Penguins fend off Morgan State in Basketball Classic opener, 70-65
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YOUNGSTOWN -- Perhaps to head coach Jerrod Calhoun's chagrin, Youngstown State took the phrase "survive and advance" to heart.
Still, the Penguins did manage their first postseason win since 2013, a 70-65 win over Morgan State in the opening round of The Basketball Classic, the replacement tournament to the CIT. Youngstown State's last postseason victory came in the 2012-13 CIT, a 99-87 win over Oakland. The Penguins were invited to the 2019-20 CIT, but the tournament was canceled.
"After the game, (senior forward Michael Akuchie) gave me a big hug and said, 'Coach, that was a really ugly one,'" Calhoun said. "And I said, 'You know what? We won, Mike.' I mean, that's the fun part. This group has never played in the postseason. ... So you have to take the step. It's part of the building process."
YSU (19-14) took a commanding 40-25 lead into halftime, but found itself in a fight for its life after the intermission.
Fueled by Penguin turnovers and missed shots, Morgan State (13-15) clawed its way back gradually as the second half wore on. With 3:24 to go, it was just a two-point game, a 61-59 YSU advantage.
But, led by Dwayne Cohill, the Penguins stabilized. Cohill scored seven of the Penguins' final nine points, five of which came at the charity stripe with under 25 seconds to play. Using a combination of sharpshooting and quick drives to the basket, he finished with a game-high 28 points and garnered game MVP honors.
"He's really athletic; he's really smart," Calhoun said of his star guard. "He understands the game, and he's one of the best pick-and-roll players I've seen. His burst from endline to endline just got so much better. He's confident with the ball. He's a good passer, very rarely forces bad shots. He's an efficient player."
As he returned to the line time and time again in the most critical moments, Cohill continually was smiling. He finished 9-of-10 at the stripe.
"I feel no pressure," Cohill said after the game. "I just go out there, and it's the same if 20 minutes are on the clock or if two seconds are on the clock. I'm going to just go out there and shoot like I don't even care."
Tevin Olison and Akuchie also scored in double figures, as Olison scored 12 and Akuchie added 11. Akuchie also nabbed eight rebounds.
Olison started quickly, scoring YSU's first five points to help fuel an early 11-2 lead. The Penguins never trailed in the win.
For as well as the first half went, though, the second half was a rollercoaster. The Penguins shot just 8-of-26 from the field and an abysmal 1-for-9 from 3-point range, and also gave up eight turnovers which led to 13 MSU points at the other end.
It also allowed the Bears to get their transition game in gear, as MSU scored 12 of its 15 fast-break points after halftime.
"They're a team that thrives off transition, so one of our keys to the game was trying to keep them out of transition and secure the ball," Cohill said. "We had a lot of turnovers, and they got out (in transition) and I think that's what helped them get back in again."
Malik Miller paced the Bears with 19 points, while Chad Venning added 13. MSU shot 25-of-63 from the field, but connected on none of its 10 attempts from 3-point range.
Of Miller's 19 points, 13 came after halftime.
"I thought we struggled with everything (after halftime)," Calhoun said. "The whole second half was just very erratic, and they really started ramping up their pressure and making us play fast. And then we didn't score. ... (Morgan State is) very good defensively, but we just couldn't put the ball in the basket, and I think that started a lot of our issues."
Nevertheless, the Penguins are advancing to the second round of The Basketball Classic. Their opponent, game location, date and time will be announced at a later date, as the tournament reconfigures after each round.
Another win would tie the program's record for most wins in a season since joining the Division I ranks, and the 19th win the Penguins earned Wednesday is the most they've had since joining the Horizon League in the 2001-2002 season.
"It'd be really neat," Calhoun said of potentially tying the record. "And then you get to keep advancing and playing basketball."
jwhetzel@tribtoday.com