By Marissa Masano / The Jambar
The Youngstown State University men’s basketball team returned home after sweeping both Michigan teams on its latest road trip.
At home, the Penguins defeated Purdue University Fort Wayne on Feb. 12, 93-71. The team picked up another victory on the road against Cleveland State University on Feb.16.
Fifth-year senior Nico Galette led the Penguins with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Juniors Juwan Maxey, Jason Nelson and Cris Carroll all reached double figures.
Sophomore Gabe Dynes recorded six blocks and, as of Feb. 20, leads the nation in total blocks with 84, averaging over three blocks per game.
Purdue Fort Wayne entered the game ranked No. 18 in the country in scoring offense, averaging 83.3 points per game. The Penguins limited the Mastodons’ as they scored the third-lowest point total in conference play with 71 points.
Youngstown State also held Mastodons junior Jalen Jackson to eight points. He entered the game averaging 21.2 points in conference play and ranked top 30 in the nation, as well as the Horizon Leagues top scorer.
In the first half, Purdue Fort Wayne saw its lead grow to 11 points and connected on five three-pointers in the first eight attempts.
With 9:46 on the clock, the Penguins went on the offensive, launching a 10-2 run with Carroll and Maxey connecting from beyond the arc. Redshirt sophomore David Wilkerson tied the score at 28 with a three-point play.
The team took a 42-40 lead into halftime and started the second half with a 16-4 run. The Penguins secured their first double-digit lead with a Maxey jumper, and a Dynes dunk extended the score to 60-49.
Fifth-year senior Siem Uijtendaal knocked down two three-pointers in a 27-second span to put YSU up 78-58. The Penguins outscored Purdue Fort Wayne in the second half to grab their 11th Horizon League victory.
After the game, Nelson spoke about the importance of February and the back half of the regular season.
“We gave up a lot of games at home. We let a couple of teams come in here and get us. So that mentality to defend home court and not let somebody come in here and beat you—that was just our mentality coming in and our mentality going forward too,” Nelson said.
The Penguins traveled to and defeated Cleveland State on Feb. 16. Galette scored a game-high 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds, en route to a 68-60 victory.
Nelson and fifth-year senior Ty Harper each scored 11 points, while Maxey and senior EJ Farmer finished in double figures.
YSU closed out the first half on a 14-5 run, sparked by three-pointers from Farmer and Maxey.
In the second half, the Penguins never trailed and led by 13 points with 11 minutes remaining. The Vikings began to chip away at the deficit, getting within two points on multiple occasions. However, Galette made four free throws to seal the victory.
The win marks the Penguins’ fourth consecutive victory, improving their record to 12-5 in Horizon League play.
Up next, the team hosts the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee tomorrow. Tipoff is set for 9 p.m. and will be televised on ESPNU.
