Harahan, La. — Youngstown State's bowling team went the distance twice on Thursday at the Conference USA Championship but came up short in both matches, falling 2-1 to both Arkansas State and Tulane at Colonial Lanes.

The Penguins finished with a 1-2 record at the conference event in suburban New Orleans, and they hope to be selected for an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament for the sixth straight season. YSU, which was ranked seventh in the country entering the tournament, has a 72-35 record this season. The NCAA Selection Show will be on Wednesday at 4 p.m. on NCAA.com.

"The three matches we bowled were some of the most incredible I've ever been a part of, and I am very proud of the group," YSU head coach Doug Kuberski said. "The ladies continue to grow together on and off the lanes. While the outcome wasn't what we wanted, we gathered some valuable experience with the mega match format. We are hopeful we have earned a chance for extended play in April and are looking forward to logging a solid week of practice and preparation." 

Youngstown State, the seventh seed in the Conference USA Championship, outlasted No. 6 Wichita State in a four-hour mega match that went to a game seven tiebreaker in the best-of-seven format on Wednesday afternoon. The Penguins went the same length with No. 3 Arkansas State on Thursday morning and lost 4-3 in the best-of-seven tiebreaker to drop into the contender's bracket of the double-elimination tournament.

Due to the structure of the bracket, YSU had to play a rested No. 11 Tulane squad, which hadn't bowled since a 2-0 loss to Vanderbilt on Wednesday, in an elimination match in the afternoon. Despite the disadvantage, the Penguins won the traditional point 949-844 to take a 1-0 lead in the match. The Green Wave got hot in the Baker point to force the best-of-seven tiebreaker, and Tulane won on the final ball of the four-hour contest.

In the morning session against the Red Wolves, Gianna Varano bowled a team-high 220, while Liv Baskin shot 216 in the traditional round. Arkansas State had a 101-pin advantage in the fourth and fifth spots in the lineup and won the point 996-956. Youngstown State responded quickly in the Baker point, racing out to a 64-pin lead after one game and never looked back. YSU won 994-910 to force a best-of-seven tiebreaker.

The Penguins had back-to-back splits in the fourth and fifth frames and another in the 10th, and Arkansas State had a double in the 10th to escape with a 181-168 victory in the opening game. The Red Wolves won a high-scoring game two, 236-223, but YSU averaged 219 over its next three games and won all three to take a 3-2 lead in the match. Arkansas State won the last two games to rally for a 4-3 victory.

In the elimination match against Tulane at its home center, Amy Chrzanowski and Kara Beissel fired scores of 222 and 223 to lead the Penguins to a 949-844 win. YSU won in four of the five spots in the lineup in the 105-pin victory. The teams were even after one game of the Baker pinfall point, but Tulane had the edge in the final four games, including a 60-pin advantage in game three, to win 1,065-898.

Youngstown State won the opening game 202-192, and Tulane topped 230 in the next two games as it took a 2-1 lead. YSU held on for a five-pin victory in game four to tie the match at 2-2, and Tulane won game five 204-154 to put the Penguins on the brink of elimination. In game six, Chrzanowski picked up the 1-2-8-10 in the ninth, and Beissel doubled in the 10th to carry YSU to a 210-194 victory and force game seven.

Tulane threw the front three in the final game and led by 42 pins after four frames, but Youngstown State made a push. Beissel covered a split in the fifth frame, and Kaitlyn Greenaway and Varano followed with a double. YSU had back-to-back pocket nines on spares in the eighth and ninth, while Tulane opened in the ninth to give the Penguins a chance. Beissel kept the pressure on with three strikes in the 10th, but Tulane anchor Mia Stolakis marked and got enough count on her fill shot to give Tulane a 198-193 win.

Thursday's Results

No. 3 Arkansas State vs. No. 7 Youngstown State

Traditional Round — A-State won 996-956

• Chrzanowski: 180-155 | +25
• Varano: 220-177 | +43
• Baskin: 216-223 | -7
• Mason: 170-225 | -55
• Beissel: 170-216 | -46

Baker Round — YSU won 994-910

• Game 1: 213-149 | +64
• Game 2: 199-246 | -47 (+17)
• Game 3: 167-172 | -5 (+12)
• Game 4: 215-151 | +64 (+76)
• Game 5: 200-192 | +8 (+84)

Best-of-Seven Round — A-State won 4-3

• Game 1: 168-181 | A-State
• Game 2: 223-236 | A-State
• Game 3: 213-183 | YSU
• Game 4: 204-181 | YSU
• Game 5: 240-194 | YSU
• Game 6: 162-211 | A-State
• Game 7: 159-200 | A-State

No. 7 Youngstown State vs. No. 11 Tulane

Traditional Round — YSU won 949-844

• Varano: 156-144 | +12
• Mason: 157-143 | +14
• Baskin: 191-173 | +18
• Chrzanowski: 222-159 | +63
• Beissel: 223-225 | -2

Baker Round — Tulane won 1,042-898

• Game 1: 174-174 | even
• Game 2: 203-226 | -23 (-23)
• Game 3: 169-229 | -60 (-83)
• Game 4: 192-200 | -8 (-91)
• Game 5: 160-213 | -53 (-144)

Best-of-Seven Round — Tulane won 4-3

• Game 1: 202-192 | YSU
• Game 2: 181-236 | Tulane
• Game 3: 205-231 | Tulane
• Game 4: 186-181 | YSU
• Game 5: 154-204 | Tulane
• Game 6: 210-194 | YSU
• Game 7: 193-198 | Tulane