Penguins rally to defeat Bucknell

Staff report

LEWISBURG, Pa.

Kenya Middlebrooks made two free throws with 9.8 seconds remaining to lift the Youngstown State University women’s basketball team to a 57-56 win at Bucknell on Wednesday evening at Sojka Pavilion.

Youngstown State (2-1) has won back-to-back non-conference games on the road for the first time since November 2004.

The Penguins trailed by 17 early in the second half and were down 56-48 with two minutes left.

Brandi Brown’s three-point play cut the margin to five, and, after a Bucknell turnover on a five-second violation, another three-point play by Middlebrooks made the score 56-54 with 1:53 left.

Brown went 1-for-2 from the line with 14.4 seconds remaining, and Middlebrooks was fouled on a jumper following an offensive rebound. She sank both free throws, and Bucknell’s Amy Zehner missed a 12-foot jumper as time expired.

Middlebrooks scored all 10 of her points in the second half, and Brown scored 12 on an off night shooting. Zehner led all scorers with 25 points.

Youngstown State will host American in its Beeghly Center opener on Monday at 7:05 p.m.

Slippery Rock 67, Ursuline 59

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa.

Slippery Rock University parlayed the “double-double” efforts of post players Jasmine Cooper and Danielle Smith into its first women’s basketball win.

Cooper scored 23 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, both of which were game-high totals, and Smith added 16 points and 13 rebounds as The Rock evened their season record at 1-1.

Point guard Paris Thomas scored nine points, handed out nine assists, grabbed five rebounds and recorded four steals. Shooting guard Sherita Stanley added seven points and eight rebounds.

Jaylene Taylor led Ursuline College (0-2) with 17 points and eight rebounds and Brooke Trauthwein added eight points and seven rebounds in a substitute role.