Youngstown State grinds out 72-67 win over Detroit Mercy
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YOUNGSTOWN -- After a step forward Thursday, Youngstown State nearly took multiple steps back Saturday.
For three quarters and some change, Horizon League bottom dweller Detroit Mercy took the Penguins to task and had an upset within reach. But a huge YSU run early in the fourth ultimately made the difference, as the Penguins fended off the visiting Titans, 72-67.
"I thought (Detroit Mercy is) playing much better than they were at the beginning of the season. ... So give them a lot of credit. I thought we were just off today, and maybe that was their defense, but we just didn't have the same fire that we did on Thursday," said YSU coach John Barnes. "I was a little worried about this because everybody played an outstanding game on Thursday, so I was a little bit worried about not playing our best. But I thought we showed a lot of toughness and heart to come back and hold on."
The teams battled to a 50-50 tie through three quarters, and then Detroit Mercy (4-21, 2-14 Horizon League) took a slim 52-50 lead on a second-chance layup by Irene Murua.
That was the Titans' last advantage, as the Penguins (18-7, 12-4 Horizon League) responded with a 12-0 run to take a 62-52 lead, which it never relinquished.
Megan Callahan kicked it off with an and-1 after drawing a foul on a layup, and then Paige Shy followed with a 3-pointer. Lilly Ritz tacked on a short jumpshot and later a free throw, and then Malia Magestro capped the run with a 3-pointer of her own.
Shy had two steals, a rebound and an assist in that span, as well.
"It brings a lot of energy," Callahan said of Shy's efforts. "That just pushes all of us (to play with) a lot of energy."
The 10-point lead was the largest either team amassed in the game, but the Titans made one final push and got back to within one, 66-65, with 1:00 to play. But the Penguins hit their free throws as UDM was forced to foul late and YSU ultimately put the game away.
Ritz scored 16 of her game-high 26 points after halftime and had 12 rebounds, while Callahan added 16 points. Shy finished with 12 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals. Ritz was 7-for-9 from the field in the second half.
None of that came easy, however. Detroit Mercy forced 11 turnovers and frequently put YSU in scoring droughts, but the Titans couldn't land a haymaking run of their own. Still, the Penguins managed a decent 25-for-63 day from the field and 7-for-23 performance from 3-point range.
"Nothing we were running was really working," Barnes said. "Every time down, it seemed like we were just trying to manufacture a basket. So we just got enough, went on that run that gave us enough of a cushion, and then got some big stops toward the end and found a way to get it done."
Indeed, while it was a tough day overall for the YSU defense, the Penguins did manage to get stops in the game's tightest moments and also scored 17 points off of 17 Titan turnovers.
Detroit Mercy, however, sank 24 of its 56 shots (42.9 percent) and went 6-for-16 from deep. Murua had 10 points and 13 rebounds, while Emma Trawally Porta went 8-for-11 for 21 points and added seven rebounds. Imani McNeal scored 17 points.
"Defensively, we didn't play very well today," Barnes acknowledged. "I thought we played really well on Thursday, and today we just didn't play great. I think our defense is what's going to get us through. ... We just really have to buckle down defensively. I think we let them do some things early that kept them going."
The Penguins continue their season Friday against Milwaukee.
jwhetzel@tribtoday.com