By Gavin Greer
Purdue Fort Wayne men’s basketball team faced off against Youngstown State University in a Horizon League matchup last Friday night at the Coliseum. After a poor shooting performance all around, PFW lost 72-81.
As a team, PFW shot 41.9% from the field and 34.8% from deep. YSU shot 53.4% from the field and 26.7% from deep.
While PFW’s three-point percentage does not look that bad at the end of the game, it was worse earlier as they were shooting 12.5% from deep at the half. This failure to connect from range was a big reason they lost their lead early and never got it back.
Towards the end of the game, PFW dug deep and made the game competitive. With almost 3 minutes left in the game, PFW had cut their deficit to seven and were playing with a lot of momentum, but eventually they were forced to foul YSU. At this point YSU was in the bonus and would be sent to the line each time they were fouled. PFW would hope for missed free throws so they could have a chance to get closer, but YSU kept converting their chances.
Although the Mastodons walked away with a loss, Jarred Godfrey had an excellent performance that saw him total 33 points, seven rebounds, and four assists.
YSU’s Dwayne Cohill matched Godfrey’s scoring total as he led the Penguins. Cohill also totaled five rebounds and three assists.
While PFW lost the game, there were still some good things in the night for the Mastodons. During timeouts in the game, two PFW pep band seniors and one PFW cheerleader were honored for their time spent at the school.
Another special moment for PFW came at half time, where 18 members of PFW’s Honors Program received their Honors Pins which marks the halfway point of the program.
With a win, YSU improved to 20-6 on the season. They sit atop the standings in the Horizon League. Their next game is tomorrow at Cleveland State.
With a loss, PFW fell to 15-11 on the season. The Mastodons are 7th in the Horizon League. Their next game is Feb. 12 at 1 p.m. EST at home against Robert Morris University. This is an important matchup for both teams because if PFW loses Robert Morris will move into a tie for 7th with the Mastodons.