Setting the Scene
The Youngstown State men's basketball team entertains in-state foe Cleveland State in a Horizon League showdown with first place implications, Saturday, Jan. 11. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. at Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center and the game will be broadcast on 570 WKBN and ESPN+.

League's Hottest Two Teams
Saturday's matchup between the Penguins and the Vikings pits the Horizon League's two hottest teams in a battle for first-place in the league standings. The Penguins have won nine of their last 10 games, including a Division I record eight straight victories, while the Vikings are on a seven-game win streak.

Series vs. Cleveland State
This is the 105th meeting between Youngstown State and Cleveland State in a series dating back to 1930. The Vikings own a 58-46 advantage in the all-time series and have won the last two contests and 12 of the last 16. The Penguins own a home record of 28-22 against the Vikings. YSU's last win over CSU was a 94-69 victory on Nov. 29, 2023, at Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center. 

Scouting Cleveland State
Cleveland State enters the game with an overall record of 11-6 and a 5-1 mark in Horizon League play. The Vikings are the hottest team in the league winning seven straight and are coming off an 80-69 win over Robert Morris on Jan. 8. Tevin Smith leads the Vikings with 13.9 points per game while Tahj Staveskie is averaging 11.1 points per contest. The Vikings are averaging 74.4 points per game while allowing 65.7 points per contest.

A Win Would...

• Improve YSU's record to 12-6 overall and 7-1 in the Horizon League.
• Mark Youngstown State's first 7-1 start in Horizon League play.
• Mark the first time YSU started 7-1 in any conference
• Mark Ethan Faulkner's 12th career win and first over Cleveland State.
• Mark Youngstown State 47th win over the Vikings and the 29th in Youngstown.
• Mark the Penguins' first win over the Vikings since Nov. 29, 2023 .
• Give the Penguins a 6-1 home record overall and a 4-0 Horizon League home record. 

Up Next
Youngstown State continues its difficult Horizon League stretch when it visits Milwaukee, Friday, Jan. 17. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. in Milwaukee, Wis.

Last Time Out
Youngstown State picked up a huge Horizon League victory after knocking off Northern Kentucky on Jan. 8. Junior Juwan Maxey scored a career-high 19 points and tied a career best with five 3-pointers to lead the Penguins Senior Ty Harper buried a season-high four 3s and posted 14 points while David Wilkerson scored a career-high 12 points. Sophomore Gabe Dynes collected his first double-double of the season with 11 points and a career-high 15 rebounds.

Penguins Dialing Up From Deep
Over the last seven games, Youngstown State has taken advantage of the 3-point line. The Penguins have made 71 3-pointers over that span for an average of 10.1 3-pointers made per game.

Against the League
The Penguins have played well in their first seven Horizon League games of the season. Youngstown State is averaging 74.4 points per game and is allowing just 64.9 points per league contest. EJ Farmer leads the Penguins with 15.5 points per game each against league foes while Nico Galette is averaging 10.0points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Gabe Dynes is posting 7.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game.

Home Sweet Home
Youngstown State has been quite protective of its home court over the last five seasons. The Penguins have won 28 of the last 34 overall at Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center. YSU has won 70 games at home since the start of the 2019-20 season and own a 70-21 mark during that time. Youngstown State is 33-6 at home since the start of the 2022-23 season. The Penguins are 27-4 in their last 31 regular-season home games.

Wilkerson Making Strides
Sophomore David Wilkerson has been improving continuously as the season goes on. Over the last two games, Wilkerson averaged 11 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game while shot 56.3 percent from the floor and 66.7 percent from 3-point range. Wilkerson posted consecutive double-digit scoring games for the first time in his career with 10 points at Purdue Fort Wayne (1/4) and a career-high 12 against Northern Kentucky (1/8).  
 
Guins in the HL
Youngstown State has been on quite a run during league play over the last three-plus seasons. The Penguins own a record of 47-21 in Horizon League play since the start of the 2021-22 campaign. Youngstown State went 12-9 in 2021-22, 15-5 in 2022-23, 14-6 in 2023-24, and is currently 6-1 in 2024-25.

Nation's Top Rim Protector
Sophomore center Gabe Dynes has become one of the nation's top rim protectors. He also leads the nation with 55 total blocks and 3.2 blocks per game as of Jan. 7, and he also ranks fifth all-time at Youngstown State 116. He needs three more to move into fourth place. The 7-foot-3 center set a career high with nine blocks against Toledo on Dec. 14. His blocks also marked an NCAA Division I single-game high this season. 

More Dynes
With his 55 blocks this season, sophomore Gabe Dynes now ranks seventh on the single-season list. His 61 blocks last year ranked sixth and he needs seven more to pass himself for sixth place. Dynes is also just the third player in program history to record at least 50 blocks in a season multiple times.