Hampton helps YSU take down Columbia

Junior’s 32 points

are career-high

Staff and wire report

NEW YORK

Kendale Hampton scored a career-high 32 points to lead Youngstown State to a 94-83 victory over Columbia on Friday night in the Johnny Bach Classic. The win was coach Jerrod Calhoun’s first against a non-conference Division I opponent.

Hampton was 10 of 17 from the floor, made seven 3-pointers and all five of his free-throw attempts. Garrett Covington added 16 points for the Penguins (2-2). Antwan Maxwell Jr. had 12 points and Devin Morgan chipped in 10.

Mike Smith scored 31 points on 12-of-23 shooting to lead Columbia (0-2). Quinton Adlesh added 12 points.

Morgan and Hampton each scored five points with a 3-pointer during a 10-2 spurt to stretch the Penguins’ lead to 62-48, and YSU led by double digits the rest of the way.

It was just the second meeting between the schools and the first since 1982, which YSU won 55-51.

YSU trailed by as many as 11 midway through the first half and by nine, 27-18, with 9:31 to go before a 12-0 run on 3-pointers by Jelani Simmions, Hampton, Morgan and another by Simmons gave the Penguins a 30-27 lead at the 7:32 mark.

Hampton’s seventh 3-pointer gave the Penguins their largest lead of the game at 82-65 with 9:06 to play.

Columbia never got the deficit below 10 after that.

YSU faces Fordham at 3:30 p.m. today.