Setting the Scene
The Youngstown State men's basketball team plays its final non-Horizon League home game of 2024 when it hosts Mid-American Conference and in-state foe Toledo, Saturday, Dec. 14. Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m. at the Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center The game will be broadcast on 570 WKBN and ESPN+/.

Up Next
Youngstown State plays its third Horizon League game before Christmas when it visits Wright State, Wednesday, Dec. 18. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio.

Last Time Out
The Penguins are coming off their second straight Horizon League win and third overall after knocking off Oakland, 66-50, on Dec. 7 EJ Farmer scored a game-high 22 points and made a career-high five 3-pointers to lead the Penguins. Nico Galette, Juwan Maxey, and Jason Nelson scored 11 points apiece, and Galette just missed a double-double with nine rebounds. He also had six assists.

Scouting Toledo
Toledo enters the game with an overall record of 6-3 and is coming off a 111-49 win over Defiance on Dec. 7. Sonny Wilson leads the Rockets with 16.3 points per game while Sam Lewis is averaging 13.1 points per contest. Javan Simmons and Isaiah Adams are also in double figures averaging 12.0 and 10.9 points per game, respectively. Toledo is averaging 80.6 points per game while allowing 75.6 points per contest. Toledo is 2-1 against Horizon League opponents this season. The Rockets defeated Wright State (86-77) on Nov. 13 and Detroit Mercy (82-67) on Nov. 16. Toledo lost to Oakland (85-52) on Nov. 30.

Series vs. Toledo
This is the 14th meeting between Youngstown State and Toledo in a series dating back to 1942. The Rockets own an 11-2 advantage in the all-time series and have won the last three games. Toledo defeated the Penguins 103-98 the last time these two teams squared off in 2016.  The last time Youngstown State hosted Toledo was on Nov. 18, 2015. Toledo won that match up, 100-78. The last time Youngstown State defeated the Rockets was a 73-67 win on Nov. 24, 2010.  The Penguins own a 2-4 home record against Toledo and a 2-2 mark against the Rockets at Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center. 

A Win Would...

• Improve YSU's record to 6-5 overall.
• Mark Ethan Faulkner's sixth career win.
• Mark Youngstown State's third win over Toledo and the first since 2010.
• Be Youngstown State's third win over Toledo at Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center.
• Mark Ethan Faulkner's first win over Toledo.
• Give the Penguins a 3-1 home record. 

Farmer Named POW
For the first time in his career, Youngstown State senior EJ Farmer has been named the Under Armour Horizon League Men's Basketball Player of the Week, the league announced Monday. Farmer led the only Horizon League team to go 2-0 in the opening week after averaging 16 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. He shot 45.8 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3-point range. Farmer scored 10 points in a 72-58 road win over Robert Morris and scored 22 points with a career-high five 3-pointers in a 66-50 win over Oakland.

To The Max
Junior Juwan Maxey has turned up his offensive production recently. Over the last four games, he averaged 12.3 points and 4.8 assists per game. Maxey has also made 12 3-pointers in the last four contests. He scored a career-high 16 points with a career-best five 3-pointers in YSU's 72-58 win over Robert Morris on Dec. 4. Maxey scored 12 points and made four 3-pointers and dished out a career-best seven assists. He added 10 points with another seven assists against Bethany. He leads the Penguins with 27 assists and 22 3-pointers made on the season.

Galette Approaching 1,500 Career Points
Fifth-year senior Nico Galette has scored 1,484 points during his career and needs just 16 to reach the 1,500-point milestone. Last season, Galette scored 420 points, averaged 13.5 points per game and was named All-NEC Second Team. In 2022-23, he poured in 507 points for a 15.4 points per game average and earned first-team all-conference honors.

Dynes Nearning 100 Blocks, Tied For Fifth Nationally
Sophomore Gabe Dynes is establishing himself as one of the best shot blockers in school history in just his second season. Dynes has 91 career blocked shots and ranks fifth all-time in school history. He needs nine more to become just the fifth Youngstown State player to record at least 100 blocks in a career. Dynes also ranks tied for fifth nationally with 3.0 blocks per game.