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Kent overpowers Penguins down the stretch
Special to the Vindicator
Photo
YSU Vytas Sulskis rushes by KSU Rodriquez Sherman during the first period on Tuesday night at the Kent State MAC center in Kent, Ohio.
GAME TIME
YSU vs. UIC, Thurday, Dec. 30 at 7:05 p.m.
By Joe Scalzo
KENT
Stop us if you’ve heard this story before.
The Youngstown State men’s basketball team battled Kent State tough for the first 30 minutes, then fell apart down the stretch en route to a 71-58 loss Tuesday night at the M.A.C. Center.
Most of the Penguin’s losses this season have followed a similar pattern, with YSU unable to make shots down the stretch or match their best opponents’ intensity. It happened in the Penguins’ last game against North Carolina State, as well as road losses to Milwaukee and Green Bay.
“We’ve got a lot of new guys and they’re still growing and learning,” said Penguins senior forward Vytas Sulskis. “We need to learn how to close out games. We go up on teams and can’t finish.
“They went on a run and we just kind of crumbled.”
The Penguins (5-6) were ahead by 12 points early in the first half and led for much of the game before Kent started closing the gap midway through the second half. After YSU took a 48-42 lead with 12 minutes left, Kent outscored the Penguins 29-10 the rest of the way.
“We didn’t make shots and we didn’t guard anybody during that stretch,” YSU coach Jerry Slocum said of the game’s final eight minutes. “It’s disappointing.”
Sulskis scored 22 points but was held scoreless over the final 12 minutes. That was part of the strategy by the Golden Flashes, who were content to guard Sulskis with their forwards for the first half, then switch guards Michael Porrini and Rodriquez Shaw on him later in the game.
“[Sulskis] is just a really tough matchup,” said Kent coach Geno Ford. “I didn’t know if we had a player sweating yet and he had 15. He presents a lot of problems because he plays the four [power forward] and he’s a guard.”
But, down the stretch, Sulskis missed a few open looks and the rest of the Penguins struggled to score against Kent’s 2-3 zone.
Sophomore forward Damian Eargle really struggled, battling foul trouble all night while playing just nine minutes, scoring two points with two rebounds.
“This is the second or third game in a row where he’s had an opportunity to stay on the floor and he’s taken himself out of the game,” said Slocum. “We need to make sure he learns that lesson.”
Senior Dan Boudler played well in Eargle’s absence, scoring six points to go with nine rebounds (five offensive) and two blocks. But freshman point guard Kendrick Perry was the only other Penguin in double figures with 13 points and five assists. And Slocum was forced to play him 38 minutes as YSU’s once wide-open rotation continues to shrink.
“We were lucky they went a little dry offensively in second half,” Ford said of YSU. “They have a nice team.”
Kent State (9-3) was playing its first game with its second-leading scorer, Carlton Guyton, who was suspended indefinitely after being charged with stealing a car.
The Golden Flashes were also without 6-foot-11 junior center Justin Manns, a starter who was benched by Ford after sulking on the bench in Kent’s previous game.
No matter.
Forward Justin Greene had 21 points and 10 rebounds and Sherman scored 20 to help Kent win its fourth straight in the series.
“They’re a good basketball team,” said Slocum. “It’s one of the better Kent teams I’ve seen since I’ve been here.
“When they get those two guys back, they’ll be very, very good.”