Youngstown State concludes its first loop of the Horizon League schedule on Sunday as it hosts Oakland at Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center. The Penguins and Golden Grizzlies will tip at 2 p.m., and the contest will be broadcast live on 570 WKBN, iHeart and ESPN+.
Gameday Info
Tickets, Promotions & Fan Information
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- Advance tickets for Sunday's game are available online through YSUsports.com. The ticket office and gates at Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center will open at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
- Promotions
- Middle School/High School Team/Youth Sports Day/AAU Programs/Campers Day
- Light Switch Plate Cover giveaway, courtesy of State Farm, Mercy Health, and 21 WFMJ
- Foul shots after the game for kids 12 and under
- Veterans Appreciation Day, presented by NECA-IBEW
A Glimpse at the Guins
- The Penguins are 8-12 overall and 3-7 in Horizon League contests following a 67-53 loss at Cleveland State on Thursday. That game against the Vikings ended the first half of league play despite YSU not having played Oakland yet. Youngstown State beat NKU twice in the first half, and it will play the Golden Grizzlies twice in the second half.
- Senior Jewel Watkins led YSU with 15 points on Thursday, and she enters Sunday's game against Oakland with 981 career points. Watkins is one of 10 newcomers on this year's team, and she leads the squad with 14.1 points per game and 43 3-pointers.
- Sophia Gregory is the reigning Horizon League Freshman of the Week this week, and she has been one of the league's top freshmen this season. Gregory averaged 12.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.0 assists last week, and she is averaging 8.2 points and a team-leading 7.3 rebounds for the season.
- Fifth-year senior Malia Magestro is averaging career highs of 11.1 points and 2.1 assists, and she is one of four returners from last year's squad. Fellow senior and returner Haley Thierry scored 10 points against the Vikings as her role continues to increase.
- Youngstown State leads the Horizon League in 3-point field-goal percentage defense (.302), and it ranks second in blocks per game (3.5) and rebounding margin (plus-2.5). The Penguins are also third in scoring defense and fourth in turnovers forced.
- YSU is 43-29 in Horizon League play since the start of the 2021-22 season, and it has won at least 13 conference games in three of the past seven campaigns.
- With three season-ending injuries and other players dealing with bumps and bruises, YSU has used seven different starting lineup combinations this season. Ten of the 14 players on the roster have started at least once this season.
- Melissa Jackson is in her first season as YSU's head coach. The ninth coach in program history, she has spent the last 16 years in Northeast Ohio, and she has the highest winning percentage of any head coach in Akron history from her five seasons leading the Zips.
- Youngstown State has enjoyed tremendous success at Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center. The Penguins have had a winning record at home in 11 of the last 12 seasons, and they are 74-30 on Rosselli Court since the start of the 2018-19 campaign.
Youngstown State vs. Oakland
A Win Would...
- Give YSU a 9-12 overall record, a 4-7 mark in Horizon League contests and an 8-3 record on Rosselli Court.
- Improve YSU's all-time record against Oakland to 20-15.
- Be YSU's fifth straight over Oakland.
- Give Head Coach Melissa Jackson her 81st career win, her ninth at Youngstown State and her second over Oakland.
Milestone Watch
- Faith Burch is six assists from 50 in her career.
- Malia Magestro needs nine 3-pointers to become the fifth Penguin to reach 200.
- Jewel Watkins is closing in on her 150th career 3-pointer, needing two to reach the milestone. She is also approaching 1,000 career points with 981 to her credit entering Sunday's contest. Watkins also needs 11 free throws to reach 200.
Scouting the Golden Grizzlies
- Oakland is 7-12 overall, 5-5 in Horizon League play and 4-6 in road games as it comes to Youngstown. The Golden Grizzlies were 4-0 in league play following a 71-68 win over Cleveland State on Jan. 3, and they are 1-5 against conference opponents since.
- Oakland is averaging 61.7 points per game offensively while allowing 72.9 points on defense. The Golden Grizzlies are fifth in the conference in field-goal percentage (.403 ), third in steals per game (9.5) and fourth in blocks per game (3.4).
- Maddy Skorupski leads Oakland in scoring with 17.2 points per game and 59 assists, and she leads the Horizon League while ranking ninth in the country with 60 steals. Macy Smith has made a team-high 42 3-pointers while shooting 34.1% from long distance.
- Deanna Richard is serving as Oakland's interim head coach after Jeff Tungate retired on Dec. 9, 2024. Tungate had led the program for 12 seasons.
Series History and Matchup Notes
Overall: Youngstown State leads 19-15
Home: 9-9 // Away: 9-6 // Neutral: 1-0 // Jackson: 1-1 (at Akron)
Current Win Streak: 4 by Youngstown State
- Youngstown State holds a 19-15 edge in the 34-game history of the series that dates back to the 1998-99 season. Oddly, each team has a better record on the road in the series than on their respective home floors. YSU is 9-9 against the Golden Grizzlies at Zidian Family Arena Beeghly Center, but it is 9-6 on the road in the series. The Penguins have won six straight meetings at the OU Credit Union O'rena dating back to Feb. 1, 2018.
- YSU has won four straight meetings overall in the series since Oakland eliminated the Penguins from the Horizon League Tournament in 2022, and the Penguins are 10-4 since 2018.
- The programs were both members of the Mid-Continent Conference for three seasons from 1998-99 through 2000-01, and they have been members of the Horizon League together since 2013-14. YSU has a 16-9 record in the series since Oakland joined the league.
Last Time vs. Oakland
- Youngstown State led for more than 39 minutes and had all five starters scored in double figures in an 85-79 victory at Oakland on Feb. 8, 2024. YSU shot 55.2% from the field while going 9-for-22 from 3-point range.
- YSU scored the first six points of the game and held the upper hand the rest of teh half. The Penguins led 41-31 with 2:10 left on the second-quarter clock and 42-36 at halftime.
- Oakland's only lead was 57-56 with a minute left in the third following a 16-4 run, but YSU regrouped to take a 60-57 lead heading into the fourth. The Penguins scored 10 straight points in the fourth to increase their cushion.
- Malia Magestro scored 18 points in the game, while Haley Thierry finished with 10 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals.
Up Next
- Youngstown State will host league-leading Purdue Fort Wayne on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
