Tribune Chronicle / John Vargo Valparaiso’s Maya Meredith is guarded by Youngstown State’s Indiya Benjamin during Saturday’s game at the Beeghly Center. YSU won 76-70 for the Penguins second straight win.

YOUNGSTOWN — Momentum. It’s something the Youngstown State women’s basketball team has after Thursday’s first Horizon League victory, followed by a second straight win on Saturday.

The Penguins were down by six late in the second quarter, but rallied back to handle Valparaiso, 76-70, at the Beeghly Center.

Alison Smolinski, who had a team-high 19 points, had a layup and four free throws in the final minute to secure the win. Smolinski was in concussion protocol the past couple of games after an injury during the first half of the Northern Kentucky game on Jan. 7.

“It feels really good to be cleared to play,” Smolinski said.

It was good to see the 5-9 sophomore forward back on the court, YSU coach John Barnes said.

“We struggled without her, with her ability to shoot the ball,” he said. “She brings a lot of energy. She’s athletic. She can defend. To have her back is very nice.

“After being out for seven days and coming in and performing like that is pretty special.”

Caitlin Morrison made a 3-pointer with about a minute before intermission as Valparaiso (5-12, 0-6 Horizon League) led 35-29 and held a 35-30 halftime lead.

Indiya Benjamin’s jumper with six minutes left in the third quarter tied the game at 39.

YSU (6-10, 2-3) didn’t start to pull away until Smolinski’s 3-pointer with 16 seconds left in the third gave the Penguins a 50-46 lead heading into the final quarter. She scored 17 of her 19 points in the second half, going 3-of-5 from 3, 6-of-9 from the floor and 4-of-4 from the foul line.

But it wasn’t just Smolinski. Walk-on Morgan Brunner had her fourth game in double figures with 17 points. She stepped in for Smolinski when she was out of action.

“She’s doing great,” Smolinski said. “People really need to step up. She’s taking all the opportunities she’s given. She’s a hard worker.”

YSU had used the momentum shift through the fourth quarter as Smolinski gave YSU its biggest lead of 12 with a 3-pointer with 7:35 remaining, 60-48.

The Crusaders didn’t quit. YSU’s Kelley Wright was raked across the face by Valparaiso’s Dani Franklin, and Wright was visibly shaken by the contact with about six minutes left. Franklin cruised in for a layup, cutting Valpo’s deficit to 60-54. Franklin ended with 12 points.

Barnes was pleading in vain with the officials for a foul call, even telling them that Wright was hit in the face.

Valparaiso added another basket on Meredith Hamlet’s basket, cutting the YSU advantage to 60-56 with 4:24 remaining. Hamlet led all scorers with 28.

Then, as she did before, Smolinski made another 3 with 4:13 remaining to put YSU up 65-58. Wright eventually re-entered the game, making two free throws with less than 3 minutes remaining for a 67-58 lead.

“It’s a physical game and you get hit,” Barnes said. “She bounced back and shook it off, came back in and did a great job and made some free throws down the stretch.

“She knows that’s her job, and she did it.”

It took a while for the young Penguins to get there, shooting less than 30 percent in the first quarter. Freshman center Mary Dunn had 18 points.

“It’s a slow process, a tough process, but we’re figuring it out,” Barnes said. “I thought in the first half we took some bad shots. We probably took five to six bad shot and allowed them to get back in the game, take the lead.

“The second half we settled down and pressured a little bit more and sped up. In turn, we sped up, which helped us offensively to get downhill and get some open shots for our shooters. When we’re hitting 3s, they have to pay attention. Then, we get it into Mary. Mary ended up with 18 points. That’s the way we try to play.”

On Monday, YSU looks to continue the momentum as it hosts Cleveland State at 7 p.m., to conclude a three-game homestand.