Kendrick Perry's 3-pointer with 20.9 seconds remaining capped a Penguins comeback from 10 points down in the final 5:27 and was the final points in thrilling 62-60 victory over Butler on Thursday night at the Beeghly Center.
With 5:27 left in the contest, Butler built a 57-47 lead, but the Penguins were not about to back down.
Perry got the rally started with a 3-pointer and Ashen Ward's basket closed the deficit to 57-52 with 4:12 left. Matt Howard increased the Butler advantage to 60-52 but that was the final time the Bulldogs scored the rest of the contest.
Ward answered Howard's triple with one of his own at the 3:27 mark pulling the Guins within 60-55. Following two offensive rebounds, Ward cashed in from 14 feet bringing the Penguins within 60-57.
The offensive glass was key for the Penguins again when Damian Eagle grabbed a Blake Allen miss and his putback with 1:16 remaining brought YSU within 60-59.
Butler had an opportunity to increase the advantage, but Sheldon Mack missed a 3-pointer with 40 seconds remaining.
Twenty seconds later, Vytas Sulskis found Perry who drained a step-back 3-pointer with 20.9 seconds putting the Guins on top 62-60.
Butler had a shot but Howard's shot from the paint was long and Eargle grabbed his nine board of the contest. With only two team fouls and just 6.7 seconds left, the Bulldogs were forced to foul quickly.
YSU had two chances at the free-throw line to close out the contest. Allen missed with 4.6 seconds left, but Howard threw the ball out of bounds just past midcourt.
Ward was fouled with 2.1 ticks left, but he missed the front end of the one-and-one and Mack grabbed the rebound. However his desparation attempt was well short.
For the game, YSU shot 45.6 percent (26-of-57), including a 50-percent effort in the second half. The Guins made seven 3-pointers on the night, all in the second half.
Butler shot 39.7 percent (23-of-58) for the contest and went 9-of-24 from behind the arc.
With the win, YSU improves to 8-14 on the year and 2-10 in the Horizon League. Butler is now 14-9 and 6-5.
Eargle scored 16 points while Perry had 14 and Allen finished with 11. Mack led the Bulldogs with 18 points.
The first half featured six ties and three lead changes.
YSU built a 25-18 lead on a Blake Allen jumper with 3:21 left in the first half. However, the Bulldogs held the Guins scoreless the remained of the period pulling with three at the break thanks to basketballs by Mack and Andrew Smith.
Eargle had 10 points for YSU while Smith scored a team-high nine for Butler.
Butler jumped out to a 7-2 lead, but five straight Penguin points tied the contest at seven. From that point, neither team held more than a two-point lead until YSU reeled off seven straight points turning an 18-17 deficit into a 25-18 lead with 3:21 remaining.
The Penguins harassed the Bulldogs into 10 turnovers while committing just one. That lone turnover came on an offensive foul by Sulskis with 40 seconds left before halftime. Butler dominated the boards holding a 26-13 bulge on the glass. YSU shot 40.7 percent (11-of-27) compared to Butler's 32.3 percent (10-of-31). Both teams combined to go 1-of-12 from behind the 3-point arc.
The Penguins play host to Valparaiso on Saturday night at the Beeghly Center. Tipoff is set for 7:05 p.m.
