Looking up: Suddenly-hot Penguins top Milwaukee

By Pete Mollica

Vytas Sulskis hit the game-winning jumper with 1.4 seconds left to give YSU a four-game winning streak.

YOUNGSTOWN — All of a sudden Youngstown State is the hottest men’s basketball team in the Horizon League.

Saturday night, sophomore Vytas Sulskis dropped in a short jump shot with 1.4 seconds remaining to give the Penguins a 70-68 victory over Milwaukee before 2,227 fans at Beeghly Center.

The victory was the fourth straight for the Penguins (10-15, 7-8) and all of them have come against Horizon League competition. Before this streak, the Penguins had never won more than two straight games in the conference since they joined the league in 2001.

“Tonight was a special win because we really didn’t have our A-game,” said YSU coach Jerry Slocum. “I was very concerned about a letdown because I knew we were tired especially after that physical game on Thursday night against Green Bay.

“This win when we didn’t have our A-game shows how much this team has matured this year,” Slocum added. “We played outstanding defense in the second half.”

With the score tied 68-all with 56.4 seconds remaining, the Panthers (14-11, 9-6) had the ball. Deion James took a shot with 25 seconds remaining and YSU freshman Ashen Ward pulled down the rebound.

The Penguins worked the clock before Slocum called timeout with 4.5 seconds left.

“We wanted to get the ball to Vytas and we drew up a couple of versions,” Slocum said. “The result wasn’t what we drew up exactly, but it worked.

Sulskis got the ball at the top of the key, took one dribble and sank the shot for the winning points.

“We had drawn it up to go to the left side, but it was all congested, so I came right got the pass and then let it fly,” Sulskis said. “I watched it go in the basket and it was a wonderful feeling.”

“We’ve been playing like a team for the last couple of weeks, but I’ll tell you this Thursday-Saturday schedule in the league is awful tough,” Slocum added.

Junior Sirlester Martin paced the Penguins with a career-high 20 points and five rebounds, while junior DeAndre Mays added 15 points and six rebounds.

The Penguins were consistent with their shooting, finishing at 44.1 percent, while the Panthers, who shot 57.1 percent from the field and 56.3 percent from 3-point range in the first half, finished at 43.9 percent.

The game was expected to be a close battle and with 12 ties and 12 lead changes it was exactly that.

The Penguins last led in the first half, 16-14, with 12:12 remaining before the Panthers, who connected on 9-of-16 3-point shots in the half, took the lead 19-16 with just over 10 minutes left.

The Panthers managed to keep control of the game although the score was tied three more times. Milwaukee held a five-point lead twice in the half, 26-21 and then at the intermission, 41-36.

The Penguins quickly tied up the score at 41-41 with the help of a 3-pointer by Ward. The lead went back and forth before YSU took the lead 53-52 on a 3-pointer by Tom Parks with 14:15 remaining.

YSU built its lead to nine points, 65-56, with 5:47 left on two free throws by Mays, but the Panthers kept battling back and on two straight steals regained the lead 68-67 with 1:30 remaining on a shot by James.

Senior Zack Rebillot made a free throw to tie the score at 68 with 56.4 seconds left to set up the game-winning heroics of Sulskis.

The Penguins continued their hot shooting from 3-point range as they finished 8-of-15 for 53.3 percent with Mays getting three and Parks and Ward two each. The Penguins were outrebounded 35-34 and Milwaukee’s James Eayrs, who had 19 points, led the game with 11 rebounds.

The Penguins now go on the road Wednesday night for a big conference matchup against Cleveland State, a team they defeated 64-60 in Youngstown less than a month ago. Tip off is set for 7 p.m.

mollica@vindy.com