Harahan, La. -- The Youngstown State bowling team emerged from the elimination bracket by winning its third straight match, but the Penguins' run in the Conference USA Championship ended in the title match with a loss to Jacksonville State.
YSU tied for its best placing ever at a conference event with the runner-up finish, matching what it accomplished at the 2022 Southland Bowling League Championship. The Penguins made one final strong addition to their resume ahead of the NCAA Selection Show on Wednesday.
"Jacksonville State bowled great and we congratulate them on the victory," said YSU head coach Doug Kuberski. "We feel great about our performance overall. To come back from losing the second match and winning three straight mega matches in this field is something special. And then to finish the event off battling through some early adversity to shoot 1,110 shows the fight these ladies have. The contributions we had across the board show our depth and gives us all valuable experience as we prepare for April bowling. Despite today's tough loss in the championship match, our spirits are high and we are excited to get after it this week. We are hungry."
Seniors Madyson Marx and Kirsten Moore were both named to the all-tournament team for their performances for the Penguins across their six mega matches at Colonial Lanes this weekend. They became the fourth and fifth different YSU bowlers to earn all-conference accolades at a conference event over the past three seasons.
Youngstown State eliminated sixth-seeded Sam Houston and fifth-seeded Louisiana Tech on Saturday, and it swept second-seeded Arkansas State on Sunday morning to set up the opportunity against Jacksonville State. The Penguins would've needed to top the Gamecocks twice since they were unbeaten at the tournament, but Jax State won both the traditional and Baker pinfall portions of the match to win the conference's inaugural title.
Freshman Amanda Granata bowled a career-high 258 game as YSU posted a solid 981 total in the traditional round, but Jacksonville State shot 1,081 to take a 1-0 lead in the match. The Gamecocks then opened the Baker round with a 267, but YSU stepped up to the challenge and countered with a 234 in the opener and fired a 244 in game two to get within six pins. Jacksonville State added 15 pins to the lead with a 227-212 edge in game three, and the margin grew to 53 after four. The Gamecocks closed out the championship with a 233 to polish off a 1,186 set. YSU's total was 1,112, which was its third-highest ever in a mega match.
The Penguins earned their spot in the championship by beating Arkansas State 2-0 and avenging a 2-0 loss to the Red Wolves on Friday that forced YSU into the elimination bracket. Jade Cote shot 247 from the anchor spot, and Marx fired a 223 to lead YSU to a 1,034-962 victory in the traditional round. Youngstown State then posted a 245 game to open Baker play and take a 42-pin lead, and it was ahead by at least 38 pins the rest of the round.
Match Results
Match 1 vs. Arkansas State: W, 2-0
Traditional Format - W: 1,034-962
Baker Format - W: 1,089-975
Starting Lineup: Drescher, Granata, Moore, Marx, Cote
- Game 1: 243-203
- Game 2: 189-193
- Game 3: 198-198
- Game 4: 221-214
- Game 5: 236-167
Match 2 vs. Jacksonville State
Traditional Format - L: 1,081-981
Baker Format - L: 1,186-1,112
- Game 1: 234-267
- Game 2: 244-217
- Game 3: 212-227
- Game 4: 210-242
- Game 5: 212-233
