Game Preview
- Youngstown State resumes Horizon League play by hosting Northeast Ohio rival Cleveland State on Thursday. Tipoff against the Vikings is set for 5:15 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on 570 WKBN and ESPN+. YSU's men's team will play Cleveland State's men following the game.
- This will be YSU's first Horizon League home game of the season, and it is an early meeting of unbeaten foes in conference play. Even though every team has played just two league games, the Penguins and Vikings are the only teams that are 2-0. YSU has won seven straight games overall and hasn't lost since Nov. 22, and Cleveland State is 11-1 and has won 11 straight games since a season-opening loss on Nov. 7.
- Three of the last four meetings with the Vikings have been decided by one possession or gone to overtime. Last season, YSU beat Cleveland State 70-59 in Youngstown and 77-69 in Cleveland in a game that went to overtime.
- The Penguins are riding a seven-game winning streak over which they've outscored their opponents by an average of 30.3 points per game. YSU has won five of those contests at Beeghly Center, and its average margin of victory in those games is 38.8. This is the eighth different season in Head Coach John Barnes' 10 years that YSU has had a winning streak of at least five games.
- With nothing but Horizon League games left on the schedule, the Penguins are fully focused on defending its regular-season title. YSU shared the crown with IUPUI in 2021-22, capturing its first regular-season championship in 23 years. 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.
- YSU leads the Horizon League in scoring defense (54.7 ppg), rebounding margin (+7.7), field-goal percentage (.442) and assists (16.7 per game). The Penguins are also second in assist-to-turnover ratio and scoring margin.
- Offensively, forward Lilly Ritz ranks second in the Horizon League in scoring (17.8 points per game) and rebounding (9.9 per game). She leads the conference in field-goal percentage (.626) and double-doubles (5). With the Penguins holding sizable leads in each game of their seven-game winning streak, she hasn't played more than 29 minutes since Nov. 22.
- Guards Malia Magestro and Megan Callahan have been great complementary scorers during YSU's seven-game winning streak. Magestro is averaging 15.6 points during the streak, and Callahan is averaging 11.4 points. Both players have made at least one 3 in eight straight contests.
- 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 the 50th anniversary season of Beeghly Center, which opened in 1972-73. YSU is 52-15 at home since the start of the 2018-19 season for a .776 winning percentage, and it is 27-5 in its last 32 games on Rosselli Court.
- 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.
- 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 159, and his .566 winning percentage is the third-best mark in school history.
Tickets, Promotions & Fan Information
- Advance tickets for Thursday'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 Thursday.
- Promotions
- Performance Dogs of Ohio Show at half time, presented by Balto Raw
- Miller Lite Thirsty Thursday: $2 beer
Youngstown State vs. Cleveland State
A Win Would...
- Improve YSU's overall record to 9-3 this season and its Horizon League record to 3-0.
- Extend the Penguins' winning streak to eight games.
- Be YSU's fourth straight over the Vikings.
- Give YSU a 7-0 record at Beeghly Center.
- Give YSU is fifth 3-0 start to Horizon League play.
- Be Head Coach John Barnes' 316th career victory and his 160th at YSU.
Scouting the Vikings
- Cleveland State has won 11 straight games and is ranked ninth in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll. The Vikings haven't lost since their season-opener at No. 8 Iowa State, and they posted an impressive 90-83 overtime victory at DePaul on Nov. 15.
- The Vikings rank among the top three teams in the Horizon League in most statistical categories, and they lead the conference in scoring offense, scoring margin, offensive rebounds, blocks, steals and defensive field-goal percentage.
- Individually, junior guard Destiny Leo was the Horizon League Preseason Player of the Year, and she ranks third in the conference with 16.8 points per game. She ranks 22nd in the country with 2.9 3s per game. Brittni Moore is averaging 12.3 points, which is 5.8 more than 2021-22, and Jordana Reisma ranks second in the league with 1.42 blocks per game.
Series History
Overall: Youngstown State leads 45-34
Barnes: 11-8 • Home: 28-10 • Away: 13-23 • Neutral: 4-1
Current Win Streak: 3 by Youngstown State
- Youngstown State has played Cleveland State more than any other program in its history and owns a 45-34 record against the Vikings in a series that dates back to Jan. 19, 1976. The Northeast Ohio rivals have played each other at least once in all 46 seasons of YSU's intercollegiate program.
- The Penguins have won nine of the last 12 meetings against the Vikings, and they have won 11 of the 13 most-recent encounters at Beeghly Center dating back to the 2011-12 season.
- YSU beat the Vikings 70-59 at Beeghly Center last season in a physical game that lasted more than two-and-a-half hours and featured 55 free-throw attempts. Aside from that 11-point margin, the other three meetings in the past two seasons have come down to one possession at the end of regulation. Cleveland State won 76-73 in Youngstown on Feb. 19, 2021, and YSU won 64-61 a day later in Beeghly Center. Last season in Cleveland, the Penguins prevailed 77-69 in overtime.
Last Season vs. Cleveland State
In Youngstown: YSU got a double-double from Lilly Ritz and a big boost from Lexi Wagner off the bench as it beat Cleveland State 70-59 on New Year's Day at Beeghly Center. The Penguins endured a physical battle that lasted more than two-and-a-half hours that saw 48 fouls called, and the teams combined to attempt 55 free throws. Ritz finished with 20 points and 14 rebounds, and Wagner scorched the nets in the second period when she scored 14 of her career-best 19 points. Cleveland State went on a 13-2 run to take a 13-4 lead with 3:38 remaining in the opening quarter. The Penguins scored eight points in just over a minute to get to within a point at the quarter's end, and they outscored the Vikings 35-17 over the final 13 minutes of the first half. YSU led for the final 26 minutes of the game.
In Cleveland: Chelsea Olson posted game highs of 21 points, five 3-pointers and six assists, and she scored the first five points of overtime as YSU rallied for a 77-69 win at the Wolstein Center on Feb. 11. Five Penguins combined to make 15 3s, including three in overtime. Mady Aulbach scored a career-high 14 points, and Lilly Ritz contributed 17 points and 18 rebounds. Malia Magestro scored nine of her 11 points in the final eight minutes. Cleveland State led 61-55 with 4:24 left in regulation but didn't score again until after Olson had given YSU a 66-61 lead in overtime.
Dec. 29 in YSU History
- YSU is 5-6 all-time on Dec. 29, and it is playing on the date for the first time since 2014. The Penguins' last two contests on the date were against Akron, and YSU won the most-recent meeting 75-62 in Youngstown in 2014. Coming into that game, YSU was 10-1 and Akron was 10-0.
- The Penguins are 0-1 all-time in conference games on Dec. 29 with the lone contest at Butler in 2005.
- In 1990, YSU had its largest margin of victory in program history with a 109-25 win over Malone. The 25 points by the Pioneers are the fewest that the Penguins have ever allowed in a game.
Recapping Mount Vernon Nazarene
Game Summary
Youngstown State outscored Mount Vernon Nazarene 45-19 in the middle two quarters to pull away for a 79-42 victory on Dec. 21. Megan Callahan scored a game-high 19 points on 7-for-11 shooting from the field, and she was 3-for-5 from 3-point range to lead the Penguins to their seventh straight win. Lilly Ritz scored 15 points while grabbing nine rebounds and collecting five steals, and Emily Saunders scored 11 points off the bench. YSU scored the first eight points of the game, but Mount Vernon Nazarene scored the next 10 points to take its lone lead of the game at 10-8 with 2:52 left in the opening quarter. Ritz scored seven straight points to make it 15-10, and the Penguins extended their lead to 38-21 at halftime.
Notes
- Kids Day Games: The game tipped at 11 a.m. for the Ninth Annual Chick-fil-A School Field Trip Game. YSU improved to 9-0 in the field trip games, and it won its 27th consecutive contest against a non-Division I opponent.
- Turnover Margin: After a sluggish start, YSU turned up the pressure defensively and forced the Cougars into 15 first-half turnovers. Mount Vernon finished with 25 turnovers, and YSU was plus-11 in turnover margin. The Penguins are plus-42 in turnover margin over their last four games, and they are averaging 12.7 turnovers per game during their seven-game winning streak. In the preceding three-game slide, YSU averaged 20.7 turnovers. The Penguins' 15 steals against Mount Vernon were the most in a game this season.
- Another Dominant Win: Youngstown State led for 35:33, and it has trailed for just 1:21 in the last 200 minutes of game action dating back to the Wright State contest. In fact, YSU has led by double digits for 154:16 – or 77.1% – of the 200 minutes over the last five games. The Penguins have trailed for just 6:20 total in their six home games this season.
- Callahan Scores Season High: Senior Megan Callahan scored a game and season-high 19 points, and she has scored in double figures five times during YSU's seven-game winning streak. Callahan is averaging 9.4 points overall, which is the best average of her six-year career, and she's averaging 11.4 points in her last seven games. Callahan has made a 3 in eight straight contests, and she is 20-for-37 from long distance (54.1%) during that stretch.
- Quick Hitters: Lilly Ritz had five steals, which wasthe most by a Penguin since she had five against LIU last season... Ritz surpassed 1,700 career points, and Dena Jarrells made her 100th career free throw... Jarrells had five assists, and she is averaging 5.4 assists off the bench over the last five games... Emily Saunders scored a career-high 11 points in 11 minutes of action... Haley Thierry played a career-high 19 minutes.
Up Next
- Youngstown State will face a tight turnaround as it will host Purdue Fort Wayne on Saturday at noon. It will be part of another basketball doubleheader at Beeghly Center, and live coverage will be on 570 WKBN and ESPN+.
