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YSU finishes sweep of RMU with 61-44 victory

Staff photo / Joel Whetzel Youngstown State forward Lilly Ritz goes up for a shot as Robert Morris’ Ashya Klopfenstein defends during a game last season.

YOUNGSTOWN — No late-game drama needed. Not this time.

In their third matchup of the season and second in three days, Youngstown State finished a season sweep of Robert Morris with a decisive 61-44 Horizon League victory in front of 1,221 fans Saturday afternoon at the Beeghly Center.

That followed a 59-57 victory at RMU on Thursday night, which required a last-second 3-pointer from Megan Callahan to put YSU over the top. In their initial encounter Jan. 8, YSU edged the Colonials 59-53.

“It was just a huge defensive effort by everyone on every possession,” redshirt sophomore Lexi Wagner said. “During practices this week, we put a huge emphasis, especially yesterday, on knowing what they’re going to do and knowing they’re going to crash into the glass. (We) just tried to outplay them, which is very difficult to do with a team like that, that’s very physical and very fast.”

As it’s been in each of the three contests this season, defense dominated the day. Neither team broke 60 points in any of those games until YSU (17-2, 11-1) did so Saturday.

Neither team shot particularly well, as YSU went 19-for-51 and just 6-of-24 from 3-point range, while RMU (7-10, 5-7) was even worse at 17-for-57 overall and 3-of-14 from deep.

The 44 points tied a season low for the Colonials.

YSU coach John Barnes said the team made some adjustments from Thursday night.

“We watched a ton of film of the last game, and all the assistants were watching it, and we met and all of us gave input on what we thought might help — little adjustments to slow them down a little bit — and it worked,” he said, later adding, “They shot 40-some percent at home … so I knew that we couldn’t let that happen again. I’m just proud of how hard the players worked and gave a ton of effort out there.”

YSU picked up a huge day from Lilly Ritz, who led all scorers with 17 points and added 18 rebounds.

Malia Magestro continued her impressive stretch with 14 points, three assists and a pair of boards, and Lexi Wagner posted back-to-back double-digit scoring efforts for the first time this season with 10 points.

And after struggling from the line at different points lately, YSU put together one of its better days at the stripe, sinking 17 of 21 free throws.

Of Magestro, Barnes said, “She has a pretty bad charley horse then gets hit in the face (Saturday) and is bleeding, so it’s been a lot for her, but she’s a heck of a player. If we can keep her healthy and keep her in there, she’s going to keep getting better and better.”

The Penguins were without the services of Paige Shy, who rolled her ankle in Thursday’s contest. Barnes said he didn’t have a firm timeline on her return.

YSU led 31-25 at halftime before taking a 44-34 advantage into the fourth quarter. From there, RMU got it to within nine a couple times, but the Penguins managed to keep the Colonials at arm’s length before a final 8-0 run to end the game brought the score to its final tally.

The Colonials were paced by 15 points from Esther Castedo and 10 from Sol Castro.

Wagner said sweeping any team is a challenge, but especially one YSU has played three times.

“I think we came off one weekend without them, then we’re right back at them. So it’s just trying to know them inside and out and trying to just outplay them at this point,” she said, adding she was glad to be done with the series for now.

The win marked career victory No. 300 for Barnes, who won 156 games at Michigan Tech and has 144 with Youngstown State.

Barnes said the milestone didn’t “mean a ton” to him personally, but, “It means I’ve been in (coaching) a long time. … I think the thing that it means most is the assistants that I’ve had and the players that I’ve had and the administrations that I’ve had and the friends I’ve made at all the schools I’ve been at and I’m just thankful for, (I’ve just been) in really good situations and had the opportunity to get good players and win games.”

jwhetzel@tribtoday.com

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