Morse vs. Norse as YSU falls to NKU

Sophomore guard

scores 29 points as

NKU tops Penguins

Staff report

Highland Heights, Ky.

Sophomore guard Cameron Morse had another big game for the Youngstown State men’s basketball team on Thursday night.

Morse scored 29 points, but the Penguins dropped an 84-64 decision to Horizon League foe Northern Kentucky at BB&T Center.

The Penguins fall to 7-11 overall and 2-3 in the Horizon League while the Norse improve to 5-10 overall and 1-3 in the league.

Morse connected on 10 of 15 shots from the floor with a pair of 3-pointers, four rebounds and four assists. Junior Matt Donlan was the only other Penguin in double figures with 15 points. Donlan made three 3-pointers and had five rebounds.

Leading Northern Kentucky was Tyler White with 20 points and Drew McDonald with 16 points off the bench. Jalen Billups and Cole Murray added 14 and 11 points, respectively, for the Norse.

The Norse scored the first nine points of the game and never trailed the rest of the way.

An old-fashioned three-point play by Morse got the Penguins within four, 13-9, and a layup by Jorden Kaufman kept YSU within five, 20-15, with 10:37 left in the first half.

The Norse went on a 22-3 run over the next six minutes to balloon their lead to 24 points, 42-18, at the 4:36 mark.

The Penguins scored the next nine points — seven straight on a 3-pointer and pair of jumpers by Morse — to cut the lead down to 15, 42-27, but the Norse answered quickly and took an 18-point lead into the locker room at halftime, 46-28.

Donlan, who connected on 6-of-11 from the field and 3-of-5 from 3-point range, scored 13 of his 15 points in the second half.

The Penguins visit Wright State on Saturday in Dayton. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at the Nutter Center.