Youngstown State will try to finish off a perfect homestand to begin the 2023-24 season when it hosts Western Michigan on Thursday at Beeghly Center. Tipoff against the Broncos is set for 5 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN+, espn.com, 1390 WNIO and iHeart.com.

Gameday Info

YSU vs. Western Michigan

• When: Thursdsay, Nov. 16, 2023 | 5 p.m.
• Where: Beeghly Center | Youngstown, Ohio
• Watch: ESPN+ | International Stream
• Listen: 1390 WNIO | iHeart.com
• Stats: ysusports.com
• Social: X | Instagram | Facebook

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 p.m. on Thursday.
• Promotions
  • "Backboards and Blackboards" Teacher's Appreciation Day - $5 general admission tickets with valid teachers ID
  • Toy Drive - bring a new toy/kid's book to receive a voucher for a free ticket for any future home game. Items will be delivered to the Toys-for-Tots toy collection at the University Holiday Breakfast
  • YSU Stadium Cup Giveaway, courtesy of Lyden Oil Company, Roof Rite, Past Times Pinball & Video Arcade and 21 WFMJ
  • AAA Card Game - General Admission Tickets BOGO

A Glimpse at the Guins

• The Penguins have won their first two games of this season-opening three-game stretch on Rosselli Court by beating Xavier 55-41 and Slippery Rock 78-32. YSU had its first win over a Big East team since 2006 when it beat the Musketeers on Nov. 8, and it earned 28th straight win over non-Division I opponents when it topped Division II member SRU on Saturday.
• Emily Saunders was named the Horizon League's first Player of the Week of the season after playing huge roles in both wins last week. Saunders averaged 21 points and 11.5 rebounds while shooting 76% from the field.
• John Nicolais is serving as YSU's Acting Head Coach while John Barnes is on leave to focus on personal family matters. Nicolais has been with the program since 2013-14, and he is just the second head coach in program history to win his or her first two games.
• The Penguins also depend on the strength of six fifth-year seniors and two fourth-year seniors, who supply plenty of leadership in the locker room in addition to a veteran presence on the court.
• YSU returns nine letterwinners and three starters from last year's squad that posted a 19-11 record and tied for third in the Horizon League standings with a 13-7 conference record. It was the third time in the last six years that YSU finished with at least 19 wins overall and 13 wins within the league. Youngstown State was picked to finish third in the Horizon League in the conference's preseason coaches poll.
• Youngstown State has enjoyed tremendous success at Beeghly Center. The Penguins have had a winning record at home in 10 of the last 11 seasons, and they are 60-20 on Rosselli Court since the start of the 2018-19 campaign.

Program Staples

• Shooting 3s: Youngstown State has led the Horizon League in 3-pointers per game in eight straight seasons from 2014-15 through 2021-22. The Penguins have made at least 200 3-pointers every season since 2010-11 except the COVID-19-shortened campaign in 2020-21. Individually, a Penguin has ranked in the top seven of the Horizon League individually in 3s per game in each of the last 11 seasons.
• Strong In The Post: The Penguins have had a post be named to the Horizon League's first, second or third-team in nine of the last 11 seasons and 14 times in the last 17. They've had a first-team honoree in three of the last five years, including each of the last two.
• Sharing The Ball: A Penguin has led the Horizon League in assists per game in six of the last eight years. As a team, the Penguins have paced the conference in assists per game in three of the last five campaigns, including 2022-23.
• Academics: YSU has appeared on the WBCA Academic Top 25 Honor Roll 12 times in the last 13 years. The Penguins have been in the top 10 in five of the last eight years. The Penguins were second in both 2019-20 and 2020-21, and they were 12th in 2022-23.
• Postseason Play: YSU has played in the WNIT or the WBI in six of the last 11 years.

Youngstown State vs. Western Michigan

A Win Would...

• Improve YSU's record to 3-0 this season.
• Be YSU's first over Western Michigan since Nov. 30, 2011.
• Allow YSU to win its first three games for the second time in the last three campaigns.
• Give Acting Head Coach John Nicolais a 3-0 career record.

Milestone Watch

• Dena Jarrells needs four assists for 300 in her career, seven 3-pointers for 150 in her career, and 12 rebounds for 200 in her career.
• Shay-Lee Kirby is 15 rebounds away from 300 in her career.
• Malia Magestro needs two rebounds for 200 in her career, and she is nine points shy of 700 in her career.
• Emily Saunders is 10 points away from 250 in her collegiate career.
• Paige Shy will reach 100 3-pointers at YSU with her next make.

Scouting Western Michigan

• Western Michigan is playing its third straight road game to begin the season, and it will come to Youngstown searching for its first victory. The Broncos lost 77-53 at DePaul on Nov. 6, and it fell 71-58 at Georgia State on Friday.
• WMU lost four of its top five scorers from last year's team that finished 12-17 overall and 7-11 against Mid-American Conference opponents. Those four accounted for almost 60 percent of the team's scoring and almost 50 percent of WMU's rebounding.
• Kaitlyn Zarycki, a graduate transfer from Division II Saginaw Valley State who was the GLIAC Player of the Year in 2022-23, is tied for the team lead in scoring at 10.5 points per game. She scored 21 points in the contest at Georgia State. Maggie Stutelberg made five 3s against the Panthers, and she has six of Western Michigan's 14 3-pointers through two games.
• Western Michigan was picked to finish 10th in the MAC preseason coaches poll.

Series History and Matchup Notes

Overall: Western Michigan leads 6-3
Barnes Era: 0-1 • Home: 3-1 • Away: 0-5 • Neutral: 0-0
Current Win Streak: 1 by Western Michigan

• Youngstown State is finishing a home-and-home series with Western Michigan that began last season. The Broncos won last season's encounter 62-54 at University Arena in Kalamazoo.
• The Penguins and Broncos played six times from 1987 through 1991 but have met just three times since. Each team has won on its home floor since 2010. Youngstown State is 3-1 against WMU in Beeghly Center, which includes an 80-55 victory against the Broncos on Nov. 30, 2011, in the last meeting on Rosselli Court.

Recapping Last Season's Meeting: Youngstown State went to Kalamazoo looking escape an early-season shooting slump, and the shooting struggles continued in a 62-54 loss to Western Michigan on Nov. 22, 2022. The Penguins were 4-for-25 from 3-point range in the game, but they were still within two points twice in the fourth quarter. With YSU down 46-44 with 5:13 on the clock, Western Michigan went on a nine-point burst over the next 1:20 to seize control. Lilly Ritz finished with 17 points and 16 rebounds, and Dena Jarrells posted 12 points and four assists.

Last Meeting in Youngstown: Youngstown State used a strong second-half effort to pull away for an 80-55 victory over Western Michigan on Nov. 30, 2011, at the Beeghly Center. YSU outscored the Broncos 50-33 in the second half after connecting on 12 of its first 16 shots in the stanza. The Penguins led 30-22 at halftime, and runs of 9-2 and 14-1 blew the game open. Heidi Schlegel scored 15 points and was one of three Penguins to make three 3-pointers in the game. Brandi Brown and Kelsea Fickiesen had 12 points apiece, and Macey Nortey added 11.

Recapping Slippery Rock

Game Summary

Full Recap | Box Score | Highlights | John Nicolais Press Conference | Haley Thierry Press Conference | Abbie Davidson Press Conference

Youngstown State women's basketball team had its best shooting half in more than four years and defeated Slippery Rock 78-32 on Saturday evening at Beeghly Center.

YSU shot 71.4% in the first half and made 13 of its final 15 attempts to pull away early from the nearby Division II opponent.

The Penguins used their size advantage in the post early and often as Emily Saunders and Lindsey Linard combined for 31 points on 13-of-16 from the field. Saunders scored 22 points, topping her career high of 20 in the season opener, and Linard added nine. Saunders also grabbed nine rebounds, helping the Penguins hold a 39-21 rebounding advantage.

Haley Thierry was the top-scoring guard in the contest with a career-best 12 points off the bench. Dena Jarrells had 11 points and a game-high five assists, and YSU finished with 20 assists on 26 field goals.

Youngstown State shot 57.8% from the field, which included going 6-for-17 from beyond the 3-point arc. The Penguins outscored The Rock 20-11 at the free-throw line.

Jarrells, Thierry and Magestro each hit a 3-pointer in the final 2:30 of the opening quarter to spark the offense, and YSU made eight of its nine attempts from the floor in the second period. The Penguins led 43-14 at halftime, and they outscored the Rock 17-15 in the third period and 18-3 in the fourth.

Notes

• Youngstown State won its 28th straight decision against a non-Division I team by beating Slippery Rock 78-32.
• YSU shot 71.4% from the field in the first half, marking the first time the Penguins shot at least 70% in a half since Feb. 2, 2019, when they shot 70.4% against Detroit Mercy.
• The Penguins benefited from strong perimeter defense again as The Rock went just 3-for-27 from 3-point range. That came after Xavier was 1-for-19 from beyond the arc in the season opener.
• All 11 YSU student-athletes who dressed played more than seven minutes, and 10 of them scored. All 11 Penguins were at least plus-10 in the plus/minus column for score differential.
• Posts Emily Saunders and Lindsey Linard combined for 31 points on 13-of-16 shooting from the field as YSU took advantage of size mismatches. Saunders was 9-for-10, and she rebounded her miss and converted the second-chance point. She was also 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. Linard went 4-for-6 from the field and 1-for-2 from the free-throw line.
• Saunders set a new career high with 22 points in just over 16 minutes of game action, and Linard tied her career high with nine points in 16 minutes.
• Haley Thierry set a new career high with 12 points in 27 minutes, and the Penguins outscored Slippery Rock by 38 points with Thierry on the floor. Thierry was 5-for-7 from the field, and she went 2-for-3 from 3-point range for her first career game making multiple 3-pointers.
• In addition to Thierry making a pair of 3s, Dena Jarrells and Malia Magestro each made two 3-pointers. Magestro has made multiple 3-pointers in eight of her last nine games dating back top last season.
• Freshmen Abbie Davison (six points), Bella Samz (four) and Mackenzie Hurd (two) each set scoring highs in their second career games.
• The Penguins had 20 assists on 26 field goals, giving them 39 assists on 48 buckets through two games. YSU assisted on 65.8% of its field goals in 2022-23, and that percentage is up to 81.3% through the first two games of 2023-24.
• Youngstown State finished with 18 turnovers in the game, and it has 39 turnovers through two games. Improving in that area will be a point of emphasis. Even though the Penguins were just plus-two in turnover margin, they had a 27-9 edge in points off turnovers.

Up Next

Youngstown State will play its first road contest of the season at West Virginia on Sunday at 4 p.m.