Youngstown State University
4-2, 0-1
Milwaukee
4-4, 1-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Youngstown State | 39 | 28 | 67 |
| Milwaukee | 43 | 33 | 76 |
Men's Basketball's Comeback Falls Short in 76-67 Loss at Milwaukee
12/2/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Milwaukee, Wis. -- The Youngstown State men's basketball team was able to trim a 10-point second-half deficit down to a one-possession game, but dropped its Horizon League opener to Milwaukee, 76-67, on Thursday evening at U.S. Cellular Arena.
Senior Vytas Sulskis led the Penguins with 18 points while junior Devonte Maymon scored 16 points and sophomore Damian Eargle added 10 points with five blocks.
The Penguins dropped to 4-2 overall and 0-1 in the Horizon League while Milwaukee improves to 4-4 overall and 1-1 in the league.
Milwaukee's Anthony Hill led all scorers with 30 points on 14-of-20 shooting from the floor. He also scored 16 Milwaukee's 33 second-half points.
The Penguins, who trailed by as many as 10 in the first half, overcame a four-point halftime deficit, 43-39, to take their first lead of the game, 48-47, after sophomore Blake Allen hit a 3-pointer at the 16:23 mark.
The Panthers, who shot 49.1 percent from the field for the game, outscored the Penguins 13-4 over the next eight minutes to take a 62-52 lead with 8:19 to go.
Trailing 64-54 with 7:36 left, the Penguin scrapped their way back into the game with a 13-6 run to cut the deficit to just three points, 70-67, capped by two free throws by Sulskis and a layup by Maymon at the 2:55 mark.
Both teams went scoreless for the next two minutes before the Panthers made six straight free throws in the games final minute to seal the victory.
In the first half, the Panthers built a quick 10-point lead, 12-2, within the first five minutes of the game and lead 17-7 at the 13:20 mark.
Juniro DuShawn Brooks' 3-pointer with 8:55 to go capped a 12-5 run by the Guins and brought them within three, 22-19.
The Panthers were able to cushion their advantage back to eight, 34-26, at the 3:58 mark before the Guins rallied again.
Junior Ashen Ward, Maymon and Sulskis each hit a 3-pointer in the waning minutes of the half to get within two, 41-39, with 19 seconds left. The Panthers' Kyle Kelm buried two free throws with 0.2 seconds left to give UWM a 43-39 lead at the intermission.
The Penguins shot just 35.3 percent from the field and lost the rebounding battle, 45-35.
The Guins visit Green Bay, Saturday, Dec. 4, at 2 p.m. at the Resch Center.
