So was the final score, Youngstown State University 72, Point Park 52.

It was the first win for the YSU men’s basketball team and first game of the season, opening play at the friendly confines of the Beeghly Center on Wednesday night.

The Penguins had a different look as junior point guard Darius Quisenberry, a first-team All-Horizon League preseason selection, and senior forward Naz Bohannon, a second-team selection, were in street clothes. Senior forward Jamir Thomas and graduate transfer guard Greyson Kelley sat out as well.

When would they return?

Correspondent photo / Robert Hayes -- The Penguins prepare their first mass substitution early in the first half against Point Park on Wednesday night at the Beeghly Center.

“Two of them will be back really soon (Quisenberry and Bohannon),” YSU Jerrod Calhoun said. “We’re waiting on the other two.”

Familiar faces in the starting lineup included seniors Michael Akuchie and Garrett Covington, along with senior guard Christian Bentley. Freshmen guard Shemar Rathan-Mayes and forward Will Dunn rounded out the starting five.

Rathan-Mayes led the Penguins with 17 points, while Akuchie had 13 and Covington put in 11.

R.J. Fairrow led Point Park (0-4), located in Pittsburgh, with 10 points.

YSU freshman guard Alex Vargo even added nine to Wednesday’s effort.

Correspondent photo / Robert Hayes -- YSU senior Michael Akuchie (right) blocks a shot before taking the ball back for a dunk during the first half.

“Tonight was good for so many young kids to get extended minutes, to play the game for the first time,” Calhoun said. “When you don’t have two of the better players in the Horizon League, in my opinion, you’re going to look different.

“In the end, we win from this experience. Those two kids will be back.”

It was a struggle, especially the first 20 minutes. The last time YSU played a game was 279 days ago in Chicago against UIC in a Horizon League quarterfinal game on March 5. There were no scrimmages, nothing against another team for that long stretch. Add to that was a quarantine situation for most of November due to positive COVID-19 tests, pausing team activities.

Point Park led most of the first half until Kenny Ganley Jr.’s 3-pointer with 6:18 before intermission gave YSU its first lead at 16-13.

Point Park shot 40 percent from the field and 42 percent from beyond the 3-point arc in the first half. YSU struggled to shoot 30 percent from the floor and 14 percent from 3.

YSU started to recover in the second half, starting on a 17-4 run. Vargo’s jumper with 13:38 left gave the Penguins a 43-29 lead.

YSU shot 15-of-40 from the floor and 6-of-14 from 3 in the second half. The Penguins improved from the foul line, shooting 6-of-11 in the first half and 10-of-15 in the final 20 minutes.

“I think they got more comfortable,” Calhoun said. “At first, everything was rushed. We missed so many open shots in the first half. We were missing 3s, free throws. Once the ball went through that basket, things got a little easier for guys. We’ve been in quarantine for 21 days and practiced six or seven times. To go out and try to do something you’re not used to doing, it’s really, really difficult.

“The talent of our freshmen, Kenny Ganley, Alex Vargo, Shemar, Cheick (Traore), Myles (Hunter). These guys are going to be real players. You bring the other two guys (Quisenberry and Bohannon) back in the fold, we’ve got some real depth.”

Where do the Penguins go after this game? YSU has its Horizon League opener scheduled Dec. 19-20 at Northern Kentucky, but the Penguins want to see if they can get some non-conference games in before the trip to the Cincinnati metro area.

Calhoun and his staff were busy in their offices following Wednesday’s game, trying to schedule anything in the coming days and following week. He did say in his postgame news conference a potential game next week with Canisius is off.

Wednesday’s was supposed to pit Bluefield College against YSU, but Bluefield could not make the trip to Youngstown. Enter Point Park.

“It’s the wildest thing I’ve seen,” Calhoun said. “Conference play can’t get here fast enough. One minute we’re going to Florida. One minute we’re going to Texas. One minute we’re going to Arkansas. Our goal is to try to get three to four basketball games played before the 19th.

“What makes sense for our team, we’ve got to try to figure that out. We’ll know (this morning). I think we’ll take a road trip. We’ll get a good practice in (today and Friday) and fly out Friday night and play somewhere Sunday and Monday. Then, we’ll come back and have three or four days of practice to get ready for NKU on the 19th.”

Getting practices at this point, especially since YSU had extended time away from each other and the court, is vital for this team. Playing a game against another opponent is what this collective YSU group needed at this time.

“I think in the long run we’ll be good,” Calhoun said. “Our conditioning will be better and better. Right now, we’re trying to get our legs under us.”