Cash is clutch for YSU in final seconds


January 3, 2016 at 12:05a.m.

Women overcome 15-point deficit

Staff report

Detroit

Sarah Cash made two go-ahead free throws with five seconds remaining, and the Youngstown State women’s basketball team rallied from a 15-point deficit to beat Detroit 72-70 on Saturday at Calihan Hall.

Cash scored 18 of her game and career-high 24 points in the second half as YSU improved to 11-2 overall and 2-0 in Horizon League play. Detroit dropped its Horizon League opener and fell to 4-8.

Cash also had nine rebounds, two blocks, an assist and a steal.

Youngstown State trailed 39-27 at halftime and 44-29 a minute into the third quarter. The Penguins closed that frame on a 7-2 spurt, and they outscored the Titans 24-13 in the fourth quarter.

Indiya Benjamin scored 17 points and made five of YSU’s eight 3-pointers, and Janae Jackson scored a career-best 14 points with seven rebounds.

Brianne Cohen scored 19 points to lead Detroit.

Youngstown State started the fourth quarter on a 12-2 run to go up 60-59 with 4:39 left. The Penguins led until Cohen made two free throws with 36.7 seconds remaining to give the Titans a 68-67 edge.

Benjamin answered with a 3 to put YSU up 70-68, and Brittney Jackson tied the game on a runner with 8.4 seconds left. YSU called timeout to advance the ball, and Cash was fouled after a sideline out-of-bounds feed from Nikki Arbanas. The sophomore forward made both attempts, and Rosanna Reynolds’ desperation attempt from near midcourt missed at the horn.

Youngstown State led 4-0 and 7-3 before Detroit went on a 7-2 run to go up 10-9 on Haleigh Ristovski’s second 3-pointer in the first five minutes.

Janae Jackson’s third field goal of the period came on YSU’s next possession as the Penguins regained an 11-10 lead, and an Arbanas jumper gave YSU a 13-12 advantage with 3:26 left. That was the Penguins’ final lead until the fourth quarter.

A 3-pointer by Reynolds gave the Titans their largest lead of the game at the 9:04 mark of the third quarter, but YSU scored the next five points to keep the game from getting away.