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Five and alive

Cathcart’s 3 lifts YSU to 5th straight; Penguins back in hunt

Special to Tribune Chronicle / Robert Hayes Youngstown State’s Darius Quisenberry, left, prepares to make a pass in the final seconds as Evan Hall of IUPUI defends. Quisenberry found Donel Cathcart III in the corner, and Cathcart hit a game-winning 3-pointer in the Penguins’ 75-73 victory.

YOUNGSTOWN — Darius Quisenberry had the ball on the right wing, opposite of the Youngstown State bench.

He began to dribble drive toward the basket, but two IUPUI players collapsed on him as he neared the hoop.

Quisenberry, whose team trailed by one with less than 10 seconds left, threw a pass to a wide-open Donel Cathcart III on the baseline. The ball swished through the net with 5.9 seconds left (didn’t this happen a week ago with Garrett Covington making a game-winning 3?).

IUPUI’s Nick Rogers drove parallel to the media table and took a leaning 3 with 0.4 seconds left. It hit the back of the rim and the final horn sounded.

The YSU men’s basketball won its fifth straight game for the first time since the 1998-99 season, the final season of the late Dan Peters, as this year’s Penguins beat the Jaguars, 75-73.

Tribune Chronicle / John Vargo Youngstown State’s Olmade Pedersen is guarded by IUPUI’s Evan Hall.

“When he drove, a couple of people collapsed on him,” Cathcart said. “I knew he would find me in the corner.

“I knew it was in when I shot it. I work on that every day.”

Quisenberry, who had 17 points with fellow freshman Jelani Simmons, thought his chance to give the Penguins (11-16, 7-7) a one-point lead wasn’t going to happen.

“I know when I drive everybody is going to suck in,” he said. “Everybody is ball watching. I drive, I know somebody is going to be open on the wing or somebody is going to be open on the back. Sometimes I drive to score, but other times in the games I find other people. That’s what I did tonight.”

Quisenberry, who won Horizon League freshman of the week for the second straight week, found Covington against Milwaukee on a buzzer-beater more than a week ago to start this four-game homestand on the same kind of play — inside-out to perfection.

Tribune Chronicle / John Vargo Youngstown State’s Noe Anabir drives toward the basket.

“I don’t think most people understand that most freshmen would go in there and try to score,” YSU coach Jerrod Calhoun said. “He drives the baseline and finds Donel exactly where Donel is supposed to be. He’s made two incredible passes.”

The win lifts YSU into a tie for fifth place in the league. The top eight make the league tournament and the top four host first-round games. YSU is tied with Oakland and Detroit Mercy, teams that the Penguins beat to start this win streak.

The Penguins are a half game out of fourth, where Green Bay resides, and a game-and-a-half from third place, where UIC currently stands.

YSU is enjoying its run up the league standings.

“They all go nuts every time we keep moving up,” Calhoun said. “They’ve really bought into team. They’ve really bought into the scouting reports. I think they’ve really bought into the city of Youngstown and rallying around our city.

“Hopefully the women get three, four thousand (fans). They deserve a huge crowd this weekend as well.”

The YSU women host Green Bay tonight at 7 p.m.

As for the men, Covington fell to the floor, looking dizzy with 3:47 remaining after a two-handed slam by Michael Akuchie, who came off the bench for 14 points. Akuchie’s bucket put YSU up 68-65.

Covington waved off an official and Calhoun, saying he was fine, but he wasn’t, collapsing across the court about 40 seconds later. He sat up and looked dazed. Covington was helped off the floor and tended to by the team’s athletic trainer Todd Burkey after the game.

“Todd said he’s doing OK,” Calhoun said. “Kids were in there seeing him after the game. We have to figure out if it’s a fluid thing or what it is. That’s our biggest concern is his health, not him as a player. Just make sure he’s OK.”

YSU’s offense wasn’t OK in the second half, going through an almost 4-minute drought as IUPUI (14-12, 6-7) cut the Penguins advantage to 59-55 with 6:52 left.

IUPUI fifth-year senior D.J. McCall kept the Jaguars in the game with a team-high 16 points.

“I think he’s one of the most improved guys in the league,” Calhoun said. “Does the league have that award? If we did, I would vote for him. He’s really good. He made some big plays down the stretch for those guys.”

YSU had its bigs, Naz Bohannon, John Sally and Akuchie, all with three fouls and Noe Anabir fouled out. It was a physical game, but YSU had to persevere. IUPUI held a 39-29 lead on rebounds.

Akuchie was instrumental in Thursday’s win, leading a 32-18 advantage in bench points. This YSU team would not be defeated.

“We knew if they punched us in the mouth, we had to make sure we responded with that,” he said.

Every time Quisenberry drove the lane, it seemed he was being battered and bruised.

“My adrenaline keeps me going that I don’t feel all the bumps and bruises on the floor.,” he said. “I finally get back up and just keep playing.”

No amount of hard play was going to deter a destined YSU team.

“We told ourselves to stay together,” Akuchie said. “If somebody makes a mistake, clap it up, don’t just holler at them. Be positive, but have a sense of urgency, which I thought we had.”

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