Youngstown -- Senior forwards Tiara Scott and Nikita LaFleur each finished double-doubles and the Youngstown Sate women's basketball team put forth a solid all-around effort, but Milwaukee was still able to come away with a 72-60 victory on Thursday night at the Beeghly Center.
    LaFleur scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while Scott had 13 points and 11 rebounds. Junior Jaquetta Westley added 14 points while freshman Macey Nortey contributed 11. It is the first time the Penguins have four players reach double figures in scoring this season.
    YSU (2-12 overall and 0-3 in the Horizon League) stayed within striking distance for most of the contest despite never leading against the Panthers (6-7, 1-1).
    In the second half the Penguins were within 48-43 on a Nortey basket at the 13:40 mark before UWM scored the next five points to pull in front 53-43.
    YSU kept things close for the next seven minutes trailing 55-49 following LaFleur's made free throw with 7:31 left. But UWM scored nine of the next 11 points to lead 64-51 with 4:43 remaining. From that point on the closest the Guins could get was 66-56 on Kenya Middlebrooks' only point of the game.
    It marked the first time since Feb. 1, 2003, that two Penguins posted double-doubles (Jessica Forsythe and Jen Perugini) in the same game.
    YSU had more second-chance points (14-13) and more points in the paint (28-18) while the Panthers connected on more 3-pointers (7-2). For the game, the Guins shot 43.6 percent (24-of-55) while Milwaukee converted  25-of-53 attempts (47.2 percent).  The Penguins also reached the 60-point mark for the fourth time in 2008-09.
    UWM's Traci Edwards finished with a game-high 21 points to score her 2,000th-career point. Edwards' eight rebounds also put her over 1,000 for her career. Three other Panthers finished the game scoring in double digits.
    YSU played one of its best offensive first halves of the season to keep things tight trailing just 36-32 at halftime.
   Leading the way was Westley who scored 12 points while LaFleur added 11. Scott grabbed seven rebounds, including five on the offensive glass, to go along with five points.
    UWM built a seven-point advantage in the first five minutes of the game before the Guins pulled within three points, the last time at 18-15 with 10:23 left in the half. The Panthers scored the next six points to go ahead 24-15 at the 9:19 mark.
    However, Westley answered by scoring the next five points, including a 3-pointer, to cut the deficit to 24-20. UWM scored six consecutive points to take its biggest lead of the half at 30-20.
    After trailing 32-22 with 5:10 remaining, YSU scored eight straight points to climb within 32-30 on a Scott basket with 1:48 remaining. An Edwards jumper made the score 34-30 in favor of Milwaukee, before Westley converted two free throws.
    The Panthers were able to extend the halftime advantage to four on two Ashley Imperiale free throws with two-tenths of a second on the clock.
    YSU shot 41.4 percent (12-of-29) while the Panthers made one more field  goal to shot 44.8 percent. Both teams had 18 rebounds and were 6-of-9 from the free-throw line.
    The Penguins return to action on Saturday when they play host to preseason league favorite Green Bay. Tipoff is set for 4:35 p.m. as the first game of a doubleheader with the YSU men.