YSU falls at Michigan; Ohio St. next

The Penguins dropped a 65-56 decision to the Wolverines for a 2-3 record.
By BISON COLLINS MESSINK
SPECIAL TO THE VINDICATOR
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The Youngstown State men's basketball team's Big Ten and Turkey Sandwich got off to a rough start last night, as the Penguins lost, 65-56, on the road at Michigan.
Today, the Penguins will take a bus trip to Columbus, try to enjoy the holiday and get ready for tomorrow's 8 p.m. tip against another Big Ten opponent, the fourth-ranked Buckeyes.
The Wolverines out-scored the Penguins, 35-23, in the first half, thanks in part to 11 Youngstown turnovers.
Michigan (6-0) kept the pressure on coming out of the locker room, going on a 13-6 run in the first four minutes of the half.
Youngstown coach Jerry Slocum called a time-out, trying to stop the bleeding, but the Penguins did not score another point until Jack Liles scored down low at the 11:06 mark. By then, YSU trailed by 23, and the game was all but over.
Youngstown (2-3) continued to struggle with turnovers in the second half, finishing with 18 on the game, and never found an offensive rhythm in the half-court. The fast-break was the Penguins' most effective offensive weapon, but they simply didn't get enough opportunities to run.
Humphrey is contained
Michigan geared their defense to stopping Quin Humphrey, the Penguins' leading scorer at 20 points per game, and did a good job of it. Humphrey scored just 10 points on 3-for-11 shooting.
The extra attention paid to Humphrey opened up the floor for Keston Roberts, who carried the Penguins offensively with 18 points. But Roberts' effort was not enough to match the Wolverines' size and strength -- or their energy.
At times, Michigan's 6-foot-8 forward Brent Petway looked to be the only player on the floor who didn't have turkey on his mind. Petway scored 13 points, including three thunderous dunks, and pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds, including five on the offensive end. Michigan's 6-11 center Courtney Sims added 18 points and gathered 5 rebounds.
Youngstown continued to compete until the final whistle, and narrowed the final margin by outscoring the Wolverines 13-2 over the last 7:27, with most of that advantage coming after Michigan had emptied its bench.