Penguins fend off Akron, 57-55
YOUNGSTOWN — On the night spectators returned to the Beeghly Center for the first time in 631 days, those very fans made sure to help make a difference.
With Youngstown State clinging to a 57-55 lead as time was winding down, forward Paige Shy was whistled for a block call, sending Akron’s Layne Ferrell to the line with a chance to tie the game with 2 seconds to go.
As she stepped to the charity stripe, the fans behind the basket, comprised mostly of YSU men’s basketball players, brought the 1,329 in attendance at the Beeghly Center to a roar. Ferrell missed both shots, and Shy collected the defensive rebound and subsequently was fouled.
On the other end, she missed her first attempt before intentionally missing a second, and a final heave from the Zips went well short of the basket, giving YSU its second win over a MAC school to open the season, 57-55.
“That was a lot of pressure for (Ferrell) to hit those free throws. Definitely those boys standing up there to try and make her miss, I think helped a lot,” YSU guard Malia Magestro said. “Just having that atmosphere — we’re so grateful to have such an amazing fan base and really looking forward to continuing that the whole season.”
Head coach John Barnes added, “What a great crowd. Great student section, lots of fans from a lot of different places, and they were really loud and really into it. It felt like they were just willing our team to the win, and that’s what we’ve been missing for (631) days.”
For her part, Magestro scored a career-high 16 points, 13 of which came after halftime. The sophomore connected on 4 of 6 shots from beyond the arc, and added a 4-for-6 night at the stripe.
Magestro was one of three Penguins to sink 3-pointers after Akron had rallied from a 7-point deficit to tie the game at 46 with 5:09 to play. Chelsea Olson hit the first of those triples, followed by Magestro and then Megan Callahan, as YSU pushed its lead out to 55-49.
The Penguins (2-0) never surrendered that lead the rest of the way, though it wasn’t without some drama. Shy and Lexi Wagner each had opportunities to push YSU’s advantage to two scores with trips to the line, but both missed each of their shots. However, staunch defense at the other end of the court helped make the difference in the end. YSU finished 10-for-18 at the stripe, and went just 2-for-8 on its final four trips to the line.
Guard Mady Aulbach said the team wasn’t panicking even as the shots weren’t falling.
“When you miss a free throw like that at the end of the game, you can’t dwell on it,” she said. “You just have to be like, ‘We got to get the stop.’ At the end of the day, we can only control what we can control. … We know everyone on our team is capable of shooting free throws, so it’s not something that’s going to be common.”
Aulbach had a stellar night, using drives to the basket to either create for herself or open up 3-pointers for teammates. The junior guard scored nine points, pulled down six rebounds and added four assists, all of which were on Magestro’s triples.
In the second quarter she kick-started YSU’s offense to end the half, as she sank a layup and then hit Magestro for an open three to push YSU ahead 24-23 at the break.
Then, after a 7-0 Akron (2-1) run in the third quarter, she converted an and-1 to help steal momentum back for YSU and right the ship.
Of her drives, Aulbach said, “When we were watching (Akron on film), I was like, ‘Guys, we have to drive every time. They don’t like the penetration.’ … I think once we started attacking a little bit, we all feed off of that. So when I started attacking, then Malia started hitting better shots because it takes some pressure off the shooter. I think all in all when we attack, it’s better.”
Offense was hard to come by early, as YSU shot just 3-of-14 (21.4 percent) from the field to begin the game and then in the fourth shot for 23.5 percent. But a stingy defense helped keep the Penguins in striking distance.
Shy provided some key points early, scoring five of her six points in the first quarter. But even after she went cold from the field, she provided 11 rebounds, including five on the offensive end.
Meanwhile, forward Lilly Ritz supplied 10 points and 10 boards for a double-double.
Of his defense, Barnes commented, “We held them to 32 percent from the field and 19 percent from three, so that’s a heck of a defensive night. We talk a lot about, you know, you’re not going to be lights out every night shooting the basketball, so on those nights that you’re not shooting it really well, how you’re going to get the win. That’s just toughness and physical play.”
Akron was once again paced by Jordyn Dawson, who scored 19 points. She’s led the Zips in scoring in each of their three contests. She also grabbed 12 rebounds and assisted on five baskets, but YSU forced her into six turnovers.
The Penguins now turn their attention to some early-season Horizon League contests. YSU travels to the Detroit area to end the week with a Thursday contest at Oakland and then a Saturday matchup with Detroit Mercy. They’ll be home again on Nov. 26 against Long Island.
“Ultimately, we’re trying to win a Horizon League championship, and it’s going to be tough,” Barnes said of beginning league play. “We have to keep working on getting better every day and taking care of the little things. … In terms of YSU, just focus on who we are, getting better and taking it one game at a time.”
jwhetzel@tribtoday.com