Jacksonville, Fla. – Senior Bryson Dawkins scored a team-high 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds, but the Youngstown State men's basketball team dropped a 68-62 decision to UNC-Greensboro on Sunday evening at the Adams-Jenkins Community Sports and Music Complex.
The Penguins fall to 2-4 on the year while the Spartans earned their first win of the season and improve to 1-5.
Senior Cris Carroll also scored in double figures for the Penguins with 11 points.
Youngstown State led by as many as 21 late in the first half, but the Spartans shot an impressive 61.5 percent from the field and made five 3-pointers after halftime enroute to the victory.
The Penguins went cold in the second half connecting on just 25.8 percent from the floor and 12.5 percent from 3-point range.
Youngstown State scored first seven points of the game before the Spartans trimmed the lead to two, 9-7.
YSU went on an 11-0 run keyed by eight straight points from Tae Blackshear on two 3s and a pair of free throws to a take a 20-7 lead
The Spartans scored next six points before a layup from Jason Nelson and a 3-pointer from Carroll pushed the lead to 25-13.
After UNCG cut the lead to nine, 27-18, Dawkins hit a 3-pointer, Carroll made a jumper and another Dawkins 3 extended the YSU lead to 17, 35-18.
Youngstown State led by as many as 21, 43-21, after a layup by Drew King late in the first half.
Early in the second half, the Spartans went on a 10-2 run to get within 10, 52-42
Nelson hit his first 3 of the game to regain a 13-point lead, but UNCG answered with nine straight as part of a 13-3 run to get back within four, 55-51.
Tyler Robinett hit a 3-pointer at the 6:46 mark to push the Penguins advantage back to seven, 58-51.
UNCG 11-2 run capped by a 3-pointer from Assane Mandian to take a 62-60 lead, their first of the game, with 2:31 to go, and Mandian buried another 3 to take a 65-60 lead at the 1:17 mark.
Dawkins added a jumper to get back within three with 57 seconds left, but Mandian hit a jumper to regain a five-point lead, 67-62.
Youngstown State takes on Georgia Southern, Monday, at 6:30 p.m.
