Game Preview
- Youngstown State will try to keep rolling toward the end of its non-conference schedule as it hosts Saint Francis U on Friday. Tipoff against the Red Flash at Beeghly Center is set for 5:15 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on 570 WKBN and ESPN+. It will be part of a doubleheader with the YSU men, who will play at 8 p.m.
- Youngstown State has won five straight games, and it has two more contests at home before the holiday break. The winning streak began with a victory over another Northeast Conference opponent, St. Francis Brooklyn, on Nov. 26, and YSU has also beaten Northern Kentucky, Wright State, WVU Tech and Canisius during this stretch.
- This is the eighth different season in Head Coach John Barnes' 10 years that YSU has had a five-game winning streak. The Penguins have assembled 11 five-game winning streaks in Barnes' tenure, an amazing feat considering the program had one in the 13 seasons before his arrival.
- YSU has showcased its defense during the streak as opponents are shooting 32.1% from the field and averaging 49.4 points per game over the last five contests.
- Offensively, Lilly Ritz averaged 23 points and shot 83.3% from the field in leading YSU to a pair of wins last week. She scored 20 points in 6:35 of game action against WVU Tech, and she had 26 points on 12-of-16 shooting against Canisius. Ritz ranks second in the Horizon League in scoring (18.7 per game), and she is first in rebounding (10.7 per game), field-goal percentage (.611) and double-doubles (5).
- From the perimeter, Malia Magestro is averaging 16.8 points per game during the Penguins' five-game winning streak. Megan Callahan is averaging 11.6 points and shooting 55.6% from beyond the arc in the last five games.
- This is the 50th anniversary season of Beeghly Center, which opened in 1972-73. YSU is 50-15 at home since the start of the 2018-19 season for a .769 winning percentage, and it is 25-5 in its last 30 games on Rosselli Court.
- The Penguins have won 21 of their last 23 home games against non-conference opponents in the regular season.
- YSU will enjoy a 2-0 Horizon League record until after the holiday break as the next two games will be non-conference contests. The Penguins are 2-0 to start Horizon League play for the fourth time in the last five years.
- 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. In 2022-23, five players return – Mady Aulbach, Megan Callahan, Malia Magestro, Lilly Ritz and Paige Shy – who started at least 20 games on last year's team.
- 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.
- 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 157, and his .563 winning percentage is the third-best mark in school history.
Tickets, Promotions & Fan Information
Tickets | Gameday & Parking Information | Visitors Guide | Promotional Schedule | YSU Mobile App - iOS - Android
- Advance tickets for Friday's game are available on YSUsports.com, over the phone at (330) 941-1978 or at the Stambaugh Stadium Athletics Ticket Office. The Beeghly Center Ticket Office and gates will open at 4:15 p.m. on Friday.
- Promotions
- Hot Dog Wally Night: $2 hot dogs
- $5 Ticket Night: Come celebrate the holiday season with the Penguins and receive a $5 GA ticket
- Veterans Appreciation Game presented by NECA-IBEW
Youngstown State vs. Saint Francis U
A Win Would...
- Improve YSU's record to 7-3 this season.
- Be the Penguins' sixth straight victory.
- Give YSU three straight over the Red Flash.
- Be Head Coach John Barnes' 313th career victory and his 157th at YSU.
Scouting the Red Flash
- Saint Francis U will be looking for its first victory of the season on Friday. This is the Red Flash's seventh road game, and they have played in six different states so far this season.
- Flippa Goula and Aaliyah Moore are both averaging 8.3 points per game, and Moore is averaging an impressive 9.7 rebounds per contest. Adison Novosel leads SFU with 12 3-pointers.
- The Red Flash were picked to finish fourth in the NEC preseason poll.
Series History
Overall: Youngstown State leads 4-3
Barnes: 3-1 • Home: 2-1 • Away: 2-2 • Neutral: 0-0
Current Win Streak: 2 by Youngstown State
- Youngstown State has a 4-3 edge in the all-time series, and the Penguins are 3-1 against the Red Flash under Head Coach John Barnes. All seven meetings have come since the 2007-08 season.
- Three of the games in the series have been decided by one point or gone to overtime, and the other four have been double-digit decisions. YSU had one-point wins in 2007 and 2016, a 24-point win at Beeghly Center in 2018 and a 10-point victory at DeGol Arena in 2019.
Last Meeting vs. Saint Francis U
- Four YSU starters scored 11 or 12 points, and YSU used a strong defensive effort to beat Saint Francis U 56-46 at DeGol Arena on Dec. 7, 2019.
- The Penguins won despite shooting just 32.1 percent from the field. The Penguins outscored the Red Flash 15-3 at the free-throw line, and they held SFU scoreless for the first seven minutes of the fourth period to turn a six-point cushion into an insurmountable 15-point advantage.
- YSU led for 38:34 in the game and trailed for just nine seconds.
- The Penguins committed just seven turnovers, and they were plus-nine in turnover margin.
- Jen Wendler led the Penguins with 12 points in 20 minutes as she battled foul trouble. Wendler was 2-for-6 from the field and 8-for-10 from the free-throw line.
Dec. 16 in YSU History
- YSU is 7-5 all-time on Dec. 16, and it has won its last three meetings on the date. Each of those victories have come with Coach John Barnes at the helm. YSU's last meeting on the date resulted in a 69-67 victory over Northern Arizona in 2017.
- The Penguins made 15 3s, tied for fourth-most in program history, in the win over Lake Erie in 2015.
Recapping Canisius
Game Summary
Lilly Ritz scored 26 points, and the Penguins played strong defense to beat Canisius 75-50 on Dec. 10 at Beeghly Center. Ritz's 26 points came on 12-for-16 shooting from the field, and she helped YSU hold a 40-20 scoring advantage in the paint. Ritz scored 12 points during a 31-8 run to close the first half as the Penguins went from down 8-7 to up 38-16. Ritz had 16 points at halftime, and Megan Callahan scored a dozen of her 15 points. Defensively, YSU held Canisius a .327 field-goal percentage and forced 21 turnovers.
Notes
Dominating the Boards: One of Youngstown State's strengths in the first nine games of the season has been its rebounding, and YSU showed that again by outrebounding the Golden Griffins 41-28. YSU is currently outrebounding its opponents by an average of 7.8 per game, which is nearly double what any other Horizon League is averaging. The Penguins have won the rebounding battle in seven games, and they've been at least plus-13 in four of their last five contests.
Callahan Keeps the Hot Hand: Megan Callahan was 3-for-6 from 3-point range and 6-for-6 from the free-throw line in a 15-point effort against Canisius. Callahan has made multiple 3-pointers in five straight games and is averaging 11.6 points per game during the Penguins' five-game winning streak.
Ritz Finishes Solid Week: Lilly Ritz scored 26 points in 29 minutes to finish off a very impressive week. Lilly Ritz averaged 23 points and shot 83.3% from the field in leading YSU to a pair of wins. Against the Golden Griffins, she was 12-for-16 from the field, which followed an 8-for-8 effort against WVU Tech.
Quick Hitters: Mady Aulbach was the primary defender on Canisius guard Dani Haskell, who scored six points on 2-for-10 shooting... Haskell came in averaging 14.1 points... Shay-Lee Kirby scored seven points and tied her career high with eight rebounds... She is averaging 10 points and seven rebounds over the last two contests... Paige Shy was held scoreless but still positively impacted the game with four rebounds, a steal and a block, and she had four assists without committing a turnover... Dena Jarrells scored eight points, and she made a 3-po;niter for the third straight game... She is averaging 8.7 points and 5.3 assists while shooting 46.2% from beyond the arc over the last three games... YSU held the lead after the first quarter for the eighth time in the first nine games of the season... The Penguins trailed for just 35 seconds in the game, and they've been behind a total of 5:48 in their four home games... YSU has led by double digits for 95:06 of the past 120 minutes of game play going back to the Wright State game.
Up Next
Youngstown State will conclude the non-conference portion of its schedule on Dec. 21 as it hosts Mount Vernon Nazarene at 11 a.m. in the Ninth Annual School Field Trip Game presented by Chick-fil-A.
