Youngstown, Ohio – The Youngstown State men's basketball team used a hot start in both halves and never trailed on the way to its seventh-straight win with a 73-64 victory over Detroit Mercy on Sunday at Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center.
The win ties the program's Division I consecutive win streak record at seven and improves the Penguins to 9-5 overall and 4-0 in Horizon League play for the first time in program history. Detroit falls to 5-10 overall and 1-3 in league action.
Senior EJ Farmer led the Penguins with a team-high 16 points while Gabe Dynes scored 12 points with five rebounds and four blocks. Nico Galette added 10 points and Cris Carroll narrowly missed a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds.
The Penguins scored the first 10 points of the game and 23 of the first 26 to ignite the fast start. After a layup by Ty Harper started the scoring, Farmer scored the next eight points on a dunk and a pair of 3-pointers to spark the 10-0 run to start the game.
After a Titans basket, the Penguins went on a 13-1 spurt to extend the lead to 23-3 with 13:07 remaining before halftime. Baskets by Galette and Dynes began the run, and 3-pointers by Galette and Jason Nelson capped the YSU run.
Owning a 38-23 halftime advantage, the Penguins made their first four shots of the second half to balloon the lead to 23, 47-24, with 18:29 left. A turnaround jumper by Farmer, two layups by Carroll and Farmer's third 3-poitner of the game led to the 9-0 YSU run to begin the second half.
Over the next 10 minutes, the Titans clawed their way back into the game, outscoring the Penguins 24-11, to get within 10, 58-48, midway through the half.
Siem Uijtendaal hit back-to-back 3-pointers to push the Penguins lead back to 16, 64-48, and two charity tosses by Harper extended the advantage to 18, 66-48, at the 6:23 mark.
The Penguins maintained a double-digit lead until 40 seconds left in the contest on a basket by the Titans' Legend Geeter that trimmed the lead to eight, 72-64.
Farmer's free throw with 37 seconds left ended the scoring.
Youngstown State visits IU-Indy, Wednesday, Jan. 1. Tipoff is set for 12 p.m. at Corteva Coliseum.
