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Friday | Nov. 18 @ 7 p.m. |
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James A. Rhodes Arena | Akron, Ohio |
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Ticket Information |
Game Preview
- Youngstown State will make the short day trip to Akron for a Friday night contest against the Zips. Tipoff at James A. Rhodes Arena is set for 7 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on 570 WKBN and ESPN3.
- The Penguins are 1-1 on the early season following a 77-63 loss on Tuesday at Penn State. YSU trailed 33-32 at halftime and led 41-35 in the opening minutes of the third quarter. The Lady Lions answered with a 11-0 run over nearly five minutes, and YSU was never able to regain the lead. Paige Shy scored a career-high 19 points against the Lady Lions to build off of a 16-point performance in YSU's season-opening 81-72 victory over Wofford. Lilly Ritz battled foul trouble and finished with 12 points.
- The Penguins won the school's first regular-season conference title in 23 years last season as it shared the Horizon League crown with IUPUI. YSU went 24-7 overall and advanced to the Women's NIT behind what was largely a roster full of new faces. Now in 2022-23, five players return – Mady Aulbach, Callahan, Magestro, Lilly Ritz and Shy – who started at least 20 games on last year's team that hung a championship banner.
- While the core of the roster is familiar, the target on the Penguins' back is not. For the first time in program history, Youngstown State was picked as the preseason favorite to win the Horizon League by the conference's coaches. Last season, YSU was picked to finish seventh in the preseason poll.
- Ritz is the reigning Horizon League Player of the Week after her 27-point, 20-rebound performance against Wofford. She was named to the All-Horizon League First Team in 2021-22 after ranking among the top three in the conference in scoring, rebounding, field-goal percentage, double-doubles and steals.
- This is YSU's 10th season under Head Coach John Barnes, who was named the Horizon League Coach of the Year in 2021-22. Barnes is second in career victories at YSU with 152, and his .559 winning percentage is the third-best mark in school history.
Youngstown State vs. Akron
A Win Would...
- Improve YSU's record to 2-1 this season.
- Be YSU's second straight over Akron and its third against the Zips in the last four meetings.
- Snap a four-game skid at James A. Rhodes Arena.
- Be Head Coach John Barnes' 309th career victory and his 153rd at YSU
Scouting Akron
- Akron is 1-1 this season with a 74-67 loss at Oakland and an impressive 85-69 victory over Dayton. The Zips opened on the road, and their win over the Flyers was at James A. Rhodes Arena. Akron was 8-4 at home last season.
- Reagan Bass is averaging 21.5 points through two games, and Layne Ferrell is averaging 17.5. Rachel Martindale is averaging 9.5 points and has made six of Akron's 13 3-pointers.
- Akron is shooting 51.9 percent from the field, which is the eighth-best percentage in the country.
- The Zips were picked to finish eighth in the MAC preseason poll, and Bass was a preseason second-team selection.
Series History
Overall: Youngstown State leads 40-19
Barnes: 3-5 • Home: 20-6 • Away: 15-12 • Neutral: 5-1
Current Win Streak: 1 by Youngstown State
Youngstown State and Akron had played each other every season since 1996-97 until the game in 2020 was canceled due to COVID-19. YSU has played Akron more than any team that isn't currently in the Horizon League.
Youngstown State has won 40 of the previous 59 meetings, and the teams have split the last 18 bouts since 2003. The Penguins have won four of the last five contests at Beeghly Center, but they have not beaten the Zips in Akron since a 78-72 win in 2011.
Last Meeting vs. Akron
- Behind a raucous crowd and a feisty will to win, Youngstown State had to grind through a tough night offensively to defeat Akron 57-55 on Nov. 15, 2021, at Beeghly Center.
- In the first game in front of home fans in 631 days, the Penguins played tenacious defense in the battle of Northeast Ohio opponents. Both teams shot below 33 percent from the field, but Youngstown State made four 3-pointers in the fourth period to escape with the win.
- Malia Magestro scored 13 of her 16 points in the second half and went 4-for-6 from 3-point range in the game. Lilly Ritz posted her first double-double as a Penguin with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
- Akron's Jordyn Dawson had game highs of 19 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. The Zips led 21-12 after a Dawson 3-pointer at the 7:43 mark of the second quarter. The Penguins held the Zips to just two points the rest of the half, and Magestro's first 3-pointer of the night gave YSU its first lead at 24-23 with 2:04 left. That same score held until the end of the half.
- Magestro and Callahan hit 3-pointers to give YSU a 55-49 lead with 2:14 left, but the Penguins were 2-for-8 from the free-throw line down the stretch. Akron missed two free throws with 2.8 seconds left that would have tied the score, and YSU held on to win 57-55.
Nov. 18 in YSU History
- Youngstown State is 4-5 all-time in games played on Nov. 18, and the Penguins are playing on the date for the second straight year.
- In 2021, YSU had its earliest start ever to Horizon League play and beat Oakland 79-68 on the road. The Penguins shot 60 percent in the opening quarter to open up a 23-13 lead, and they held a 61-41 lead after three quarters.
- The Penguins have won four of their last four games played on Nov. 18 with a win over Bryant in 2012, a win at Kent State in 2014, a win at Loyola Chicago in 2017 and last year's win over Oakland.
- Brianne Kenneally delivered a 33-point performance at Bowling Green on Nov. 18, 2000. Brandi Brown grabbed 19 rebounds in the win against Bryant on Nov. 18, 2012.
Recapping Penn State
- Penn State scored 11 straight points in the third quarter to fight off Youngstown State for a 77-63 win on Tuesday evening at the Bryce Jordan Center.
- The Penguins trailed 33-32 at halftime, and they hit 3-pointers on their first three possessions of the second period to take a 41-35 lead. Penn State answered by scoring 11 straight points over nearly five minutes, and YSU was never able to reclaim the lead.
- Paige Shy scored a career-high 19 points and made five of Youngstown State's 10 3-pointers. Lilly Ritz scored all 12 of her points in the second half, and Mady Aulbach scored all eight of her points in the third period.
- Makenna Marisa scored 15 of her 21 points in the second half, and Leilani Kapinus matched her with 21 points for Penn State.
- Youngstown State shot 50 percent from the field, including making 15-of-22 from inside the 3-point arc, and it had 19 assists on its 25 field goals. However, Penn State forced the Penguins into 26 turnovers, and the Lady Lions used their plus-six edge in turnover margin and 10 offensive rebounds to attempt nine more field goals and 14 more free throws.
- Penn State committed 20 turnovers, and YSU converted those into 27 points.
- Youngstown State finished 10-for-28 from 3-point range, including 5-for-11 in the second half. The Penguins were 5-for-17 from long distance in the first half as forwards Ritz and Emily Saunders were whistled for two fouls.
- Ritz was whistled for her second foul 15 seconds into the second quarter. Saunders got her her second foul at the 5:37 mark with YSU ahead 22-19. Jen Wendler gave the Penguins quality play the rest of the half.
- Ritz didn't even attempt a field goal in the first half. She had three rebounds in 7:11 and sat until the third quarter. While her scoring output was less than half of the 27 points she had against Wofford, Ritz did have four steals and was 6-for-8 shooting.
- Saunders was 3-for-3 and Wendler ws 1-for-1, meaning YSU's three post playres were a combined 10-for-12 from the field against the Lady Lions.
- Shay-Lee Kirby made her first 3-pointer as a Penguin, and it capped a 7-0 run that gave YSU a 20-14 lead with 7:53 left in the second quarter.
- Aulbach was 3-for-4 from the field and 2-for-2 from 3-point range for eight points. She was held scoreless in the season opener against Wofford.
- Hazardous winter weather forced the game to start 10 minutes late, and neither team scored until Shy hit a 3-pointer at the 7:23 mark.
Up Next
- Youngstown State will play another road game against a Mid-American Conference as it travels to play at Western Michigan on Tuesday. It will be the Penguins' first trip to Kalamazoo, Mich., since 2010.
