The Youngstown State women’s basketball team defeated Detroit Mercy on Thursday to end a five-game losing streak and earn its first victory since Jan. 26.

After falling behind early in the first quarter, the Penguins led most of the rest of the way en route to a 67-59 win in Detroit.

YSU led 21-15 at the end of the first and took a 35-29 advantage into halftime. After the break, the Penguins slightly extended their lead before holding off the Titans in the fourth quarter.

On the night, the Penguins held Detroit Mercy to just 34.8% shooting from the field, including 5-of-23 from beyond the arc. YSU finished the game having made 53.1% of its field goals and went 4-of-11 on 3-pointers.

The Penguins won Thursday’s contest despite nearly doubling the number of turnovers committed by the Titans; YSU gave away the ball 24 times, 10 more than Detroit Mercy, which only managed 9 more points off of turnovers than the Penguins.

YSU enjoyed an advantage inside, with a 44-to-30 edge in points in the paint. The Titans also struggled with fouls, having committed 21 as a team, more than double that of the Penguins.

Freshman Sophia Gregory led all scorers Thursday with 19 points. She was 9-of-13 from the field and corralled a team-best 12 rebounds for her fourth double-double of her freshman campaign.

Senior Haley Thierry set a new career-high with 18 points on the night. She got off to a hot start in the first half, knocking down layups at both the first quarter and halftime buzzers. Thierry led the Penguins with three steals and finished the night 8-of-9 from the field.

Malia Magestro also finished in double figures Thursday with 10 points.

For the Titans, Emaia O’Brien led the way on both ends; despite struggles shooting from the outside, she finished with a team-high 15 points and game-best five steals before leaving the floor with an injury in the final minutes.

Katie Burton (12) and Makayla Jackson (11) also finished in double figures for Detroit, while Aaliyah McQueen pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds.

YSU’s win splits the season series between the two teams. Detroit Mercy has now lost eight of its last nine games.

The Penguins continue their Michigan road swing on Saturday at Oakland at 2 p.m.