INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – For the first time in program history, the Youngstown State University men’s basketball team is in the Horizon League championship game.

The Penguins defeated Cleveland State 56-54 in the semifinals Monday night and will play Robert Morris in the championship game at 7 p.m. tonight in a game that will be broadcast live on ESPN and 570 WKBN.

YSU trailed 54-52 when Ty Harper hit a corner 3-pointer with 43 seconds left, and he made his ensuing free throw to complete a four-point play. The Penguins, who played outstanding defense all night, forced three more missed shots and came up with a turnover as time expired at Corteva Coliseum in Indianapolis, sending the YSU faithful into a frenzy.

Siem Uijtendaal led the Penguins with 13 points, while Harper and Nico Galette both had nine in a hard-fought semifinal contest.

The Guins trailed 29-22 early in the second before Jason Nelson helped pull YSU within 1. From there, Uijtendaal stepped up, scoring 10 straight points for the Penguins, including a pair of 3-pointers, as YSU fought to take a 42-41 lead. 

Down 48-45 with 4:46 left, Harper calmly made three free throws after getting fouled. From that point, it was a battle to the finish.

Nelson tied the game at 50 with a layup, and Gabe Dynes tied the game at 52 with a dunk at the 1:22 mark. CSU made a pair of free throws with 1:08 remaining, but was held scoreless as Harper’s heroics sealed the win. 

The first half featured some impressive lock-down defense by the Guins as they held Cleveland State without a field goal for more than nine minutes.

After falling behind 2-0, the Guins responded with nine straight points as Maxey converted a 3-pointer from the far corner.

With 8:24 left in the half, Maxey scored on a driving layup to make the lead nine again at 14-5. Finally, after a staunch YSU defensive effort, the Vikings broke through with a 3-pointer at the 8:00 mark.

In the first half, YSU forced eight turnovers, but also missed eight free throws.

YSU led 22-18 late before a 3-pointer by CSU trimmed the deficit to one at the intermission.

Both teams made seven field goals in the first half, with four coming from beyond the 3-point arc for the Vikings and three for the Guins.

Pictured at top: Youngstown State’s Gabe Dynes blocks a shot during the team’s semifinal game against Cleveland State.