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Morse scores 26, but YSU falls to Detroit
Morse scores 26,
but Penguins fall
By PAUL OREN
DETROIT
Try as it may, the Youngstown State men’s basketball team just couldn’t get over the hump at the Horizon League tournament on Saturday night.
The No. 7 Penguins played from behind against No. 6 Detroit for the entire second half and every time YSU got within striking distance, the Titans would find a way to extend their lead before finishing off a 92-79 victory at Joe Louis Arena.
YSU trailed by as many as 16 points early in the second half and then cut the deficit to single digits on seven different occasions with Detroit finding an answer every time.
The loss marks the third straight year the Penguins have gone one-and-done at the Horizon League tournament and it ends Youngstown State’s season at 11-21.
“It was a disappointing night from our perspective,” YSU coach Jerry Slocum said. “We gave up 25 second-chance points and 23 points off of turnovers. You’re not going to beat a good basketball team like that. I thought we did a good job of battling back.”
The closest the Penguins got in the second half came when Brett Frantz knocked down a 3-pointer and Matt Donlan converted two free throws after being fouled on a 3-point attempt to get the deficit to 77-71 with 5:38 remaining. Detroit senior Anton Wilson immediately answered with a 3-pointer and then Jaleel Hogan scored an inside basket to push the lead back to 82-71 just over a minute later. The Penguins would never get closer than eight points again.
“It was very frustrating,” YSU sophomore Cameron Morse said. “Turnovers and second-chance points, that’s what lost us the game. If we could’ve gotten over that we could’ve won the game.”
Morse had a team-high 26 points and seven assists to lead the Penguins, but the Titans scored 25 points off 13 YSU turnovers. If it wasn’t turnovers hurting the Penguins, it was the 17 offensive rebounds and 52 points in the paint Detroit racked up throughout the night.
“We’ve got to get stops,” YSU guard Francisco Santiago said. “Not rebounding, not finishing, that’s what really killed us.”
Detroit senior Carlton Brundidge scored a career-best 28 points while Anton Wilson added 23 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Wilson, who went to high school with Morse, had averaged 26 points against the Penguins in the two regular-season meetings, including a career-high 34 points on Jan. 2 at Calihan Hall.
“We played together when I was a freshman in high school,” Morse said. “He’s a pretty good shooter. He found a way to get open shots. His team found a way to get him the ball.”
Santiago finished with 16 points and two steals while playing 39 minutes. Donlan added 12 points in 38 minutes.
Slocum talked at length after the game about the bright future surrounding the program. YSU’s lone senior is Bobby Hain and he was lost for the season after breaking his foot against Notre Dame on Dec. 21.
The Penguins were forced to play with freshmen and sophomores for much of the season. Slocum, who is in the final year of his deal, is excited about the possibility of next season’s team.
“The basketball future is really bright for us,” Slocum said. “We talked with the guys after the game that we spent a lot of time with three freshmen on the floor and we paid a heavy price for that experience. We’ve got a chance to take a next step and we’re excited about our future.”