Penguins fend off Southern, 85-81
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YOUNGSTOWN -- Facing one of the hardest-playing teams on its schedule, Youngstown State answered the bell with intensity of its own.
After allowing Southern to shoot the lights out of the Beeghly Center in the first half, the Penguin defense clamped down for most of the second as YSU erased a seven-point halftime deficit to win 85-81 Friday night.
The Jaguars (4-7) surged out to a 42-35 lead at the intermission, courtesy of an 18-for-32 performance from the floor. But in the second half, YSU (8-4) ramped up the intensity defensively, holding their guests to a 12-for-31 second half.
"We just made (our players) watch the clips (of Southern scoring)," YSU coach Jerrod Calhoun said. "We told them, 'Just watch yourself. You're giving up layups in transition, you're not guarding the ball, we're not helping each other.'
"This team has to survive, and it has to stand for something, and that's a level of toughness, whether that's on offense or defense. And they responded from the minute the ball was inbounded in that second half. We were locked in, and I'm really proud of their effort."
Youngstown State began the second half with a quick 8-0 run out of the gates to retake a 43-42 lead, and then later went on a 12-0 spurt to go up 59-47.
Myles Hunter hit a jumper to begin the run, and then Dwayne Cohill sank a pair of free throws. Hunter hit another short jumper, Cohill scored on a fast break layup and then added another jumper to make it 55-47. He converted an and-1 and then drilled a 3-pointer to cap the rally.
Against Southern's full-court press and frenetic style of play, Cohill finished with a game-high 26 points and added six assists and five rebounds. Hunter added six points and two assists in 16:33 of action.
Calhoun said of Cohill, "You have to have a guard in that type of game that can do a little bit of everything -- handle the full-court pressure, make plays in the half court, make plays with the basketball in those moments."
Southern didn't go quietly, however. The Jaguars rallied back to within eight points a handful of times down the stretch, and then, fueled by late Penguin turnovers, made one last push at the end to draw to within four by game's end.
YSU committed 17 giveaways in the win, though Southern was forcing just under 20 per game coming into the contest.
"It's frustrating. We're not a great passing team. We're just not," Calhoun said. "We're a great transition team. It's something we talk about; we know we have to fix it."
Tempers flared toward the end. Southern coach Sean Woods was assessed a pair of second half technicals, the latter coming with 35.8 seconds to go in the game and resulting in his ejection. With 13 seconds to go, Malek Green and Bryson Etienne were assessed matching technicals after exchanging pleasantries under the basket.
Bryce McBride had a strong night, posting eight points and three assists, but making the biggest impact defensively. Brandon Rush scored 14 points, Green had 16 and Adrian Nelson had 10 points and 10 rebounds before exiting with an injury after taking a hand to his face on a rebound.
"I thought Bryce was a game-changer," Calhoun said. "His stats aren't offensively aren't going to show that, but that's being a good teammate. He played 30 minutes, and I would venture to say his man, most of the time, didn't really score the basketball."
Nelson did not return to the game.
"He looked a little bit out of it, I'm not going to lie," Calhoun said. "His eye was starting to close. He couldn't really see. ... I don't know if he took a finger or an elbow, I haven't seen that yet. I don't know what it was, but it closed up on him pretty good. So we're going to need him to rest a little bit."
The Penguins conclude their nonconference slate Wednesday at Central Michigan.
"Central Michigan is good," Calhoun said. "They're much improved (from last season). ... We'll take (Saturday) off and then get ready the next three days. It's a good opponent."
jwhetzel@tribtoday.com