league play.
Malek Green poured in 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting with eight rebounds while Bryce McBride scored a season-high 19 points and tied a career high with five 3-pointers. Adrian Nelson recorded his seventh double-double of the season with 11 points and 15 rebounds
Rush, who scored 19 of his 30 points in the second half, connected on 11-of-16 shooting from the floor and tied a career high with seven 3-pointers. Dwayne Cohill dished out a career-high 11 assists and had eight rebounds.
The Penguins, who led for 36:44, took their first lead of the game, 5-4, on a 3-pointer by McBride at the 16:44 mark and never trailed again. That one-point lead ballooned to 13, 22-9, over the next five minutes keyed by 3-pointers by McBride, Rush and Nelson.
Oakland used a 14-6 run to cut the Penguins lead to five, 28-23, with 7:50 to go, but a 3-pointer by McBride, a layup by Nelson, a 3-pointer by Rush and another by McBride sparked an 11-0 run by the Penguins to extend the lead to 16 points, 39-23, with 2:11 remaining before halftime.
Youngstown State took 44-27 lead into the lockerroom at halftime.
Oakland outscored the Penguins 16-6 to start the second half and trimmed the Penguins lead down to 50-43 at the 16:59 mark.
Youngstown State rebuilt a 10-point lead, 57-47, with 12:29 left on a layup by McBride.
The Golden Grizzlies went on an 8-2 run to get within four, 59-55, midway through the second half before the Penguins used a 19-2 run to take control of the game with a 21-point lead, 80-59, with just under five minutes left.
Rush made three 3-pointers and had 11 points during the 19-2 spurt while Green added six points.
Oakland never got closer than 15 points.
Youngstown State visits Green Bay, Thursday, Jan. 19. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. at the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wis.
