The Youngstown State women's basketball team scored seven points in the final 62 seconds of regulation to force overtime, but UIC regrouped in the extra session as the Penguins dropped a hard-fought 76-68 decision to the Flames on Saturday afternoon at the Beeghly Center.
Trailing 63-56 with just over a minute left in regulation, Kenya Middlebrooks ingnited the comeback by draining a 3-pointer. After three straight turnovers, Monica Touvelle faked Taylor Foulks in the air, dribbled to her left and knocked down a 3-pointer with 15.9 seconds remaining.
On the ensuing inbounds pass, Tieara Jones and Middlebrooks forced Shamiea Green to lose the ball out of bounds as just 0.3 seconds ticked off the clock.
Kelsea Fickiesen drove the lane and was fouled with 11.3 seconds left. Fickiesen's first shot rimmed out, but her second was good. UIC had one final chance to win in regulation, but Fickiesen stole the inbounds pass, raced 50 feet up the court and her desparation shot came up just short.
In overtime, UIC caught fire making 4-of-5 shots. Foulks opened the extra period with a 3-pointer and after two YSU turnovers she drained another triple. Touvelle connected from 3-point range with 2:00 left, but the Flames scored eight straight points to earn the victory.
With the loss, the Penguins are now 8-8 overall and 2-3 in the Horizon League. UIC improves to 10-7 and 3-3.
Leading the way for the Penguins was Brandi Brown who scored 25 points and had eight rebounds. Touvelle scored a career-best 19 points.
For the game, UIC shot 56 percent (28-of-50) and was 13-of-16 from the line. YSU was 26-of-61 from the field (42.6 percent), 14-of-39 (35.9 percent) from behind the 3-point arc and 2-of-7 from the free-throw line. The 14 3-pointers were one shy of the school record.
YSU trailed by as many as 12 with 11 minutes left in regulation before finally tying the contest in the waning seconds.
YSU came out strong scoring 11 of the game's first 14 points. After Middlebrooks drained a 3-pointer for the Guins' first basket of the game, Brown followed with eight straight points and knocked down a pair of 3-pointers.
However, the Penguins went scoreless for the next 6:12 while the Flames proceded to score 12 straight points building a 15-11 advantage. A 3-pointer by Nortey stopped the run and pulled the Guins within 15-14.
Touvelle drained a 3-pointer and Brown knocked down a jumper at th 7:17 mark putting the Penguins in front 19-16, but the Flames regained the lead 21-19 on a 3-pointer by Foulks with 5:20 remaining.
YSU led 24-23 with 3:40 left in the first half, but the Flames closed on a 7-0 run to grab a 30-24 advantage at halftime. Foulks had five of UIC's final seven points in the half.
The first half featured five lead changes and two ties. YSU shot 34.6 percent from the field making 9-of-26 shots, including hitting 6-of-16 3-point attempts. UIC was 10-of-22 (45.5 percent) and 4-of-8 from behind the 3-point line. The teams combined for 26 turnovers, 15 of which were by YSU.
Brown had 12 points and five rebounds while knocking down five of the Guins' nine field goals. The four other made field goals were all 3-pointers by guards.
The Penguins return to action on Thursday when they begin a two-game swing through Wisconsin with a contest against No. 12 Green Bay. Tipoff at the Kress Events Center is set for 8 p.m. and can be heard on 570 WKBN
