The Golden Grizzlies were defeated by Youngstown State at the Credit Union O’rena on Thursday, Feb. 8, 85-79.
In a thrilling showdown, this was a game that was filled with fast-paced action. Youngstown State quickly asserted its dominance, with Shay-Lee Kirby leading the charge with successful plays, giving the Penguins an early 6-0 lead at the 8:23 mark of the first quarter.
However, Oakland’s Miriam Ibezim wasn’t willing to let Youngstown State pull away easily, as she scored Oakland’s first points of the game. The Golden Grizzlies then found their rhythm, with Alexis Johnson getting hot and hitting the first two threes of the night, quickly putting up six points and getting Oakland back into contention.
Throughout the first quarter, both teams showcased their strengths, with Youngstown State capitalizing on fast break opportunities while Oakland displayed their prowess in steals. The Grizzlies had gone on a 6-0 run, thanks to Brooke Quarles-Daniels, but the Penguins had their responses and had a five-point lead, 24-19, to end the opening quarter.
As the second quarter began, Youngstown State showed that they had maintained their momentum, scoring the first points of the quarter. Malia Magestro proved to be such a formidable force, scoring eight points and keeping the Penguins ahead, and the team’s persistence inside also allowed them to maintain their edge.
Even though the Grizzlies had a higher 3-point percentage, 40 percent to 33.3 percent, the Penguins had a higher field goal percentage of 54.8 percent compared to Oakland’s 43.3 percent and went into halftime with the advantage, a scoreline of 42-36.
For the remainder of the game, Oakland’s Alexis Johnson continued to provide a spark from beyond the arc, keeping the Golden Grizzlies within reach, alongside Maddy Skorupski. She had major contributions for Oakland, including a significant 12 points in the third quarter, knocking down huge shots.
The fourth quarter was a different story, though, as Youngstown State was not content with just dominating the inside game, but everything seemed to be falling for them from long-range, too, extending their lead to 12 — the largest lead of the night. Linda van Schaik was a bright spot defensively, drawing her third charge that provided a glimmer of hope to get the Grizzlies on track and get something going. While Oakland had managed to create good, open looks, the Penguins’ composure and execution continued to be apparent as time ticked away in the final moments, as they came up with the win over the Grizzlies, 85-79.
“You know, we just got to defend better, that’s the bottom line,” acting head coach Deanna Richard said. “We have to make sure we’re taking pride in what we’re doing on the defensive end. We press very well, there’s no question about that, but in half-court settings, we have to get better at that.”
What’s Next?
The Golden Grizzlies will learn from this game and will be ready to bounce back as they head to the Wolstein Center to play Cleveland State University on Thursday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m.