Youngstown, Ohio — Youngstown State's men's basketball team outscored Purdue Fort Wayne by 20 points in the second half for a convincing 93-71 victory over the Mastodons on Wednesday evening at Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center.

The Penguins withstood an early three-point barrage that gave Purdue Fort Wayne an early 11-point lead, and they held a two-point lead at halftime. YSU then blew the game open by outpacing the Horizon League's top-scoring team 51-31 in the second half.

Youngstown State improved to 17-10 overall, and it moved into a tie with the Mastodons in the conference standings with an 11-5 record against league teams. Purdue Fort Wayne is now 18-9 overall.

Purdue Fort Wayne came in leading the Horizon League and ranking 18th in the country averaging 83.3 points per game, and YSU held the Mastodons to their third-lowest point total in conference play. Jalen Jackson, the league's top scorer at 21.2 points in conference play, was held to eight points.

For the Penguins, Nico Galette was 8-for-11 from the field to score 21 points, and he added 10 rebounds and five assists. Juwan Maxey scored 17 points and matched Galette with three 3s, Jason Nelson scored 14 points, and Cris Carroll scored 12.

Gabe Dynes had eight points, seven rebounds and six blocks to anchor the Penguins defensively.

Purdue Fort Wayne got off to a blistering start from beyond the arc, as Maximus Nelson made four 3s in the first 3:15 of the game to put the Mastodons up 12-5. Eric Mulder scored the next four points to put the 'Dons ahead 16-5, which was the largest lead of the night for the visitors.

The margin was double digits again at 19-9 on a 3-pointer by Trey Lewis, which was Purdue Fort Wayne's fifth make in its first eight attempts. The Penguins weathered the storm and allowed just one more 3-pointer the rest of the half, and they outscored Purdue Fort Wayne by 32 after the initial flurry.

Trailing 24-15 with 9:46 on the clock, Youngstown State took a chunk out of the deficit with a 10-2 run that started with 3-pointers by Carroll and Maxey. The Penguins knotted the score at 28 on a three-point play by David Wilkerson at the 6:18 mark, and they took the lead at 35-34 on a Galette layup with 2:32 on the clock. Galette followed with a 3 on YSU's next possession, and the Penguins did not trail again.

After Purdue Fort Wayne started 5-for-8 from beyond the arc in the half, the Penguins held them to 1-for-9 from long distance over the final 13 minutes. That allowed YSU to take a 42-40 lead at the break, and the Penguins turned it into a blowout in the second half.

Carroll and Maxey hit 3-pointers for YSU in the first 70 seconds of the second half, and the Penguins started the half on a 16-4 run to go up 58-44. The first double-digit lead came on a floating jumper by Maxey at the 17:08 mark, and YSU was 5-for-5 from the field at that point. 

After a Dynes dunk on a pass from Galette put the Penguins up 60-49 with 15:17 remaining, YSU's lead was at least 10 the rest of the night.

The difference reached 20 for the first time at 78-58 when Siem Uijtendaal buried two 3-pointers in a 27-second span, and Maxey added two free throws after a technical foul on Purdue Fort Wayne head coach Jon Coffman. The lead grew to its pinnacle at 84-58 on a Nelson layup with 6:23 on the clock that finished a 14-point burst by the Penguins.

Youngstown State shot 51.6% from the field in the second half and 50% overall, and the Penguins went 12-for-32 on their 3-point attempts. YSU held the 'Dons to 36.7% from the field in the second half as it pulled away, and Purdue Fort Wayne was 5-for-23 from long distance after its 5-for-8 start.

Youngstown State will visit Horizon League leader Cleveland State in a nationally televised game on ESPNU on Sunday. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. at the Wolstein Center. The game will also be broadcast on 570 WKBN.