YSU men’s problems continue against UIC

The Penguins lost 86-72 Saturday and have never won at the UIC Pavilion.

VINDICATOR/WIRE REPORT

CHICAGO — Youngstown State’s men’s basketball team had its jinx continued at the UIC Pavilio Saturday night in a Horizon League contest.

The Penguins shot poorly and were behind almost the entire way as they suffered an 86-72 loss to Illinois-Chicago, the ninth straight loss against the Flames on their home court. YSU (7-15, 3-9) has never won at the UIC Pavilion.

YSU led only once in the contest on junior Mikko Niemi’s 3-point shot that opened the contest, but once the Flames (12-10, 6-5) took the lead a short time later at 4-3 then never trailed again.

“We shot 37 percent from the field and 17 percent from the 3-line,” said YS coach Jerry Slocum. “Anytime you take almost half of your shots from long range you are not going to be successful.”

“I thought the guys gave an honest effort tonight,” he said.

Freshman Vytas Sulskis led the Penguins with 18 points, all of them coming in the second half, while Jack Liles added 16 points and senior Byron Davis had 10 points, but was just 2-of-12 shooting from the field.

The Penguins hit on 25-of-67 shots from the field, but were just 5-of-29 from 3-point range. They were also outrebounded by the Flames 42-36.

UIC’s Josh Mayo was the Flames top scorer with 21 points, including 14 in the second half, and made half of the Flames’ eight 3-point goals, including three straight midway in the second half after the Penguins had closed the UIC lead to six points.

After Niemi’s 3-point shot to open the game, UIC just took control jumping out in front 14-6 and held its biggest lead of 18 points three times in the first half, the last time at 42-24 in the final minute.

Sulkis and Liles brought the Penguins back in the second half as they scored 15 of the Penguins’ first 17 points and pulled the team to within seven points, 48-41. After Mayo’s first 3-pointer, Sulskis and Liles scored again as YSU got to within six points 51-45, but then Mayo added two more long range bombs and UIC continued on a 12-2 run and regained command of the contest 66-49 with just under eight minutes to play.

The loss was the sixth straight for the Penguin and the last five have been on the road where they are 1-6 in the league. YSU will return home on Thursday night to meet Detroit at 7:35 p.m. at Beeghly Center.