Setting the Scene
After a week off for finals, the Youngstown State men's basketball team (6-4, 2-0 Horizon League) returns to action when it hosts Thiel, Sunday, Dec. 14. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. at Zidian Family Arena. The game will be aired on 570 WKBN and ESPN+.

Up Next
The Penguins play their third Horizon League in the month of December when they visit Robert Morris, Wednesday, Dec. 17. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at the UPMC Event Center. The game will be aired on 570 WKBN and ESPN+.  

Last Time Out
Youngstown State picked its first Horizon League road victory with a 78-55 win over IU Indy on Dec. 6. Rich Rolf led the Penguins with 20 points while Cris Carroll poured in 17 points. Imanuel Zorgvol scored 11 points and Bryson Dawkins added 10. YSU shot a season-best 53.6 percent from the floor against the Jaguars.

A Win Would...

• Improve YSU's record to 7-4 overall and mark its fifth straight win.
• Be Youngstown State's fourth home victory of the year and improve its home record to 4-0.
• Mark Youngstown State's 15th win over the Tomcats.
• Be Youngstown State's 14th straight win over the Thiel.
• Mark Ethan Faulkner's 28th career win and first victory over Thiel.

Scouting Thiel
Thiel enters the game with an overall record of 4-5 and is coming off a 77-67 loss to Westminster on Dec. 6. Leading the Tomcats is Khamari Accursio-Harris with 12.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. Mike Brown and Anthony Henderson II are both averaging in double figures with 11.4 and 10.7 point per game, respectively. The Tomcats average 66.9 points per game and allow 72.3 points per contest.

Series vs. Thiel
This is the 19th meeting between Youngstown State and Thiel in a series dating  back to 1927. The Penguins own a 14-4 advantage in the all-time series and have won the last 13 contests dating back to 1937. This is the first meeting between the Penguins and the Tomcats since 2019. Youngstown State won the last meeting against Thiel, 101-53, on Nov. 5, 2019. Thiel was Youngstown State's first opponent in program history on Dec. 14, 1927. Thiel won that contest, 53-24, in Youngstown. YSU owns a record of 10-2 against Thiel in games played in Youngstown and a 5-0 mark in games played at Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center.

Dawkins Making Improvement
Over the last eight games, senior guard Bryson Dawkins has increased his offensive production. Dawkins averaged 12.0 points per game and shot 50.6 percent (39-for-77) from the field during that span. He also scored in double figures in seven of the last eight games. In the last three games, Dawkins averaged 12.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game and shot 62.5 percent (15-for-24) from the floor.

Going Carroll-ing
Senior Cris Carroll is off to blazing start in 2025-26. Carroll has scored in double figures in all 10 games and is averaging a team-best 14.9 points per contest. He is also shooting an impressive 51.0 percent from the floor and 43.3 percent from 3-point range. Carroll leads the team with 26 3-pointers and 2.6 3-pointers made per game.  

Home Sweet Home
Youngstown State has been quite protective of its home court over the last five-plus seasons. The Penguins have won 41 of the last 52 overall at Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center. YSU has won 77 games at home since the start of the 2019-20 season and own a 77-26 mark during that time. Youngstown State is 41-11 at home since the start of the 2022-23 season. The Penguins are 34-9 in their last 43 regular-season home games.

Wright State Recap
The Penguins won for the third straight time knocking off Horizon League foe Wright State, 69-68, on Dec. 3. Rich Rolf made two free throws with 9.7 seconds left and the Penguins made a last-second defensive stand to preserve the win. Cris Carroll scored  a game-high 19 points while Bryson Dawkins posted 13 points and Rolf added 10.