Valparaiso beats Youngstown State 74-71

Published Jan. 23, 2014 9:48 p.m. ET

foxsports

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (AP) Lavonte Dority scored 27 points Thursday night, including the game-winning free throw, and Valparaiso rallied to beat Youngstown State 74-71.

Jubril Adekoya scored 13 for the Crusaders (12-9, 4-2 Horizon) and Moussa Gueye 11.

Ryan Weber put Youngstown State (12-9, 3-3) up 11-8 with a trey and the Penguins pulled away to a 36-27 half-time lead.

Adekoya tied it at 40 in the second half with a layup and Valparaiso pulled ahead by five on a free throw by Dority, but Youngstown came back to lead 49-47 on a jumper by DJ Cole. Keith Carter's jumper put Valparaiso up 66-65 with 1:37 left and the lead flip-flopped until Dority hit a pair of free throws for a 72-68 lead. Youngstown State's Kendrick Perry made it 72-71 with a 3-pointer, but the Penguins got no closer.

Bobby Hain led Youngstown with 16 points, Perry had 15, Weber 14 and Cole 12.