Wright shows might dropping YSU by 36

Staff report

Dayton

Sophomore Cameron Morse scored a game-high 18 points but the Youngstown State men’s basketball team dropped an 81-45 decision to Wright State on Saturday night at the Nutter Center.

The Penguins fall to 7-12 overall and 2-4 in the Horizon League while the Raiders improve to 10-8 overall and 4-1 in the league.

Morse connected on 6-of-14 shooting from the field and made a pair of 3-pointers, and was the only Penguin to reach double figures. It marked the 15th time this season Morse has scored in double-digits, and the seventh straight game he has scored at least 18 points.

Jordan Andrews also scored seven points for YSU, while Bryce Nickels added five points and four rebounds.

Wright State had four players in double figures led by Mark Alstork, Grant Bendzinger and Michael Karena each with 13 points and JT Yoho with 12.

The Raiders scored the first six points of the game and never trailed.

A layup by Morse got the Penguins within three, 9-6, before a 17-5 run by the Raiders over a seven-minute span expanded the lead to 15, 26-11, with 8:05 to go.

Twice the Penguins trimmed the deficit to eight points, the last coming at 28-20 with 3:58 left, but Wright State closed out the half scoring 15 of the next 21 points to take a 43-26 lead into the lockerroom.

For the game, the Penguins shot 28.8 percent from the field and committed 19 turnovers.

The Penguins host Valparaiso, Monday, Jan. 18. Tipoff is slated for 7:05 p.m. at the Beeghly Center.

After winning at Oakland on Jan. 4, YSU has lost three of four games. Milwaukee downed the Penguins on Jan. 7 and — after a win against Green Bay on Jan. 9 — they also fell to Northern Kentucky on Thursday (84-64) before falling to Wright State.

After hosting Valparaiso, YSU heads back to the road for its next three games before returning home for four straight to begin February.