Vytas Sulskis scored 25 points and Damian Eargle 24 as Youngstown State pulled away late to beat Malone 78-62 on Monday night.
Eargle made 11 of 13 shots and Sulskis 10 of 12. The rest of the Penguins (5-4) made just 11 of 44, however, and they trailed the Pioneers (7-4), an NAIA opponent, 45-43 with 13:19 remaining.
The game was tied for the ninth time, 49-49, with 10:59 left before Youngstown State used an 11-2 burst over the next 1:38 to pull ahead 60-51. Sulskis started the run with two 3-pointers.
Nick Watts' 3-pointer for Malone made it 60-54, but the Pioneers failed to hit another field goal in the final 9:10.
Tre Brewer had 13 points and 14 rebounds and Eargle 10 rebounds for the Penguins, who had a 51-29 advantage on the boards. Eargle, the nation's fourth-ranked shot blocker, blocked six, matching his season high.
Eric Coblentz had 21 points for Malone.
