Penguins win 2-OT thriller
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YOUNGSTOWN -- Francisco Santiago saw the opening, one of many he had that night.
The 6-foot-1 junior point guard grabbed the rebound off of the missed 3-pointer from Milwaukee's August Haas.
Eight seconds left in regulation, down by three.
Santiago looked up the court for his backcourt teammate, junior Cameron Morse. The 6-2 shooting guard is a first-team, all-Horizon League player and the league's second-leading scorer behind Valparaiso's Alec Peters.
The ball was heading into Morse's hands during Thursday's double-overtime YSU victory at Beeghly Center, 88-87.
"I see the best scorer in the league, the best scorer in the country, in my opinion," said Santiago, who had 14 points, 10 rebounds and zero turnovers. "I let him go to work and I'll live and die with him, taking any shot at any time of the game.
"Once I jumped up to get it, I see where he was at. I wanted to make sure nobody was in front of him to steal it, and then do what he does."
Morse dribbled past the half-court stripe and headed for the top of the 3-point arc. He shot the ball with 2.4 seconds left.
"I know games like I have to come up big," Morse said. "My teammates told me to go take over. That's my job. I feel confident."
He had no doubts when the ball swished through the net with 0.2 seconds remaining, tying the game at 72 – forcing overtime.
"Honestly I did," said Morse, who had a game-high 33 points. "I said, 'cash.'"
No such luck at the end of the first overtime as Brock Stull, who had a team-high 24 points for Milwaukee (4-10, 0-1 Horizon League), hit a jumper with 6.9 seconds remaining in the first extra session to tie the game at 80.
Morse missed a potential game-winning 3 with three seconds left as the two teams went to double overtime.
The Penguins (7-7, 1-0) kept battling during both overtime sessions with some timely rebounding. Devin Haygood grabbed a Morse miss and slammed it home with 2:48 left in overtime for a 76-74 lead.
Freshman Braun Hartfield, who had 11 rebounds and three blocks off the bench, came through for YSU.
Then it was Hartfield's runner with 56 seconds left in the double overtime to lift YSU, 88-85.
Brett Prahl, who had 12 points for Milwaukee, made two free throws with five seconds left cut the Penguins lead to 88-87.
"Silent hero of the night was Braun," YSU coach Jerry Slocum said. "He just plays hard all the time. He doesn't have to make a 3 to be happy. He just battles, battles, battles and battles. His floater down the middle was huge, but his defensive blocks and defensive stops were important to us."
YSU missed a pair of free throws late in the second extra session. Morse missed a couple of free throws in the overtimes. Playing 49 minutes was not an excuse.
"I played a lot of minutes, but I have to make free throws," Morse said. "Free throws win games. I'm going to have the ball in my hands at the end of the game. I have to step up and make the free throws."
The Penguins shot 54.5 percent from the line and 5-of-11 in the overtime sessions.
"I thought we battled," Slocum said. "We had a chance to make our lives easy at the foul line, but it didn't happen. We got the win."
Thursday, the Penguins came through with timely rebounds – just like the one Santiago made at the end of regulation. He credits his teammates for his success. Both teams had 42 boards, with YSU having 12 offensive rebounds.
"As long as they're boxing out, I'm somebody whose able to read it off the rim pretty well," Santiago said. "I watch guys like Russell Westbrook, and he's the best rebounding guard ever. The way he's able to see the ball off the rim is tremendous. That's what I try to pick up.
"My teammates are giving me the opportunity to go get it because my guy is on the perimeter so I'm able to get the ball and go get it."
Milwaukee's Jeremiah Bell had 16 points, while YSU's Jorden Kaufman and Brett Frantz each had 10.
Saturday, YSU host Green Bay at 1 p.m. The Phoenix (7-6, 1-0) beat Cleveland State Thursday, 76-75.