Niagara University, N.Y. – Youngstown State scored 41 points off 30 Niagara turnovers but the Purple Eagles' second-half outburst of 48 points and a 54.3 second-half field-goal percentage lead to an 87-76 defeat of the Penguins on Tuesday evening at the Gallagher Center.

    Youngstown State falls to 0-2 while Niagara improves to 2-0.

    Senior Heather Karner scored a game-high 20 points with seven rebounds while senior Lauren Branson posted 11 points with six assists and five steals.

    Junior Kelsey Gurganus also reached double figures with 11 points.

    The Penguins led 42-39 at the intermission but the Purple Eagles began the second half with an 11-4 run to take a four-point advantage, 50-46, at the 15:54 mark.

    Jumpers by Karner and Gurganus knotted the game at 50-50 with 14:28 left.

    Junior Ashley Pendleton tied the game for the fifth time in the second half, 52-52, at the 13:30 mark. Over the next six minutes, Niagara held the Penguins to just three field goals and outscored YSU, 18-7, to take an 11-point lead, 70-59 with 6:33 remaining. The Penguins would not get closer than seven points the rest of the game.

    In the first half, the Penguins led 11-8 after a 3-pointer by Karner at the 14:21 mark before the Purple Eagles used an 11-2 run over the next three minutes to take a 19-13 advantage.

    The Penguins made a run of their own outscoring Niagara, 12-6, to tie the game at 25-25 with 6:48 remaining after two free throws by Karner.

    Branson converted one of two charity tosses to give the Penguins a 26-25 advantage and then two steals and layups on consecutive Niagara possessions by the Cincinnati, Ohio, native put the Guins ahead, 30-25 with 5:36 left in the first half.

    The Penguins pushed their lead to as many as eight, 33-25, after a put-back by Ashley Pendleton.

    The Purple Eagles came within four, 35-31, and cut the Penguins lead to three, 42-39, at the half.

    After 10 days off, the Penguins head to The Big Apple for the LIU Turkey Classic, Nov. 23-24. YSU takes on Long Island, Friday, Nov. 23, at 2 p.m.