Youngstown State Has Block Fest Against Georgia

Around mid-October, it seemed odd that Youngstown State wasn't getting more love in the Horizon League, or even outside of it. The Penguins had a dynamic duo in Kendrick Perry and Damian Eargle, one an offensive specialist, the other a force on the other end of the court.

Monday night, the two combined to shut down the majority of the Georgia Bulldogs to win in the Legends Classic 68-56.

The line of the night is going to belong to Perry, who scored 23 points, including a 10-for-11 performance at the free throw line. He added six boards, five assists, four steals and a block for good measure. The only way to stop him was to send him to the free throw line, and you can see how well that worked out for the Bulldogs.

But there is often the unsung hero in the bunch, and Monday that was Eargle, who long reach and tenacity on the defensive end was a huge benefit to the Penguins. He clogged the inside and frustrated the Bulldogs as they tried to back him down or go around him.

The senior added 10 rebounds to his 10 points, and led Youngstown State with three of its seven blocks. The swat fest was part of the reason that Georgia shot just 32 percent from the field.

The Bulldogs may use a deep rotation to get some of their younger players experience, but this wasn't at all about inexperience on the floor for Georgia. This was all about the stunning defense that Youngstown played throughout the night on everyone by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The sophomore led the Bulldogs with 27 points, including a 5-for-11 performance from 3-point range.

Youngstown State will take on St. Francis of Pennsylvania on Friday.