YSU men fall in triple-overtime
Staff and wire reports
Fort Myers, Fla.
Marc Eddy Norelia scored a career-high 34 points and pulled down a career-best 18 rebounds to help lead Florida Gulf Coast to a 104-101 triple-overtime victory over Youngstown State on Saturday night.
YSU (0-3) scored the first six points in the third extra period to take a 97-91 lead with three minutes to play, appearing to steal the momentum for good. But the Eagles (2-1) scored 12 of the next 14 points, capped by a Julian DeBose 3-pointer and dunk on subsequent possessions, which gave them a 103-99 lead.
Matt Donlan hit a jumper for the Penguins which trimmed the lead to 103-101. Norelia hit a free throw to push the lead back to three, and Francisco Santiago’s potential game tying 3-point attempt missed with six second left to give Florida Gulf Coast the win. Cameron Morse led the Penguins with 28 points.
Morse, a sophomore, scored a career-high 28 points and four other players scored in double figures in the opener of the Hilton Garden Inn/FGCU Classic.
Along with Morse, sophomore Francisco Santiago scored a career-high 17 points while sophomore Sidney Umude posted his first career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Senior Bobby Hain and freshman Jordan Andrews each added 11 points.
Reggie Reid scored 18 points and nine assists for FGCU. Christian Terrell had 12 points with 18 rebounds and Julian DeBose scored 14 points and Rayjon Tucker added 10.
The Penguins jumped out to a six-point lead, 97-91, in the third overtime after a pair of free throws by Santiago, a layup by Morse and two more free throws by junior Donlan, who had nine points and 10 rebounds.
FGCU scored the next seven points to take a 98-97 lead with 1:19 remaining, but Morse connected on two more free throws to regain the advantage 99-98 with 58 seconds left.
DeBose buried a 3-pointer from the corner to take a 101-99 lead and, after a YSU turnover, he gave the Eagles a four-point edge 103-99 with 26 seconds left.
Donlan hit a jumper with 12 seconds left to cut the deficit to two, but Norelia split a pair of free throws to extend the FGCU lead to three, 104-101, with nine seconds left.
Santiago’s last-second 3-point attempt to tie the game was off the mark.
The loss again denied YSU coach Jerry Slocum his 700th career win.
The Penguins play Bowling Green at 4 p.m. at Alico Arena.