YSU loses to Detroit in home finale
BEEGHLY CENTER
The team will focus on the tournament, where all the teams are 0-0, said senior DeAndre Mays.
By JON MOFFETT
Vindicator Sports staff
YOUNGSTOWN — A frustrated DeAndre Mays could barely find his words and hardly looked at the media during his postgame interview after another loss by the Youngstown State men’s basketball team.
The Penguins (8-21, 2-16 Horizon League) were defeated by Detroit, 62-54, on Saturday as the opening game of a doubleheader at the Beeghly Center.
The loss, YSU’s ninth in a row, was especially difficult for Mays, a senior, who along with his classmates was honored prior to the game.
“It’s the end of something special,” Mays said of his tenure at YSU. “I’m sad it had to go down like it did, but it’s an ending to a new beginning. We’re going to try and make a push in the tournament.”
Mays, who had a team-high 13 points, and the Penguins weren’t able to match up against the Titans (18-13, 9-9). YSU coach Jerry Slocum said of all the teams in the conference, Detroit might be the toughest matchup because of their height.
Only one of the Titans’ five starters was listed at being shorter than 6-foot-6. Senior Woody Payne (5-11) looked like a midget with the likes of sophomores Chase Simon (6-6) and Eli Holman (6-10), junior Xavier Keeling (6-7) and senior Thomas Kennedy (6-7). Detroit also had two players 6-10 or taller on its bench.
YSU’s tallest player, senior Dallas Blocker, is listed at 6-9.
“That’s probably the hardest card we have in our league for us,” Slocum said. “It’s a matchup nightmare for us. There’s guys [who play well] in the post, and at times they can be 6-10, 6-9, 6-8 out there. And of all the teams in our league, that’s probably the hardest team for us to guard.”
The height advantage helped the Titans rule the paint.
Detroit scored 32 of its points in the lane and outrebounded the Penguins 38-29. The physical inside presence also forced the Penguins to foul. YSU was whistled for 23 personals compared to the Titans’ 16.
The Titans, who entered the game as the worst free-throw shooting team in the Horizon League, went 22-of-32 from the charity stripe. YSU went 12-for-14.
“At one time it was 14 or 15 to three or four from the foul line,” Slocum said. “So you’re not getting help there either.”
Mays, along with fellow seniors Blocker, Sirlester Martin, Kelvin Bright and Zack Rebillot, had a rough offensive outing on their final game on Dom Rosselli Court. As a team, the Penguins shot 35 percent from the field. Twenty-three turnovers also stalled any momentum the Penguins built.
“Up until tonight, I really thought that over the past month we battled and had no breaks,” Slocum said. “Tonight I don’t think we played very good. Obviously, it’s a matchup problem for us with their size, but I don’t think we played good basketball tonight. And that’s disappointing.”
Despite a rough close the their regular season, the Penguins are focusing on the Horizon League tournament, where all records are thrown out and slates are wiped clean.
Mays said every team enters the tournament even and every game could be the end of a season.
“Everybody is 0-0 [going into the tournament,” he said. “But to a certain extent, you know teams’ histories and backgrounds, so you have to look deep into the scouting reports and focus, and make sure you prepare to play, because everybody is 0-0, but it’s one-and-done also.”
jmoffett@vindy.com