Youngstown St defeats SC Upstate 74-65

Youngstown St Edges Out SC Upstate in Non-Conference Showdown

The Youngstown St Penguins hosted the South Carolina State Bulldogs at their home venue, Beeghly Center, on Saturday evening, emerging victorious with a 74-65 win over the visiting team.

In what was a closely contested game from start to finish, the Penguins took control at halftime, leading by 12 points (40-28). Youngstown St continued to pull away in the second half, maintaining their lead through a combination of strong shooting and defense. The largest margin of the night came when the Penguins built an 15-point advantage with just over two minutes remaining.

Key Performance from Ryan King

Youngstown St's sophomore guard, Ryan King, was instrumental in leading his team to victory. King finished with 17 points, including five three-pointers, and shot a 45% clip from beyond the arc. His hot shooting helped stretch the Bulldogs' defense and provided an outlet for the Penguins' offense when they needed it most.

Statistics Tell the Story

The advanced statistics from both teams paint a clear picture of how this game was won. Youngstown St's eFG% (50.0%) and True Shooting% (55.4%) were significantly higher than SC Upstate's (43.4% eFG%, 50.8% True Shooting%). Additionally, the Penguins outrebounded their opponents by a narrow margin of five rebounds.

Advanced Metrics

Youngstown St's strong performance from the free-throw line, where they shot 69.0%, also played a crucial role in their win. The team's ability to limit SC Upstate's fast break points (11) and capitalize on turnovers (11 points off turnovers) further solidified their edge.

Conclusion

In a closely contested game, Youngstown St demonstrated its strength at home by edging out visiting South Carolina State 74-65. With Ryan King leading the charge from beyond the arc, the Penguins proved they have the depth and resilience to overcome tough opponents in non-conference play.