YSU

YSU
Men's basketball
CHICAGO -- Quin Humphrey scored a career-best 33 points but the YSU men's basketball team just couldn't get one final break as the Penguins lost 85-84 in overtime against Illinois-Chicago on Saturday.
Humphrey made a 3-pointer with 3.3 seconds left in regulation to force overtime but could not convert a driving layup at the end of OT that would have won the game for the Penguins. Trailing for the first 3:30 of the overtime period, YSU grabbed an 82-81 lead on a Humphrey layup with 1:23 remaining. UIC's Josh May put the Flames in front 83-82, but YSU answered when Keston Roberts drained a pull-up jumper with 44 seconds remaining.
The Flames' Olythus Jeffers made a driving bucket with 19 seconds left to set up the final sequence.
With 9.5 seconds left the Penguins called timeout to set up a final play. After Derrick Harris took the inbounds pass, he dished to Humphrey who drove the lane and attempted a shot just before the buzzer. Humphrey's shot was just short and on the attempt he ended up lying on the ground. Colin LaForme's final rebound tip attempt came after the buzzer had sounded.
The contest featured 19 lead changes and 12 ties, but for the 14th consecutive meeting, the Penguins (3-8, 0-1 Horizon League) came up a little short. UIC (8-5, 1-0) has won five of its last six games.
Humphrey scored 20 points in the second half and had 28 at the end of regulation. He was 11-of-23 from the field while going 9-of-10 at the free-throw line. He became the first Penguin to score 30 points in a game since Ryan Patton had 32 at Western Illinois on Jan. 25, 2001. It was the most points scored by a YSU player since Reggie Kemp had 35 against Chicago State on Feb. 19, 1990.
Women's basketball
DAYTON -- The YSU women's basketball team couldn't hold a 10-point second half lead, falling to Wright State 65-62 on Saturday at the Nutter Center.
Ashlee Russo, a Boardman High graduate led the Penguins (4-9, 0-2 Horizon League) with 17 points, while Monique Godfrey added 11 points. Russo also had five assists and made 11 of 16 at the free throw line.
Kristy Gaudiose, a Poland High graduate, added eight points and a team-high seven rebounds for the Penguins, who made just 7 of 15 at the line in the second half. Jessica Schloemp also had eight points.
Tyanda Hammock had 15 points and Rhea Mays added 12 for the Flyers (5-6, 1-0).
Wright State outscored YSU 38-30 in the second half. YSU made 21 of 49 from the field (43 percent) and 3 of 9 from 3-point range. The Penguins were just 17 of 26 from the foul line. They also committed 21 turnovers.
LOCAL
Prep wrestling roundup
* BRECKSVILLE -- Fitch's Tony Jameson, a returning state champion, finished first in the 119-pound weight class and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler, leading the Falcons to a sixth-place finish in the 45th annual Brecksville Holiday Invitational on Saturday.
Lakota West finished first.
Jameson won by technical fall over University School's Jonathon Stone in the final.
Three-time State qualifier Nick Bodnar finished second at 140 after losing a close decision to Beechwood's Kevin Lipp in the finals. JJ Pankewicz (160) had his fifth pin in the tournament consolation finals to finish third overall. At 189, Matt Kuti won by decision over St. Xavier's Chris Simon to claim seventh place.
"I am pleased with the entire team's performance," said Fitch coach Brett Powell. "Everyone on the team contributed."
* CHAGRIN FALLS -- At the Kenston Tournament, Boardman's Bob Creatore (130), Zac Vallos (160) and Justin Powell (215) placed first in their respective weight classes to lead the Spartans to a third-place finish out of 19 teams.
Nick DeMarinis was runner-up at 152 pounds, while Joe Molina (119) and Anthony Wills (135) were third and Jeff Liggitt (112) was fifth.
Mountaineer boxing
CHESTER, W.Va. -- Youngstown's Roland Commings, fighting in his 50th professional bout, lost to undefeated Joe Wyatt on Friday when the fight was stopped in the third round of an eight-rounder at "The Harv" at Mountaineer Park.
Commings, of New Middletown, suffered a deep cut over his left eye during the third round when his head collided with Wyatt's. After being examined by the ringside physician, the referee stopped the fight at the 2:21 mark of the round.
Roland, who turned 40 on Dec. 18 and has not won a bout since Oct. 27, 1994, fought his first pro fight on Aug. 27, 1985. He was 22-12 at one point but has since lost 12 bouts along with one technical draw.
"[Commings] is tough and durable and he fought a very gutsy fight," said Wyatt, who improved to 23-0 with 15 KOs.
"I wanted Wyatt to use his energy early as I felt I could get to him in the later rounds, but his head butt, which was completely missed by the referee, took me out of the fight," said Commings, now 22-25-3.
Youngstown's Pat Nelson, who manages Wyatt, said the bout was beneficial for his young fighter.
"Joe had an opportunity to throw a lot of punches with Roland continuing to come at him," said Nelson. "He learned a lot tonight from the veteran that will help him in his future, which is very bright."
Nelson had three winning fighters on the six-bout card.
Devin Vargas, the 2004 Olympic captain from Toledo, improved to 8-0 after winning a majority decision over Ed Perry (6-2-1) in a heavyweight four-rounder.
"I didn't work hard enough," said Vargas, calling it his toughest pro fight.
Added Nelson, "It is time to begin moving Devin to bigger and better bouts in the crowded heavyweight division."
Brian Minto, Nelson's leading heavyweight, improved to 23-1 when he stopped his 14th opponent after Troy Weida (44-21-2) failed to answer the bell following the fourth round of the scheduled eight-rounder.
"I wanted to get some work in or I could have taken him out a lot earlier," said Minto. "This guy threw a lot of roundhouse rights but I stayed outside and he never caught me. My jab was as good as it has ever been and I was having fun and in no hurry for the fight to end."
Minto will fight in a pay-per-view bout on Jan. 27 in Atlantic City. The opponent could be Byron Polley, Nelson said.
Area college roundup
* MUSKINGUM -- Bethany senior Matt Drahos scored 20 points, including the 1,500th of his career, to lead the Bison past Muskingum 70-65 on Friday. Drahos, who entered the game with 1,499 points, passed the milestone on a layup seven seconds into the first quarter.
His brother, Mike, had 19 points and 13 rebounds and now has 1,351 career points. He posted his third-double-double of the season.
Marc Palermo (Ursuline) added seven points including a big 3-pointer down the stretch.
* MARIETTA -- Bridgewater (Va.) used a 10-4 run over the final minutes to rally past Grove City 71-67. Sophomore Shawn Carr (Mohawk) had 11 points for the Wolverines.
Vindicator staff/wire reports