YSU women drop fourth in row, 68-58, at Buffalo

The Penguins had a lead early in the second half, but were unable to hold it.
BUFFALO -- The Youngstown State women's basketball team dropped its fourth straight game of the season, 68-58, to Buffalo Wednesday at Alumni Arena.
Leading 22-20 at halftime, Youngstown State (1-4) quickly boosted its lead to seven, 31-24, on three 3-pointers, including two by senior Devin Novak and one by freshman Kristy Gaudiose.
Novak led the Penguins with 17 points and connected on 6-for-11 from the floor, including 5-for-9 from 3-point range.
"There were some bright spots with Devin [Novak] being a presence on the floor, as well as Melissa Tarrant," YSU coach Tisha Hill said.
Lead for good
Buffalo (1-2), which shot 60.7 percent in the second half, responded with a 13-4 run to tie the score at 37, and took the lead for good on a jumper by Jessica Kochendorfer with 11 minutes, 20 seconds remaining.
Kim Kilpela's three-point play gave the Bulls a 54-47 lead with 7:03 remaining. YSU's Cathy Hanek made it 54-49 with a basket at the 5:53 mark, but the Penguins couldn't get any closer.
Tarrant, who finished with seven points, sparked the Penguins in the closing minutes of the first half. She connected on two jumpers to bring the Penguins within four, 20-16, at the 2:24 mark.
Freshman Kristy Gaudiose, who scored a career-high 12 points, including eight in the first half, then buried a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to one, 20-19, at the 1:53 mark. Tarrant tied the score at 20 with a free throw and senior Jessica Forsythe gave the Penguins a 22-20 halftime lead with a layup.
"Our intensity to come from behind in the first half is what we needed to have in the second half," Hill said.