Jan. 31, 2012

Box Score

  

MILWAUKEE - Kendrick Perry scored 30 points and Youngstown State held off a late rally by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in claiming a 73-65 win Tuesday night at the U.S. Cellular Arena.

Milwaukee saw a 24-23 first-half lead turn into a 61-43 deficit with 6:48 to play in the game. The Panthers did cut the lead to six with just under two minutes left but could get no closer.

Kaylon Williams had 17 points, Kyle Kelm 12 and Tony Meier 10 for Milwaukee (14-10, 7-5), which dropped its second-straight home game.

The Penguins (12-9, 7-4 Horizon) set the tone by making seven 3-pointers among their 12 field goals in the first half. Then, YSU made 50 percent of its shots in the second 20 minutes to hang on for the road win.

"We're not playing very good basketball right now and Youngstown State really exploited the areas we are struggling with," UWM head coach Rob Jeter said. "Until we can figure that out as a group, as individuals and as a team, it is just going to be an uphill battle every game."

UWM looked like it settled in offensively midway through the first half, hitting five of six shots in a mini-run. But the Panthers then made just 37 percent of their shots in the second half while converting only 9-of-21 from the foul line for the game.

"Things are starting to carry over," Jeter said. "Our struggles on the offensive end are starting to carry over on the defensive end. Our struggles on the free throw line are starting to carry over again on the defensive end. When things are going good for us, we're pretty good. But they are not always going to go that way. We have to make sure that we at least can be consistent in something. It's been our defense all season and tonight it wasn't."

The Panthers found themselves playing from behind nearly the entire game. Youngstown State scored the first five points of the game and eventually led 14-9 on a layin by Damian Eargle. The Panthers did fight back to tie the game at 14 and grabbed an 18-17 lead on a James Haarsma layin.

YSU then scored the next six points to claim a 23-18 advantage, but Milwaukee countered with six in a row itself to capture a 24-23 lead. Unfortunately for the Panthers, the next run belonged to the Penguins, as YSU hit three 3-pointers in a row to build a 32-24 advantage.

Milwaukee did pull back to within 35-28 on a tip-in by Paris Gulley at the end of the first half, but YSU started the second half by scoring the first six points to lead 41-28. The Panthers did again cut the deficit to nine at 48-39, but YSU scored 13 of the next 17 points to claim a 61-43 advantage.

UWM used full-court pressure to mount a furious rally from there. A three-point play by Williams brought the Panthers to within 61-49 and another layin by Williams made it 65-58 with 2:50 left. On the next possession, Gulley had a three-pointer that would have cut the deficit to four roll in and out. UWM did eventually get to within six but could not get over the hump.

Milwaukee now heads to the road Saturday, playing at Green Bay in a 1 p.m. contest.