Game Preview
- The Youngstown State women's basketball team will try to extend its winning streak to five games before final exams week as it hosts Canisius on Saturday. Tipoff against the Golden Griffins is set for 1 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on 570 WKBN and ESPN+.
- The Penguins are playing the second game of a six-game homestand, and they're looking to keep building momentum for when the main portion of the Horizon League schedule begins after the holidays. YSU has won four straight contests, and it is 3-0 at home in 2022-23.
- Youngstown State is coming off a 102-39 victory over NAIAÂ opponent WVU Tech on Tuesday in a game that will be prevalent in YSU's record book. Among the highlights, it was the Penguins' largest margin of victory since 1990, and YSU set a new school record by scoring 63 points in the first half. YSU had 31 assists on 41 field goals and registered their most assists in a game since 1998.
- Lilly Ritz scored 20 points in just 6:35 against the Golden Bears, going 8-for-8 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. According to Stats Perform, that's the fewest minutes played by any Division I player (male or female) in a 20-point game in the last 20 years. It was Ritz's fourth 20-point game of the season, and she continues to rank among the top 10 in the country in rebounding (11.1 per game) and double-doubles (five).
- While Ritz has dominated in the post, Malia Magestro is averaging 13.6 points to lead the guards. She had three straight 20-point efforts before scoring nine against WVU Tech, and she ranks sixth in the conference with 13.6 points per game.
- All 14 players who dressed against WVU Tech scored, and Shay-Lee Kirby (13), Emily Saunders (10), Jen Wendler (10), Tenleigh Phelps (9), Lindsey Linard (4) and Jenna Reppart (1) each set new season highs for scoring.
- YSU will enjoy a 2-0 Horizon League record until after the holiday break as the next three 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, Magestro, 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 156, and his .561 winning percentage is the third-best mark in school history.
- This is the 50th anniversary season of Beeghly Center, which opened in 1972-73. The first women's game played in the arena was on Jan. 31, 1976. YSU is 49-15 at home since the start of the 2018-19 season for a .766 winning percentage, and it is 24-5 in its last 29 games on Rosselli Court. The Penguins have won 20 of their last 22 home games against non-conference opponents in the regular season.
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 noon on Saturday.
- Promotions
- Akron Children's Hospital Teddy Bear Toss
- Teacher's Appreciation Day: $5 GA tickets with valid teachers ID
- YSU Mouse Pad Giveaway, courtesy of PNC, Allstate Rocco Nolfi Agencies, Mercy Health and WFMJÂ
- YSU Women's Basketball Team Poster Giveaway
- Medical Mutual/Faculty and Staff Appreciation Night
- Library Day: Show your library card and receive a $5 GA ticket
Youngstown State vs. Canisius
A Win Would...
- Improve YSU's record to 6-3 this season.
- Be the Penguins' fifth straight victory.
- Be YSU's 100th at Beeghly Center under Head Coach John Barnes.
- Give YSU six straight over the Golden Griffins.
- Be Barnes' 313th career victory and his 157th at YSU.
Scouting the Golden Griffins
- Canisius is 3-5 this season after a decisive 85-47 victory over St. Bonaventure on Wednesday. The Golden Griffins went 14-for-23 on 3-pointers against the Bonnies and shot 54.7% overall from the field. It was a breakout game from long distance for Canisius, which was shooting 23.8% from beyond the arc coming into the contest.
- The Golden Griffins are 0-2 against Horizon League opponents, losing 70-65 at Detroit Mercy and 62-52 at Robert Morris.
- Junior guard Dani Haskell, a Preseason All-MAAC Second Team pick, leads Canisius with 14.1 points per game, and Vanessa Garrelts is averaging 10.5 points and two steals per contest. Canisius was picked to finish ninth in the MAAC preseason poll.
Series History
Overall: Youngstown State leads 6-5
Barnes: 5-0 • Home: 3-2 • Away: 3-3 • Neutral: 0-0
Current Win Streak: 5 by Youngstown State
Riding a five-game winning streak in the series, Youngstown State has a 6-5 all-time record against Canisius. Youngstown State won the first meeting between the schools whose mascots are Pete the Penguin and Petey the Griffin on Jan. 30, 1989, but Canisius won five straight between February 1989 and November 2009. The Penguins have won all five meetings since John Barnes became head coach, starting with an 80-48 victory in Buffalo on Dec. 13, 2014.
Series Notes vs. Canisius
The last five meetings with Canisius have all been noteworthy in YSU's favor:
- Dec. 13, 2014, at Canisius: Youngstown State started 12-of-17 from 3-point range and won 80-48. The 32-point victory was the widest margin for YSU in a road game in more than 14 years.
- Nov. 13, 2015, at YSU: YSU overcame a 20-point halftime deficit to beat the Golden Griffins 53-51 in the 2015-16 season opener. The Penguins trailed 18-4 after the first quarter, 36-16 at halftime and by as many as 22 early in the third. YSU outscored the Golden Griffins 21-7 in the fourth, and Sarah Cash made two free throws with 0.6 seconds left to give YSU the win.
- Dec. 1, 2018, at Canisius: Alison Smolinski made a school-record nine 3-pointers in a 62-36 YSU victory. She was 9-for-14 overall from long distance in the win, and she made six 3-pointers in the second half as the Penguins outscored the Golden Griffins 34-15 over the final 20 minutes.
- Nov. 5, 2019, at YSU: Chelsea Olson delivered the program's first triple-double in 33 years, and Youngstown State opened the 2019-20 season with an 87-59 victory. Olson finished the night with 13 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. The Penguins led 28-14 at the end of the first period and made 14 3-pointers in the game.
- Dec. 8, 2021, at Canisius: Chelsea Olson scored a career-high 28 points, going 12-for-16 from the field and 10-for-11 inside the arc to lead YSU to a 69-66 win. Olson had the highest scoring road game since Smolinski's 29-point effort at Canisius in 2018, and he 12 field goals were the most by a YSU guard since 2006. Jen Wendler scored all 10 of her points during a 20-4 run in the second half. Lilly Ritz missed the game with an illness, but Wendler helped the Penguins hold a 30-16 scoring edge in the paint. Canisius held a 29-13 edge in free-throw attempts, and it was a 25-5 gap heading into the final 90 seconds of the game. The 29 attempts and 19 makes were both highs by opponents last season.
Dec. 10 in YSU History
YSU has lost its last four decisions on Dec. 10 and will be looking for its first win on the date since 1988. The Penguins have played on Dec. 10 just once since 2005, and it resulted in a 75-60 loss at Kent State in 2016. The last four games on Dec. 10 have each been on the road.
Recapping WVU Tech
Game Summary
Lilly Ritz scored the first 10 points of the game, and Youngstown State went on to have its third-highest margin of victory in school history as it beat WVU Tech 102-39 on Tuesday. Ritz went on to finish with 20 points in less than seven minutes of game action, and all 14 Penguins who dressed for the game scored. Shay-Lee Kirby (13), Emily Saunder (10) and Jen Wendler (10) each scored in double figures for the first time this season, and they contributed to YSU getting 58 points from its bench.
Notes
Record Book Updates: Tuesday's win over WVU Tech triggered many updates to YSU's record book. Here are some noteworthy entries:
- 5 points – fewest points allowed in a fourth quarter
- 29 points – tied for most in a first quarter
- 34 points – most points in a second quarter and the second most in any period
- 63 points – most points in the first half and the fourth-most in any half
- 63 points – largest margin of victory since 1990
- 102 points – tied for the 10th-most in a game
- 31 assists – tied for the fourth-most in school history and the most since 1998
Ritz Goes Wild: According to Stats Perform, Ritz played the fewest minutes in a 20-point game by any Division I player (male or female) in the last 20 years. She finished 8-for-8 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free throw line in 6:35. She became just the third Penguin to go at least 8-for-8 from the field in a game, and she was the first since Nikita LaFleur was a school-record 10-for-10 against Green Bay on Jan. 10, 2009. Ritz played 5:21 in the first quarter and 1:14 in the third.
Three Posts Reach Double Figures: While Ritz scored 20 quick points, three other Penguin posts achieved season highs in scoring. Emily Saunders scored a career-best 10 points in 12 minutes, Jen Wendler also had 10 in 13 minutes, and Lindsey Linard scored four points. Wendler was 5-for-6 from the field in the game, and she is now 6-for-7 on field-goal attempts this season.
Quick Hitters: YSU won its 26th straight game against a non-Division I team... Dena Jarrells had eight assists and just two turnovers while playing a team-high 25 minutes... Malia Magestro had an impressive line of nine points, seven rebounds and five assists in 15 minutes... Jenna Reppart made her YSU debut and made a free throw in the fourth quarter... Emily Saunders blocked two shots, and she has at least one block in six of the eight games... YSU converted WVU Tech's 25 turnovers into 36 points... The Penguins had a 60-12 edge in the paint.
Up Next
Youngstown State will have final exams this week, which gives the Penguins five days away from competition to focus on academics. YSU will be back in action on Friday, Dec. 16, at 5:15 p.m. against Saint Francis (Pa.) in the first basketball doubleheader of the season at Beeghly Center. The YSU men will follow with a contest against Southern.
