By Zach Flesch / The Jambar
A stretch of four games in just two weeks proved difficult to navigate, as missed opportunities and late-game struggles contributed to a 1-3 record for the Youngstown State University men’s basketball team.
The stretch began Jan. 15 at Wright State University, where the Penguins fell 93-83 despite five players scoring in double figures. Leading the way for the Raiders was sophomore TJ Burch with 24 points and freshman Kellen Pickett with 18 points. For the Penguins, Senior Bryson Dawkins led the way for the Penguins with 19 points, and senior Vlad Salaridze added a season-high 17 points and seven rebounds.
The following game saw a close 80 to 78 loss for Youngstown State Jan. 17 at Cleveland State University. Sophomore Dayan Nessah led the way for the Vikings with 26 points, while going 15-for-21 from the free-throw line. Senior Cris Carroll recorded his first double-double of the season with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Dawkins and senior Jason Nelson, junior Rich Rolf and Salaridze also reached double figures.
Following the tight loss, Head Coach Ethan Faulkner said his team’s lack of success is all self-inflicting.
“Most of the reason why we haven’t been able to get over the hump on winning is our own doing,” Faulkner said.
The Penguins returned home to open a three-game homestand and earned a 88-81 victory over the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Carroll set a career high with 34 points, connecting on eight 3-pointers, while Dawkins and Rolf added 15 points apiece. The Penguins dominated from long range, finishing 16-for-36 on 3-pointers and used a 19-7 run in the second half to break open the game.
After his career night, Carroll said he agreed with the team on what they needed to end the game.
“We all talked in the locker room and knew we had to finish this game,” Carroll said.
The Penguin’s homestand concluded with another defeat, as the Penguins fell in a one-point loss against the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 65-64. Carroll led the team again with 19 points, and Rolf contributed 14, including 11% in the second half. The Penguins led late in the game, but a last-second layup by Milwaukee freshman Stevie Elam secured the win for the Panthers.
In a post-game interview, Faulkner said his team’s offensive struggles were the reason the team lost.
“We have to take better care of the basketball, and we did not play well offensively. They scored 21 points off our turnovers, and that’s hard to overcome,” Faulkner said.
After this stretch, the Penguins stand at 10-12 overall and 3-8 in Horizon League play.
Youngstown State will look to rebound as they continue their homestand against Indiana University Indianapolis at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 30 inside Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center.