Oakland defeats YSU men, 82-71
YSU’s Umude scores
career-best 16 points
Staff report
ROCHESTER, Mich.
Four Youngstown State players scored in double figures, but a late surge by Oakland lifted the Golden Grizzlies to an 82-71 win over the Penguins on Wednesday evening at the Athletics Center O’Rena.
Freshman Sidney Umude scored a career-high 16 points to lead the Penguins (11-19, 2-13 Horizon League) and junior Bobby Hain recorded his eight double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Senior D.J. Cole scored 12 points with seven assists and sophomore Osandai Vaughn added 12 points as well.
Leading Oakland (16-14, 11-4 Horizon League) was Corey Petros and Kahlil Felder, who each scored 20 points. Felder added 10 assists while Petros just missed a double-double with nine rebounds. Jalen Hayes posted a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds; Dante Williams added 12 points.
The Penguins trailed by as many as nine early in the second half, but chipped the deficit to five, 59-54, with 8:28 left. A layup by Cameron Morse, who scored nine points, and a 3-pointer by Vaughn tied the game at 59-59 at the 7:48 mark.
Over the next two and a half minutes the Penguins remained in striking distance and trailed by two, 66-64 after two free throws by Morse with 5:05 to go.
Oakland answered and scored 10 of the next 11 points to push the lead to 13, 78-65, with 2:24 to go.
A jumper by Umude and Cole’s 3-pointer at the 1:38 mark got the Penguins within eight, 78-70, but they got no closer.
The first half see-sawed back and forth the entire 20 minutes with six lead changes and four ties.
After falling behind by five, 10-5, early in the stanza, the Penguins used a 13-2 run to take an 18-12 lead with 12:01 left. Coupled with holding Oakland scoreless for four minutes, the Penguins rattled off nine straight points to take their first lead of the game.
Vaughn nailed a 3-pointer and Shawn Amiker tied the game at 100 with a layup. Hain connected on a jumper and another jumper by Vaughn gave the Penguins a four-point cushion.
After a jumper by Felder, Amiker’s layup and two free throws built the lead to six.
Oakland went on a 10-3 run to regain the lead 22-21, but a Cole layup put the Penguins back up 23-22 with 8:10 to go.
YSU closes out the regular season against Milwaukee on Saturday night.