YSU wins third straight

Keston Roberts and Quin Humphrey combined for 50 points in the win.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- After putting together its best first half of basketball this season, the Youngstown State men's team held off Loyola, 76-71, for a Horizon League victory Saturday before 2,615 fans at Beeghly Center.
The Penguins (7-7, 2-1 HL) won their third straight game and their fifth win in their last six games. Loyola (9-5, 1-1) lost for only the third time in its last seven games.
The Penguins could do little wrong in the first 20 minutes, shooting a torrid 56.3 percent from the field, while committing just five turnovers and taking a 46-29 halftime lead.
Played without Davis
They did it without their starting point guard, junior Byron Davis, who missed the game while attending the funeral of his grandfather.
But seniors Keston Roberts and Quin Humphrey were there to pick up any slack. Roberts had a career-high 30 points and Humphrey added 20 points and nine rebounds to combine for 50 of the Penguins' 76 points. Junior John Barber added 10 points off the bench.
Loyola lost its leading scorer, Blake Schilb, with a wrist injury with 4:23 to play in the first half and he didn't return, but the Ramblers played better without him, especially in the second half.
"I could not be prouder of this team than I am right now," said YSU coach Jerry Slocum. "I'm also very proud of Mikko Niemi."
First start a good one
Niemi, the backup sophomore point guard, made his first start for the Penguins after averaging just over seven minutes of playing time in the team's first 13 games.
He played 39 of the 40 minutes and directed the Penguins' offense well, adding seven points and dishing out five assists and also getting six rebounds.
"We spent the last three days working like this was a road game, because we have been in so many hostile gyms recently and we had been playing like we had a chip on our shoulders and we wanted it to continue," Slocum said.
"That first half was probably the best half of basketball this team can play and in the last two weeks Keston [Roberts] has been the best guard in the conference," he said.
Roberts, who has scored 20 or more in the team's last six games, said the difference is aggressiveness.
"We just wanted to come out aggressively and we did that," he stated. "The shots were falling tonight."
Humphrey added "all the hard work we've been putting in is starting to pay off. It was great to be back home and this win feels great for everybody, fans included."
The Penguins came out quickly and jumped to a 10-2 lead hitting 2-of-3 shots from the field and six straight free throws.
After Majak Kou, who led the Ramblers with 30 points, hit a 3-point shot to cut the lead to 10-5, the Penguins went on an 10-4 run and pulled to a 20-9 lead.
That was as close as the Ramblers would get the rest of the half as YSU took a 46-29 lead at the intermission.
After Roberts scored the opening bucket of the second half, Loyola ran off nine straight points to pull to within 10 points, 48-38.
Loyola battles back
With 9:45 left in the contest the Ramblers were within five points, 55-50.
"They are a good team and we knew that they were going to make a run at us in the second half," Slocum said. "But our kids did a great job of holding them off."
A big 3-point shot by Niemi gave YSU an eight point edge, 62-54, and Roberts followed with a fast-break dunk to push the lead back to 10 points.
Kou, who scored 20 points in the second half, led the Ramblers back into the contest in the final minute.
He had a 3-pointer and two free throws as Loyola closed to within three points, 72-69, and Tracy Robinson added a bucket to make it 72-71 with 21 seconds left.
Won it at the line
The Penguins, who didn't score a field goal during the final three minutes of the game, made 4 of 6 free throws over those finals seconds to ice the win.
YSU scored its final 11 points from the line and finished the game 21-of-28 at the free throw line.
The Penguins will remain at home for their next contest, a non-conference game against Akron Tuesday night at 7:05 at Beeghly Center.
mollica@vindy.com