Game Preview
- Youngstown State's lone game this week will be against its closest Horizon League rival as the Penguins host Robert Morris on Thursday. Tipoff at Beeghly Center is set for 7 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on 1390 WNIO and ESPN+.
- The upcoming schedule varies from typical weeks to accommodate the Horizon League's 11-team scheduling. YSU will have three contests next week – a home game against IUPUI on Monday and road games in Wisconsin to end the week.
- YSU has won 10 of its last 11 games and three straight decisions following a sweep in Michigan last week. The Penguins had their largest margin of victory ever in a Horizon League road game last Thursday in a 77-45 triumph over Detroit Mercy, and they fought off Oakland for a 68-67 overtime victory on Saturday. YSU improved to 4-0 in Horizon League road games, and impressive start considering the Penguins have won more than four Horizon League road decisions twice in their first 21 seasons in the conference. YSU was 8-2 on the road in league play in 2021-22.
- In their most-recent win, the Penguins trailed for less than 10 seconds in their 68-67 overtime win at Oakland. Megan Callahan made two free throws with 16.2 seconds left in regulation to tie the score and force overtime, and she hit another free throw with 7.6 seconds left in the extra session to give YSU the 68-67 edge. The Penguins held Oakland to 29.9% shooting for the game, and they got defensive stops at the end of regulation and overtime.
- YSU leads the Horizon League in assists per game (17.2), field-goal percentage (.445) and rebounding margin (plus-6.7). Senior forward Lilly Ritz plays a big part in all three of those as she ranks eighth in the country with a .642 field-goal percentage, and she is 20th nationally with 10.4 rebounds per contest. She has made a league-high 113 field goals, and she ranks second in the conference with 17.3 points per game.
- Callahan, a transfer from RMU, is having the best offensive season of her career. She is averaging 9.7 points following 28 points in the two games last week, and she has scored in double figures in eight of the last 11 games. She ranks fifth in the Horizon League with 2.07 3s per game, and she is shooting 44.3% from long distance.
- Malia Magestro ranks 13th in the Horizon League in scoring at 11.7 points per game, and she has made a 3-pointer in 12 consecutive contests. Her 1.87 3s per game is tie for the seventh-most in the conference.
- 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 and won a share of the regular-season title.
- This is the 50th anniversary season of Beeghly Center, which opened in 1972-73. YSU is 53-16 at home since the start of the 2018-19 season for a .768 winning percentage, and it is 28-6 in its last 34 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 162, and his .568 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 6 p.m. on Thursday.
- Promotions
- Thirsty Thursday: $2 beer
- YSU Stadium Cup Giveaway, courtesy of Roof Rite, A to Z Services, Lyden Oil and 21 WFMJÂ
- Veterans Appreciation Game presented by NECA IBEW:Â Veterans and military personnel receive four free tickets with valid ID
- YSU student Cornhole Tournament at 6 p.m. - signup information
Youngstown State vs. Robert Morris
A Win Would...
- Improve YSU's overall record to 12-4 this season and its Horizon League record to 6-1.
- Give YSU an 8-1 mark at Beeghly Center.
- Be the fifth straight over the Colonials.
- Be Head Coach John Barnes' 319th career victory and his 163rd at YSU.
Scouting Robert Morris
- Robert Morris 7-8 overall and 1-5 in Horizon League play coming into Thursday's game. The Colonials had a great start to the season and were 6-1 following a 68-47 win at Wright State on Dec. 2, but they are 1-7 in their last eight games. RMU is YSU's travel partner, and the Colonials lost 71-59 at Oakland and 64-58 at Detroit Mercy last week.
- Known for its defense, RMU ranks 12th in the country in 3-point percentage defense at 24.2%, and the Colonials are 14th nationally in turnover margin at plus-6.27. RMU forces 20.2 turnovers per game while committing 13.9. The Colonials rank fourth in the league with 9.3 steals per contest.
- Phoenix Gedeon is averaging 13.1 points and 8.1 rebounds, up from 3.8 and 4.1 last season, to lead the Colonials. She ranks among the top seven in the conference in both categories. Alejandra Mastral ranks third in the HL with 1.9 steals per game, and Mackenzie Amalia leads the team with 44 assists and 18 3s.
Series History
Overall: Youngstown State leads 21-7
Barnes: 7-3 • Home: 12-2 • Away: 9-5 • Neutral: 0-0
Current Win Streak: 4 by Youngstown State
- Youngstown State and Robert Morris have played 28 times, and YSU has won the last four meetings between the schools located approximately 60 miles apart. The Penguins swept the three-game series last season, which included the two regularly-scheduled games and a bonus meeting that came about when NKU and Wright State both had COVID-19 cancelations. The teams played 14 times between 1983 and 1996, and they have met in six of the last seven seasons.
- YSU is 7-3 against the Colonials in Head Coach John Barnes' tenure. Two of those wins have come in overtime, and last season's victory at the UPMC Events Center came in the final second. The 10 games in the Barnes era have been relatively low-scoring. The winning team has scored 61 points or fewer in regulation in eight of the 10 contests.
- Callahan faces former team: YSU's Megan Callahan is a Robert Morris alumna and will be facing her former team. She was a member of RMU's program from 2017-18 through 2020-21 and actually played against the Penguins five times as a Colonial. She earned her bachelor's degree from RMU in the spring of 2021. Callahan averaged 10.3 points in the three games last season, and she made the game-winning 3-pointer with 0.9 seconds left at the UPMC Events Center on Jan. 22, 2022.
Last Season vs. Robert Morris
- At YSU (Jan. 8): The Penguins used a three-headed attack of Lilly Ritz, Chelsea Olson and Megan Callahan to grind through a 59-53 over Robert Morris on Jan. 8 at Beeghly Center. That trio combined for 44 of YSU's 59 points. Ritz scored a game-high 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting, and Chelsea Olson had 15 points and nine assists. YSU had eight turnovers in the first quarter but just four over the final 30 minutes. YSU was plus-five in turnover margin and outscored the Colonials 23-9 off turnovers.
- At RMU (Jan. 22): Megan Callahan hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 0.9 seconds remaining to lift YSU to a storybook 59-57 victory over Robert Morris at the UPMC Events Center. The RMU graduate who transferred to YSU helped the Penguins overcome a 12-point deficit. Callahan's 3-pointer came on Chelsea Olson's eighth assist of the game. Lilly Ritz had 16 points and 10 rebounds.
- At YSU (Jan. 24): Head Coach John Barnes won his 300th career game, and YSU outscored the Colonials 30-19 in the second half in a 61-44 victory. Lilly Ritz had 17 points and 18 rebounds, and Malia Magestro scored 14. Robert Morris shot just 29.8% for the game, and it was below 30% in each of the final three quarters.
Jan. 12 in YSU History
- YSU is 5-9 all-time in games played on Jan. 12, and it has been on the short end in five of the last six games played on the date. The Penguins' last game on Jan. 12 resulted in a 60-42 loss at Green Bay in 2019. YSU beat UIC 70-54 in 2017 in its last home game played on Jan. 12.
- Danielle Carson scored her 1,000th career point on Jan. 12, 1985, at Austin Peay, and Dianne Rappach went 6-for-6 from 3-point range against Virginia Tech in 1992.
Up Next
Youngstown State will host IUPUI on Monday at 7 p.m. in another Horizon League home game. General admission tickets will be $5, and popcorn will be $1.
