Youngstown State used a impressive defensive effort over the final 25 minutes to outlast Milwaukee in overtime, 97-85, on Thursday evening at Beeghly Center.
YSU improves to 18-7 overall and 10-4 in the Horizon League while Panthers fall to 12-12 overall and 7-6 in the league.
Ziggy Reid led four players scoring in double figures with a season-high 28 points on 10-for-17 and grabbed eight rebounds. Brett Thompson and Bryson Langdon each scored 20 points while DJ Burns posted his seventh straight double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. That marks Burns' 15th double-double of the season.
Freshman Gabe Dynes recorded a career-high seven blocks, including a game-saving swat with 3.3 seconds left regulation. He also contributed seven rebounds.
Leading the Panthers was BJ Freeman with 24 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
The Penguins outscored the Panthers 20-8 in the extra period, and YSU allowed Milwaukee just two made field goals while connecting on 55.6 percent from the floor and going 10-for-11 from the free-throw line. The 20 points in overtime set a school record for most points in an extra session. The Penguins limited the Panthers to just 34.1 percent from the field after halftime, and Milwaukee was just 3-for-14 from beyond the arc.
Tied at 77-77 at end of regulation, Langdon and Reid each hit a jumper to start overtime to put the Penguins up four points. After the Panthers answered with a basket, Youngstown State scored the next six points on a three-point play by Reid, a free throw Dynes, and a fastbreak layup by Thompson to take an 87-79 lead with 1:35 left.
The Guins made their final eight free throws over the last 1:16 to seal the victory.
YSU scored the first 12 points of the game on 3-pointers by Langdon and Brandon Rush, a four-point play by Thompson, and a dunk by Reid that forced a Milwaukee timeout less than three minutes into the game.
Milwaukee went on a 17-2 run over the next six minutes to take a 17-14 lead, and the Panthers led by as many as 10 points, 38-28, at the 4:05 mark. The Penguins were able to trim the deficit to 43-37 at halftime.
The Panthers extended their lead to eight points, 50-42, at the 17:54 mark on a jumper by Elijah Jamison.
Reid led the Penguins with six points on a 9-1 scoring to tie the game at 51-51 with just under 15 minutes to go.
A layup by Thompson gave the Guins a three-point but Freeman knotted the game at 58-58 with a 3-pointer with 12:42 to go.
Over the next 12 minutes the Penguins scored 15 of the next 20 points to take its second double-digit lead of the game at 73-63 with 4:22 to go.
Milwaukee clawed its way back into the game and trimmed YSU's lead to 75-74 after a 3-pointer by Learic Davis with 1:11 left and a basket by Freeman with 43 seconds to go.
A dunk by Dynes extended the Penguins lead to three, 77-74, but Freeman made all three free throws after being fouled with just 28 seconds left.
The Penguins committed a turnover with 15 seconds left but Dynes blocked Freeman's game-winning jumper attempt with 3.3 seconds to go. Freeman's last-second 3-pointer, with Reid in his face, was short and that forced overtime.
Youngstown State host league-leader Green Bay, Saturday. Tipoff is set for 1:30 p.m. at Beeghly Center.
