Penguins lose to CSU in finale to regular season
Despite a 68-55 loss, YSU won't finish lower than fifth in the conference.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
CLEVELAND -- Youngstown State's season didn't end like the Penguins wanted, but the second season is about to get underway.
YSU didn't play very well Saturday, suffering a 68-55 loss to Cleveland State, the worst team in the Horizon League.
Still, YSU will finish no lower than fifth place in the conference and will play host to a first-round postseason tournament game Tuesday night. The Penguins' first-round opponent wasn't determined at press time.
If UW-Green Bay defeated UW-Milwaukee late Saturday night, the Penguins play Milwaukee in the tournament opener. If Milwaukee Green Bay then the Penguins will play host to Detroit.
Roberts out
Playing the second half without No. 2 scorer Keston Roberts and with leading scorer Quin Humphrey being held to just eight points, the Penguins (13-16, 7-9 Horizon) couldn't overtake CSU (10-20, 3-13).
Roberts had just two points and suffered a deep thigh bruise in the first half, then sat on the bench with an ice pack on his leg the second half.
"We just didn't have the intensity today that we've had the last few weeks," said YSU coach Jerry Slocum. "I could just feel an emotional letdown coming these past couple days."
Slocum said with Roberts out that the Penguins needed someone to step up in the second half.
"We just didn't get the support off the bench that we needed today," he said.
Junior point guard Byron Davis was the Penguins' top scorer with 15 points while sophomore Jack Liles added 14 and junior John Barber had 11.
Raheem Moss paced the Vikings with a game-high 21 points.
Davis said it was difficult without Roberts in the second half.
"Any time one of your top scorers goes down there will always be a little more pressure on the rest of the team," Davis said.
Roberts is expected to be ready to go for Tuesday.
Got close
The contest was close throughout most of the first half with five ties and seven lead changes through the first 16 minutes.
The Penguins last led 21-19 on a Liles basket with 8:17 remaining and were tied 26-26 with 4:20 remaining.
The Vikings took the lead for good on a shot by Moss with 3:55 left in the half and they scored the next nine points to pull to a 37-27 halftime lead.
The Penguins, on a basket by Liles and two free throws by Humphrey, cut the Vikings lead to 39-30 early in the second half and on another Liles basket pulled to within 41-37.
Humphrey, who only took eight shots in the game and made three, hit a 3-pointer with 15:32 remaining to keep the Penguins within seven and Barber added two free throws as YSU got to 44-38 with 13 minutes left.
Two minutes later the Vikings went on a 9-0 run that made it 56-41 and the Penguins never got closer until the final score.
YSU finished the game shooting 40.8 percent from the field (20-for-49) and 4-13 from 3-point range. They also hit 11-of-16 free throws.
Cleveland State shot 42.6 percent and was 4-of-20 from behind the arc. The Vikings hit 12-of-14 free throws and outrebounded the Penguins 35-30.
mollica@vindy.com