Perry helps YSU men improve to 3-0

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Perry

Staff report

Kennesaw, Ga.

Senior Kendrick Perry scored 31 points on 11-of-19 shooting from the floor and nearly missed a triple double with nine rebounds and seven assists to lead the Youngstown State men’s basketball team to a 75-67 win over Eastern Kentucky on Sunday afternoon.

Sophomore Ryan Weber scored 17 points with four 3-points and nine rebounds and the Penguins (3-0) outrebounded the Colonels, 45-30.

Leading by 10 at halftime, 36-26, the Penguins quickly boosted their lead to 15, 41-26, after an alley-oop dunk from DJ Cole to Perry and a three-point play by Bobby Hain at the 18:24 mark.

Over the next 15 minutes, the Colonels (2-1) whittled the Penguins lead down to two, 66-64, with 3:14 to go.

Perry scored the next five points on a layup and an old-fashioned three-point play to extend the Penguins advantage back to seven, 71-64, at the 1:15 mark.

EKU’s Orlando Williams cut the deficit down to four, 71-67, with a 3-pointer with 52 seconds left, but the Penguins made four free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.

In the first half, the Penguins trailed the Colonels, 20-14, at the 8:25 mark after EKU’s Isaac McGlone’s 3-pointer.

The Penguins, who made nine 3-pointers, went on an 18-1 run, keyed by six straight 3-pointers, over the next five minutes to take a 32-21 lead with 3:42 left.

Perry’s 3-pointer got the Penguins within three, then freshman Marcus Keened tied the game at 20-20 with 7:37 left.

Consecutive 3-pointers by Weber, one by Perry, and another by Weber finished the Penguins’ scoring jaunt.

A 3-pointer by EKU’s Tarius Johnson cut the lead down to six, 32-26, but two free throws by DJ Cole and a layup by Perry closed out the half and gave the Penguins a 36-26 halftime lead.

The Penguins will play Warren Wilson College in Thursday’s home opener at the Beeghly Center.