YSU falls to Butler on the road

Jen Perugini scored a season-high 20 points for the Penguins.
INDIANAPOLIS -- Butler University jumped out to a 7-0 lead and, with the exception of two short-lived Youngstown State advantages and a pair of ties, never trailed in a 67-54 defeat of the Penguins in a women's Horizon League game at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Thursday night.
Butler's Cortney Urquhart, who reached 1,000 points for her career by scoring nine, started the game with a layup, and the Bulldogs were off and running.
After trailing 7-0, the Penguins (8-10, 2-5 Horizon League) went on their own seven-point run, on a 3-point goal by Lauren Branson and free throws by Tara Fleming and Jessica Schloemp.
The score was tied again at 9 before a 7-2 run gave the Bulldogs a 16-11 lead midway through the first half.
Too much to overcome
Youngstown State senior Jen Perugini, who finished with a season-high 20 rebounds and nine points, made a basket with 2:32 remaining in the half to give the Penguins a 25-24 lead.
Twenty seconds later, though, Butler's Jessica Monaco answered, and Maria Marchesano's 3-pointer with 1:02 to go gave the Bulldogs a 29-25 lead at the intermission.
Butler (8-8, 2-3) opened the second half with a 9-0 run -- it was 14-0 including the end of the first half -- and two Ashley Conner free throws gave the Bulldogs a 38-25 advantage with 16:04 remaining in the game.
Youngstown State spent the remainder of the contest trying to cut into its deficit. The Penguins got to within seven points (57-50) on a pair of free throws by Michelle Holmes with 4:42 to go, but Butler finished the game with a 10-4 run.
Cathy Hanek, who set a career high with 28 points on Tuesday against Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne, finished with 15 against Butler to lead the Penguins.
However, Youngstown State, which shot almost 59 percent against IPFW, was held to 31.1 percent (19-of-61) by the Bulldogs.
The Penguins also committed 18 turnovers, to just 11 for Butler.
Urquhart began the game with 992 career points; she finished with nine on Thursday.
Marchesano led the Bulldogs with 16 points, while Ellen Hamilton scored 14 and Jackie Closser had 11.
Ashley Brenden had nine rebounds for Butler and Closser added eight assists.
My'Kea Cohill and Holmes came off the bench to score eight and six points, respectively.
Butler shot 36.4 percent (20-of-55) and the Penguins held a 44-36 edge in rebounds. The Bulldogs helped their cause at the foul line, making 19-of-21 there.
Youngstown State is off until next Thursday, when it plays host to Illinois-Chicago in a 7 p.m. game at Beeghly Center.
The Penguins stay at home for their next game Jan. 29 against Wisconsin-Milwaukee, a 2 p.m. game at Beeghly Center.