Marcus Keene Scores Career-High 20 in Loss to UMass, 85-69

by YSU

Tuesday, Nov 19, 2013 3:16 pm

Amherst, Mass. – Freshman Marcus Keene scored a career-high 20 points and sophomore Bobby Hain posted his second straight double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, but the Youngstown State men's basketball team dropped an 85-69 decision to UMass, Sunday afternoon, at the Mullins Center.

The Penguins, who fall to 4-1, forced 19 Minutemen turnovers and took 18 more field-goal attempts, but shot just 36.8 percent from the floor and 19.2 percent from 3-point range. The Penguins scored just 24 points off those 19 UMass miscues.

UMass, though, was more efficient in the shot-attempts, making 55.2 percent (32-of-58) and improve to 3-0.

Senior Kendrick Perry scored 14 points with seven rebounds and four steals. He moved into 14th place on the Youngstown State all-time scoring list with 1,407 career points. With his four steals, Perry also became the school's all-time leader in steals with 185.

The first half was a tightly contested game all 20 minutes. After UMass built a five-point lead midway through the half, 20-15, at the 9:45 mark, the Penguins younger player led a key surge.

Keene scored his only bucket of the first half to get within three, 20-17, a 3-pointer by freshman Kyle Steward and another by sophomore Ryan Weber got the Penguins within striking distance, 22-20, and 24-23, respectively.

The Minutemen, though closed out the half on a 10-3 run to take a 34-26 lead into the lockerroom.

UMass' momentum continued as the second half started and the Minutemen built a 15-point lead, 45-30, less than four minutes into the second half.

Keene scored seven points – two layups and a 3-pointer – in less than two minutes to propel the Penguin to a 13-4 run to get within six, 49-43, with 13:36 to go.

Another layup by Keene at the 13:02 mark kept the deficit at six, 51-45, before UMass scored the next six points to ballooned its leads to 12, 57-45, with nine minutes left.

Hain made two free throws and a layup to get the Penguins within eight, 57-49, at the under-eight media timeout, but the Penguins would not get any closer.

The Penguins host Thiel, Wednesday, Nov. 20, at 7:45 p.m. at the Beeghly Center.

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