The Youngstown State women’s basketball team had a frantic comeback bid in the fourth quarter come up short, and the Penguins fell 66-58 at Milwaukee on Saturday afternoon.

YSU led 32-23 with 2:37 left in the first half after Malia Magestro made three 3-pointers in a span of 74 seconds. However, the Panthers scored the final eight points of the second quarter as part of a 24-2 run that stretched nearly nine minutes into the third quarter.

Milwaukee extended its lead to 55-39 a minute into the fourth, but the Penguins went on a 21-3 burst to get within 60-58 with 2:20 remaining. YSU did not score the rest of the contest, and Milwaukee’s Kamy Peppler hit a dagger 3-pointer with 24 seconds left to give the Panthers a five-point cushion. UWM added three free throws for the final tally.

Magestro led the Penguins with 18 points, and she made four of the team’s nine 3-pointers. Dena Jarrells finished with 17 points while making three 3s, and Emily Saunders had nine points and nine rebounds.

Peppler, who leads the Horizon League in 3-pointers, finished with 24 points on five 3s, one two and seven free throws. Milwaukee also had nine 3-pointers, and the Panthers made a triple in the final 30 seconds of each quarter.

Youngstown State is now 6-12 overall and 2-6 in Horizon League play, and Milwaukee is 10-9 and 4-4.

YSU scored on its first three possessions of the game and led 8-2 after three minutes, and the Penguins held a 14-9 advantage at the end of the opening period. The Panthers, without leading scorer Kendall Nead, had three players get whistled for two fouls in the quarter, including Peppler.

Jarrells’ second 3 of the first 11 minutes gave YSU a 17-11 lead early in the second quarter, but Milwaukee went on a 9-2 run and took its first lead at 20-19. Saunders put the Penguins back up 21-20, and Magestro hit a long two and three 3-pointers from the 4:28 mark to the 2:37 mark as Youngstown State took its largest lead of the day at 32-23.

After Magestro’s 3 with 2:37 remaining in the second period, YSU’s only points until the 1:17 mark of the third was a layup by Abby Liber with 4:33 on the third-quarter clock. By the time Paige Shy hit a 3 with 1:17 left, Milwaukee had built a 50-37 lead.

Jorey Buwalda hit a 3-pointer in the final seconds to extend the Panthers’ lead to 53-39, and she made two free throws to start the fourth to give UWM its largest lead at 16.

Despite suffering through a 2-for-19 stretch after Magestro’s 3-pointer in the second quarter, Youngstown State kept fighting and made a run at a huge comeback. Shy followed Buwalda’s free throws with a 3-pointer, a free throw by Magestro, and a long two by Jarrells that was originally ruled a 3 followed as YSU got within 55-45 with 7:22 on the clock.

Milwaukee’s lead was 59-48 when the Penguins made one last charge and held the Panthers without a field goal for more than four-and-a-half minutes. Magestro hit a 3 near the end of the shot clock to make it a one-possession game at 59-56 with 2:47 left, and Jarrells followed a Milwaukee free throw with a layup to make the score 60-58 with 2:20 remaining.

YSU missed on its next trip down the floor, and the Penguins’ possession that began with 1:16 left resulted in a shot clock violation. Milwaukee called timeout with 11 seconds on the shot clock and 29 on the game clock on its next possession, and two Penguins defenders collided after the inbounds pass. That left Peppler wide open in front of the Milwaukee bench, and she banked in the opportunity to put Milwaukee up 63-58.

YSU was turned away on its next two possessions, and Milwaukee went 3-for-4 from the free-throw line.

Youngstown State will begin a three-game homestand on Thursday by hosting Purdue Fort Wayne at 6:30 p.m.

The Youngstown State women’s basketball team had a frantic comeback bid in the fourth quarter come up short, and the Penguins fell 66-58 at Milwaukee on Saturday afternoon.

YSU led 32-23 with 2:37 left in the first half after Malia Magestro made three 3-pointers in a span of 74 seconds. However, the Panthers scored the final eight points of the second quarter as part of a 24-2 run that stretched nearly nine minutes into the third quarter.

Milwaukee extended its lead to 55-39 a minute into the fourth, but the Penguins went on a 21-3 burst to get within 60-58 with 2:20 remaining. YSU did not score the rest of the contest, and Milwaukee’s Kamy Peppler hit a dagger 3-pointer with 24 seconds left to give the Panthers a five-point cushion. UWM added three free throws for the final tally.

Magestro led the Penguins with 18 points, and she made four of the team’s nine 3-pointers. Dena Jarrells finished with 17 points while making three 3s, and Emily Saunders had nine points and nine rebounds.

Peppler, who leads the Horizon League in 3-pointers, finished with 24 points on five 3s, one two, and seven free throws. Milwaukee also had nine 3-pointers, and the Panthers made a triple in the final 30 seconds of each quarter.

Youngstown State is now 6-12 overall and 2-6 in Horizon League play, and Milwaukee is 10-9 and 4-4.

YSU scored on its first three possessions of the game and led 8-2 after three minutes, and the Penguins held a 14-9 advantage at the end of the opening period. The Panthers, without leading scorer Kendall Nead, had three players get whistled for two fouls in the quarter, including Peppler.

Jarrells’ second 3 of the first 11 minutes gave YSU a 17-11 lead early in the second quarter, but Milwaukee went on a 9-2 run and took its first lead at 20-19. Saunders put the Penguins back up 21-20, and Magestro hit a long two and three 3-pointers from the 4:28 mark to the 2:37 mark as Youngstown State took its largest lead of the day at 32-23.

After Magestro’s 3 with 2:37 remaining in the second period, YSU’s only points until the 1:17 mark of the third was a layup by Abby Liber with 4:33 on the third-quarter clock. By the time Paige Shy hit a 3 with 1:17 left, Milwaukee had built a 50-37 lead.

Jorey Buwalda hit a 3-pointer in the final seconds to extend the Panthers’ lead to 53-39, and she made two free throws to start the fourth to give UWM its largest lead at 16.

Despite suffering through a 2-for-19 stretch after Magestro’s 3-pointer in the second quarter, Youngstown State kept fighting and made a run at a huge comeback. Shy followed Buwalda’s free throws with a 3-pointer, a free throw by Magestro, and a long two by Jarrells that was originally ruled a 3 followed as YSU got within 55-45 with 7:22 on the clock.

Milwaukee’s lead was 59-48 when the Penguins made one last charge and held the Panthers without a field goal for more than four-and-a-half minutes. Magestro hit a 3 near the end of the shot clock to make it a one-possession game at 59-56 with 2:47 left, and Jarrells followed a Milwaukee free throw with a layup to make the score 60-58 with 2:20 remaining.

YSU missed on its next trip down the floor, and the Penguins’ possession that began with 1:16 left resulted in a shot clock violation. Milwaukee called timeout with 11 seconds on the shot clock and 29 on the game clock on its next possession, and two Penguins defenders collided after the inbounds pass. That left Peppler wide open in front of the Milwaukee bench, and she banked in the opportunity to put Milwaukee up 63-58.

YSU was turned away on its next two possessions, and Milwaukee went 3-for-4 from the free-throw line.

Youngstown State will begin a three-game homestand on Thursday by hosting Purdue Fort Wayne at 6:30 p.m.

Source:  Youngstown State University