YSU’s late rally falls short at Green Bay

The Penguins came close to wiping out a 20-point
halftime deficit.

GREEN BAY, Wis. — A second-half comeback attempt by the Youngstown State women’s basketball team fell shy for the second consecutive game in Saturday’s 85-80 loss to Green Bay.

The Penguins trailed by 20 points at halftime only to battle back within three, 83-80, with 22 seconds remaining after a layup by junior Tiara Scott, but Green Bay (12-3, 4-0 Horizon League) made two late free throws to seal the victory.

The Penguins (7-8, 2-2) placed four players in double figures for the third time in the last four games led by senior Heather Karner’s 20 points.

Scott recorded her second double-double of the season with 19 points and 12 rebounds while juniors Kesley Gurganus scored a career-high 16 points and junior Velissa Vaughn added 12.

Trailing 44-24 at the intermission, the Penguins, who shot 55.2 percent in the second half,opened the second half with an 19-8 run in the first five minutes get within nine points, 52-43.

The Penguins got hot from the perimeter using two 3-pointers from Gurganus and another from senior Jessica Schloemp to slice the deficit to nine with 15:10 remaining.

The Phoenix’s Kayla Groh it a 3-pointer and Rachel Porath’s four-point play ballooned Green Bay’s lead to 16, 59-43 at the 14:25 mark.

UWGB pushed its advantage to 17, 62-45, after a free throw from Groh with 13:23 left.

YSU used a 12-2 run over the next three minutes to get within seven, 64-57, after a 3-point play by Gurganus, who scored all her points in the second half.

The Phoenix extended their edge back to 15 points, 76-61, with five minutes remaining but the Penguins would not quit.

Scott, who scored 17 of her 19 points after halftime, converted a three-point play and two charity tosses to cut the deficit to nine and

Gurganus buried her third 3-pointer of the game at the 2:57 mark to bring the Penguins with six, 78-72.

After a layup by UWGB’s Heather Golden, Vaughn hit a 3-pointer with about a minute left to get YSU back to within four, 82-78, but Groh made one of two free throws to give the Phoenix a five-point edge, 83-78, before Scott’s final lay up.

In the first half, the Penguins shot just 21.4 percent from the field while the Phoenix shot 59.3 percent.

They return home to host Wright State on Thursday at 5:15 p.m.