NKU posts 82-74 win at Youngstown State, gains sole possession of first place in Horizon League

NKyTribune staff

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — Despite what the oddsmakers and other supposed college basketball experts believed, Youngstown State winning at home on Saturday seemed like a distinct possibility.

Forget the fact the Penguins were nearly double-digit underdogs to visiting Northern Kentucky University. Disregard the 0-3 record at home against Horizon League teams that Youngstown State owned going into Saturday. Regardless of what the numbers said, motivation and desperation often supersedes statistical trends.

Drew McDonald and NKU, though, had other ideas.

McDonald poured in 15 of his 23 points in the second half as NKU cruised to an 82-74 win over Youngstown State in the Beeghly Center. Jalen Tate and Tyler Sharpe each added 13 points as the Norse improved to 16-4 overall, 6-1 in the Horizon League.

NKU also gained sole possession of first place in the Horizon League standings when Oakland knocked off co-leader Detroit Mercy by a 79-73 score on Saturday.

Tate scored 11 points in the first half as NKU built a 38-34 lead, while Sharpe added 10 points before intermission. Zaynah Robinson netted eight of his nine points in the second half — including a pair of 3-pointers — as the Norse defeated the Penguins for the fourth consecutive time.

Donel Cathcart III scored 16 points to lead Youngstown State, which dropped to 6-15 overall, 2-6 in the Horizon League. NKU held freshman guard Darius Quisenberry — Youngstown State’s leading scorer at 12.7 points per game — to 3-for-10 shooting from the field and 10 points.

NKU shot 50.9 percent from the field and dominated the boards, finishing with a 36-24 advantage in rebounds. McDonald grabbed seven rebounds to lead NKU, while freshman Adrian Nelson came off the bench and hauled in six boards.

“Adrian Nelson gave us great energy with his play,” NKU head coach John Brannen said. “He’s going to be a really good player. I thought we did a great job of extending the lead in the second half when Jalen (Tate) had to leave the game, and this is a deep Youngstown State team that plays extremely hard.”

In the second half, NKU shot a blistering 14-for-23 from the field (60.9 percent) and outscored the Penguins 28-19 during the final 11 minutes to pull out the win. Youngstown State had taken a brief 55-54 advantage, but McDonald countered with a basket to spark a 6-0 run and NKU led the remainder of the game.

Robinson’s 3-pointer with 5:04 remaining capped a 19-6 run and gave NKU a 73-61 cushion, and the Norse sealed the win with late free throws. Dantez Walton dished out a team-leading four assists and grabbed five rebounds for NKU, while Sharpe added five rebounds and two assists.

Antwan Maxwell Jr. finished with 13 points for Youngstown State, which still holds a 9-8 lead in the all-time series with NKU. The Norse are 6-3 against the Penguins since making the move to Division I.

NKU plays host to Green Bay at 7 p.m. Thursday at BB&T Arena.

(Information compiled from NKU Athletics Communications and staff reports)