YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio. – Oakland University Men's Basketball dropped it's third-straight Horizon League loss to Youngstown State University on the road at the Beeghly Center 78-71 on Wednesday night. 

Just like Dayton, Trey Townsend kicked things off for Oakland as the Penguins sank an early three to start the game as the Oxford native rattled in his first attempt. After another early YSU layup, Jamal Cain's hook shot kept the Golden Grizzlies within striking distance with just under 17 minutes to go in the half.

Cain was fouled on the way to the rim as the game was dismissed to the first media timeout. The grad senior completed the free throw to lead the Oakland scorers with five as the game got underway further. 

Townsend continued to pound the lock down low drawing the foul on a jumper in the paint as Oakland found itself down by one after the made free throw at 20-19 with 10:10 to go. 

Micah Parrish' triple with just under six left tied things up at 26 before a short jumper by YSU went in from the free throw line lifted the Penguins up once more. Parrish then subsequently made two free throws to tie things up once more with 5:15 to go in the half.

Jalen Moore then gave Oakland the lead off a fastbreak layup, just barely beating the Penguin defender's swat as it hit the glass with Oakland up 30-28 at the last media timeout of the half. YSU then retook the lead with three minutes to go as the home team found itself up by six at 37-31 with 20 seconds to go.

With the game at 37-31 at the half, Parrish led Oakland scorers with eight with three rebounds while Cain followed behind with seven points and four rebounds. The Golden Grizzlies were 11-30 (36.7%) from the field, going 2 of 13 (15.4%) from deep.

Oakland outrebounded Youngstown State in the first frame 20-19 but had eight turnovers to their credit as YSU capitalized with six points off those mishaps. 

Parrish's single free throw started the next half as the Penguins went out on a 5-0 run as Cain's mid-range jumper halted the onslaught. Oakland then fired off to a 6-2 run their own behind Moore's rocket pass inside to Cain underneath the rim that finished with a two-hand slam. 
 

*spits out drink*@lil_jmoore34 to @jamalcain24 #DefendTheDen pic.twitter.com/HA0ehwld0k

— Oakland Basketball (@OaklandMBB) February 10, 2022

With the game at 44-39 with under 16 minutes to go in the game, Osei Price picked up a YSU loose ball and sailed it to the other end of the court to pull Oakland back within three as fifteen minutes approached. 

Cain knocked down two free throws coming out of the under twelve media timeout as Oakland still found itself down 53-51. Blake Lampman drained a shot from deep as OU continued to claw into the Penguins' lead with 7:40 remaining at 61-58. 

Scoring for Oakland stalled at the last media timeout of the game with 3:53 left as the Golden Grizzlies looked up at the video board down 69-63. Oakland did call timeout with exactly two minutes to go following Moore's bank off the glass down by six as things got tense for the OU faithful.

Cain's put-back off Moore's miss forced a Youngstown timeout with 1:21 to go as the Golden Grizzlies found themselves down by four before a single Penguins free throw extended the lead to five. Townsend went to the free throw line, knocking down both, as Youngstown continued to step on the gas with Oakland on the losing end when the buzzer went off at the Beeghly Center.

Cain secured his 12th double-double performance of the year with 20 points nad 11 rebounds while Moore was just behind with 19 points and nine assists. From the field, OU shot 41.8% (23-55) while being held to just 5-23 (21.7%) from deep. 

Youngstown State ended up out-rebounding Oakland in the end 37-34 while the Golden Grizzlies mishandled 14 turnovers. 

The win for the Penguins breaks a five-game winning streak Oakland previously held as the Golden Grizzlies are now 2-5 when behind at the half, 5-6 in the all black uniforms. This three-game skid is the longest of the season for OU.

The Golden Grizzlies will finish its regular season road swing with Robert Morris University in Moon Township, Pennsylvania on Friday, February 11 at 7:00 p.m. at the UMPC Events Center. 


 

pic.twitter.com/hobtcKiZf1

— Oakland Basketball (@OaklandMBB) February 10, 2022