YSU drops second straight, at Butler

Staff/wire report

INDIANAPOLIS

The drought for the Youngstown State men’s basketball team in the Hoosier State continues.

Andrew Smith scored 20 points and led a strong inside game that carried Butler to a 71-55 victory over Youngstown State on Sunday.

Kameron Woods added 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Bulldogs (10-9, 4-3 Horizon), while Jackson Aldridge also had 10 points. Butler outrebounded the Penguins 38-25, leading to a 17-4 advantage in second-chance points.

Ashen Ward led Youngstown State (9-8, 4-3) with 21 points. Kendrick Perry added 10.

The Penguins are 0-12 all-time at Hinkle Field House, Butler’s home court, and coupled with Friday’s loss at Valparaiso, have lost a combined 21 times in the state of Indiana since 2000.

The Bulldogs never trailed after going on an early 11-0 run that put them on top 13-6. Butler turned that into a 34-27 halftime advantage, then used a 9-1 run in the second half to extend the lead to 46-33 with 12:27 remaining.

Butler grabbed its biggest lead, 56-36, when Chrishawn Hopkins nailed a 3-pointer with 8:18 left in the game.

In the first half, the Penguins committed 10 turnovers that led to 12 Butler points and gave up six offensive rebounds which gave the Bulldogs 12 more points.

The Penguins led early, 6-2, after 3-pointers by Blake Allen and DuShawn Brooks before the Bulldogs’ 11-point run.

Ward connected on two 3-pointers and a steal and layup by Perry brought the Penguins within three, 17-14, with 11:13 to go.

A 12-5 run by Butler expanded the Bulldogs’ lead to 10, 29-19, with 6:22 left and led by as many as 11, 34-23, with 1:55 to go before halftime.

The Penguins went into the lockerroom down seven 34-27, after a tip-in by Kendrick Perry and a jumper by Nate Perry.After a Chase Stigall 3-pointer opened the second half scoring to put Butler up 37-27, Damian Eargle’s two baskets cut the lead down to six, 37-31, at the 18:43 mark.

Butler then outscored YSU 15-3 over the next nine minutes.