Game Preview
- Youngstown State will try to shake off its first conference loss and end 2022 with a victory as it hosts Purdue Fort Wayne on Saturday. Tipoff against the Mastodons is set for noon as part of another Horizon League doubleheader with the YSU men's team at Beeghly Center. The game will be broadcast live on 570 WKBN and ESPN+.
- The Penguins suffered their first loss in more than a month on Thursday as Cleveland State won 77-68 in an early battle of unbeaten teams in the conference. The Vikings outscored YSU 46-33 in the second half, and they controlled the offensive glass to the tune of 16 offensive rebounds leading to 17 second-chance points.
- YSU is now in a five-way tie for second place in the Horizon League standings, and one of those in the gridlock is Purdue Fort Wayne. The Mastodons are also 2-1 after beating Robert Morris 52-41 on Thursday, and PFW's lone conference loss was by two.
- The Penguins have won 21 games so far in a memorable 2022 calendar year that saw them win their first Horizon League regular-season title. YSU also won 21 games in 2021, and it is going for 22 wins in a calendar year for the first time since 2014.
- YSU leads the Horizon League with 17.2 assists per game and a .440 field-goal percentage. It also ranks among the top three in scoring offense, scoring defense, 3s per game, scoring margin, rebounding margin and assist-to-turnover ratio.
- Individually, forward Lilly Ritz ranks second in the Horizon League in scoring (17.3 points per game), rebounding (10.0 per game) and double-doubles (6). She leads the conference in field-goal percentage (.633).
- Megan Callahan has scored in double figures in six of her last eight games, and she led the Penguins with 14 points against Cleveland State. She ranks fourth in the Horizon League with 2.08 3-pointers per game, and she is shooting an impressive 44.6% from beyond the 3-point arc.
- 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 52-16 at home since the start of the 2018-19 season for a .765 winning percentage, and it is 27-6 in its last 33 games on Rosselli Court.
- 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 .564 winning percentage is the third-best mark in school history.
Tickets, Promotions & Fan Information
- Advance tickets for Saturday'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 11 a.m. on Saturday.
- Promotions
- Happy New Year: $2 general admission tickets
Youngstown State vs. Purdue Fort Wayne
A Win Would...
- Improve YSU's overall record to 9-4 this season and its Horizon League record to 3-1.
- Be YSU's seventh straight over Purdue Fort Wayne.
- Give YSU a 7-1 record at Beeghly Center.
- Allow YSU to finish the 2022 calendar year with 22 victories.
- Be Head Coach John Barnes' 316th career victory and his 160th at YSU.
Scouting the Mastodons
- Purdue Fort Wayne is 5-8 overall and 2-1 in Horizon League play following a 52-41 win at Robert Morris on Thursday. The Mastodons handed the Colonials their first home loss of the season, and they snapped a four-game skid that began with a 66-64 loss at Oakland on Dec. 4. That is PFW's lone conference loss.
- Purdue Fort Wayne ranks among the top three in the Horizon League in blocks (3.77 per game), steals (9.54 per game) and turnover margin (plus-3.08). The 'Dons rank ninth in scoring offense at 60.4 points per game.
- Individually, junior guard Amellia Bromenschenkel ranks fourth in the Horizon League in scoring at 14.7 points per game, and she scored 21 points in Thursday's win at Robert Morris. She also leads the Mastodons with 23 3-pointers and 5.5 rebounds per game. Jazzlyn Linbo ranks second in the league with 1.5 blocks per game.
Series History
Overall: Youngstown State leads 9-2
Barnes: 5-0 • Home: 6-1 • Away: 3-1 • Neutral: 0-0
Current Win Streak: 6 by Youngstown State
- Youngstown State leads the all-time series with Purdue Fort Wayne 9-2, and the Penguins have won eight of the last nine meetings. YSU is 5-0 against the Mastodons since they joined the Horizon League in 2020-21, and this will be the fifth time that the teams will play in Beeghly Center in the last six meetings. Before Purdue Fort Wayne joined the league, the teams last met in 2011.
- YSU had its highest scoring output ever in a Horizon League game in a 102-60 victory over Purdue Fort Wayne when the series resumed on Feb. 5, 2021. Since then, YSU has scored in the sixties in all four meetings. YSU had to rally in the final period to win 62-59 in the conference tournament in 2021, and it earned 64-41 and 69-55 victories last season over the 'Dons.
Last Season vs. Purdue Fort Wayne
- In Youngstown: The Penguins didn't allow more than 12 points in any quarter and went on a 29-9 run in the second half to beat Purdue Fort Wayne 64-41 on Dec. 30, 2021. YSU was strong defensively all afternoon, and the offense got hot late as the Penguins scored 34 of their points in the final 17:33 of the game. YSU led just 30-25 two minutes into the second half, and it pulled away by winning the fourth quarter 22-10. Lilly Ritz scored 22 points, and Malia Magestro added 14 with five assists.
- In Fort Wayne: Youngstown State outscored Purdue Fort Wayne 24-10 in the third quarter and had four players score in double figures in a 69-55 win on Feb. 13, 2022. The Penguins trailed 30-23 with less than two minutes left in the first half but outscored the 'Dons 46-25 the rest of the game. After YSU led 14-8, Purdue Fort Wayne went on a 19-5 run to take a 27-19 lead. The Penguins went 7-for-8 on two-point attempts and 7-for-8 from the free-throw line in the third quarter. Megan Callahan went 3-for-3 from 3-point range in the fourth period, and she finished with a team-high 19 points.
Dec. 31 in YSU History
- This will be just the sixth time in program history that the Penguins will play on New Year's Eve. YSU is 1-4 in the five previous decisions, four of which have been Horizon League contests.
- The last two engagements were against Cleveland State, and YSU split those matchups. YSU won 70-48 in 2011 in the lone New Year's Eve game that has been played at Beeghly Center, and the Penguins fell 71-68 at the Wolstein Center in 2016.
Up Next
Youngstown State will begin 2023 with a pair of Horizon League road games in Michigan. The trip begins with a contest at Detroit Mercy on Thursday, and it will conclude with a game at Oakland next Saturday.
