COLLEGE BASKETBALL YSU looks encouraging in loss to Indiana State

Penguins coach John Robic said his team is better than the Sycamores.
VINDICATOR STAFF/WIRE REPORT
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- The Youngstown State men's basketball team dropped its season opener Friday night, but coach John Robic was excited at what he saw from his young Penguins.
YSU blew a 10-point second half lead and dropped a 63-56 decision to the Sycamores at the Hulman Center.
"I thought we really played well tonight," said Robic. "We're a better team than Indiana State."
The Penguins, who put three players in double figures, were led by junior forward Tejay Anderson with 17 points, while sophomore Doug Underwood added 13 and junior transfer Adam Baumann chipped in with 11, but all in the first half.
First-game jitters
"We turned the ball over too many times tonight, but a lot of that was first-game jitters," added Robic. "That effort tonight was better than we had all of last season."
The Penguins shot well from the field, hitting on 22 of 49 attempts for 45 percent and making three 3-point goals. They were outrebounded by the Sycamores 35-31.
Indiana State shot 38.5 percent from the field on 20 of 52 attempts, but was 18 for 27 from the free throw line.
The Penguins fell behind 8-2 in the opening minutes of the contest, but rallied to take a 9-8 lead.
YSU, on a basket by Baumann, took a 19-17 lead with less than eight minutes remaining in the half and built that to five points, 22-17.
Indiana State came back and tied the score at 26-26, but the Penguins scored the final seven points of the half to take a 32-26 lead at intermission.
Second half
YSU scored the first two baskets of the second half and built a 10-point lead, 36-26, but then the Penguins hit a cold spell, making just two baskets over the next eight minutes and were outscored 20-4 and trailed 46-40 with 10 minutes remaining.
A six-point run, four by Anderson, allowed the Penguins to deadlock the contest 49-49 with 5:59 remaining, but the Sycamores reeled off nine straight points and were in control again 58-49.
The Penguins got their deficit down to four points, 58-54, with 35 seconds remaining, but freshman Andy Jahnke missed a 3-point shot and the Sycamores followed with a bucket and free throw to wrap up the victory.
The Penguins will make their home debut on Tuesday night when they play host to Slippery Rock University at 7 at Beeghly Center.