Now I know it’s been a few weeks since I’ve talked about Youngstown State men’s Basketball. Don’t you worry, though, I’m back and better than ever.
Let’s start with last week
It was so disappointing to see YSU (7-5, 3-5 Horizon League) lose to a previously winless UW-Green Bay (3-9, 3-5 HL).
It seems as if the story keeps being written all the same. Youngstown State just can’t seem to get any momentum going when it needs to the most. Despite that, YSU has won both first games of its last two series. But, the Penguins not only lost the second games of both series but gave GB its first win and got dominated by Wright State (8-3, 6-2 HL) in embarrassing fashion.
Bohannon’s brilliance
YSU rode the coattails of Naz Bohannon and he led it where it wanted to go in the Green Bay series. Behind a 32-point, 12-rebound performance, the Penguins won 84-77. Garrett Covington, Darius Quisenberry and Shemar Rathan-Mayes all scored in double figures in the win.
Defense was the main show in this game outside of Bohannon. YSU held UWGB to just 41 percent shooting and outrebounded it, 41-30.
Off the bench, Geoff Hamperian and Myles Hunter combined for 16 points and 11 rebounds to help pace the second unit.
After a game two loss to Green Bay, 79-69. YSU shot 27.8 percent from three and just 52.6 percent from the free throw line.
Quick League intermission
Immediately after the Green Bay series, YSU hosted NAIA Carlow University out of the Pittsburgh area. This was nothing more than a preseason game in the regular season. The Penguins didn’t get the young guys a ton of play before league play and needed something.
The game featured none of the usual starters as William Dunn led YSU with 21 points.
Bohannon continues his brilliant season
YSU then traveled to Southwest Ohio to take on Wright State. The Raiders (8-3, 6-2 HL) were the consensus number one team in the conference to start the season. WSU has lived up to that billing so far.
The first game was something that showed incredible grit and determination out of the Penguins. Without point guard Darius Quisenberry, YSU was short-handed but that didn’t bother it.
The game was nationally televised on ESPN2 and YSU didn’t disappoint. Naz Bohannon didn’t either.
Yet again, Bohannon was great. With 28 points and eight rebounds, it was one of his two assists that was the most important part of the game.
Tied at 72 with about 10 seconds remaining, Bohannon got the ball at the top of the key looking as if he’s going to take a long two. Garrett Covington found space behind the Raiders defense as leaked from the right corner to the hoop as Bohannon found him for the game-winning layup.
It’s in those moments that Bohannon shows he’s not just a guy that can rebound and score. He’s a guy who came to Youngstown to win games and try and win this conference.
Game 2 was fake…. Well not really
Game two didn’t actually happen folks. Whatever score you saw, wasn’t real. People say Wright State wob 93-55 in the second game of the series but that didn’t happen. No, I only kid around. It was real and it was an ass kicking.
No better way to put it than that. It didn’t really matter though as the Penguins showed it can compete with the best of this conference even without full health.
The only bright spots were Alex Vargo with a career-high 16 points and Myles Hunter with a career-high 13 points off the bench.
MOVING ON
Next on the schedule is the Oakland Golden Grizzlies (3-12, 3-5 HL). The Penguins will have to have its best game because Oakland has always played YSU tough all these years.
Last year, YSU won both matchups with the Golden Grizzlies. Another sweep of Oakland would put YSU back at .500 in the league and could get the Penguins back on track.
