Youngstown State University
6-8, 1-4
Valparaiso
11-5, 3-1
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Youngstown State | 29 | 26 | 55 |
| Valparaiso | 34 | 45 | 79 |
Blake Allen Scores Career-High 17 Points in Loss to Valparaiso
1/7/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Valparaiso, Ind. -- Sophomore Blake Allen scored a career-high 17 points and sophomore Damian Eargle added 15 points with eight rebounds and four blocks, but the Youngstown State men's basketball team dropped a 79-55 decision to Valparaiso on Friday evening at the Athletics-Recreation Center.
The Penguins fall to 6-8 overall and 1-4 in the Horizon League while the Crusaders improve to 11-5 overall and 3-1 in the Horizon League.
Allen connected on 6-of-9 shooting from the floor and converted 5-of-6 of his 3-point field goal attempts, including four treys in the second half.
Valparaiso shot an impressive 54.2 percent from the field for the game while the Guins connected on 33.9 percent of the field-goal attempts.
After falling behind 15-5 in early in the first half, the Guins used their own 15-5 run to knot the game at 20-20 after a 3-pointer by junior Ashen Ward with 5:15 to go before halftime.
After a 3-pointer by Valparaiso's Jay Harris, Eargle hit a jumper to cut the Crusaders' lead down to one, but Harris drained another 3-pointer to put Valpo up four, 26-22, with 4:15 to go.
The Crusaders pushed its lead by to eight points, 34-26, but a free throw by Ward and another jumper by Eargle trimmed the deficit to five, 34-29, at halftime.
Valparaiso opened the second half on a 20-4 run over the first seven minutes to take a 21-point lead, 54-33, with 13 minutes left.
Allen hit three 3-pointers over the next minute-and-a-half and junior Devonte Maymon made a layup to cut the Crusader lead to 12, 56-44, with 10:34 to go but the Guins would get no closer.
The Penguins visit Butler, Sunday, Jan. 9, at 2 p.m. at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
