Youngstown State steps outside of Horizon League play and makes its first trip to Florida in 15 years this week for two games at the FIU Holiday Classic. The Penguins will play host Florida International University on Friday at 11 a.m. in the first game of the two-day event, and they'll take on UMass on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in a neutral-site contest. Both games will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and iHeartRadio.
Gameday Info
Youngstown State vs. FIU
 
Youngstown State vs. UMass
 
Game Preview
The Penguins head to the Sunshine State with a 7-3 overall record, and they improved to 2-1 in Horizon League play on Tuesday with a 65-46 victory over Wright State inside Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center. YSU's first three games in December have been league contests, and they will weave in and out of conference play the rest of the month. After the two challenging games in Miami this week, the Penguins will play a Horizon League contest at Cleveland State on Dec. 29. YSU will then host Division II Salem University to conclude its nonconference slate on Dec. 31.
Tuesday's victory helped avenge three losses to the Raiders last season, including one in the opening round of the 2025 Horizon League Women's Basketball Championship. The Penguins trailed 40-39 with just under four minutes left in the third quarter, but they ended the period on an 11-2 run and went on to outscore the Raiders 15-4 in the fourth. Danielle Cameron scored a game- and career-high 18 points, and Casey Santoro scored 15. Second-year head coach Melissa Jackson was quick to point out the defensive effort as the Penguins held Wright State 24 points below its season scoring average and a season-low .296 field-goal percentage.
Santoro, one of three newcomers on the roster, is YSU's top scorer this season at 13.6 points per game from the point-guard position. She surpassed 1,000 career points on YSU's last road trip, a four-day trek in Wisconsin against Milwaukee and Green Bay. The other four starters — Cameron, Sarah Baker, Erica King and Sophia Gregory — average between 7.2 and 10.1 points per game as the Penguins are averaging 8.3 points more than in 2024-25. Baker and Cameron are both coming off medical redshirt seasons, and Gregory, a Preseason First-Team All-Horizon League selection, is the only one in the group who started more than eight games last season.
A Win Over FIU Would...
- Give the Penguins an 8-3 record to start the season, which would be their best mark through 11 games since the 2021-22 team started 10-1.
- Be YSU's first victory over the Panthers in three tries.
- Be YSU's first over a current member of Conference USA since 1993.
- Be YSU's first win in the Sunshine State or over a team from Florida since beating Florida Atlantic on Nov. 26, 2004.
- Improve YSU's road record to 5-2.
- Give head coach Melissa Jackson her 92nd career win, her 20th at Youngstown State, and her first career victory over FIU.
Milestone Watch
- Sarah Baker is one rebound away from 100 in her career.
- Sophia Gregory is one rebound shy of 300 in her career. She also needs six blocks to reach 50.
- Paulina Hernandez needs two rebounds to reach 100 in her career.
- Erica King is 29 points away from reaching 300 in her career.
- Casey Santoro is one free throw shy of 250, and she's 11 rebounds away from 400.
A Glimpse at the Guins
Team Notes
- YSU is in its second season under head coach Melissa Jackson. The Penguins are 7-3 overall and 4-2 on the road.
- Youngstown State's roster features 12 student-athletes — nine returners and three newcomers. While 75% of the roster consists of returners, only Faith Burch, Sophia Gregory and Erica King played in more than 10 games and averaged at least 14 minutes per game for YSU in 2024-25.
- YSU has used the same starting lineup of Gregory, King, Sarah Baker, Danielle Cameron and Casey Santoro in every game. Gregory is the only one in the group who started more than eight games last season.
- YSU was picked third and received one first-place vote in the Horizon League preseason poll. The Penguins were 12-19 and finished in a tie for eighth last season.
- YSU has already surpassed its win total on the road from last season with four. The Penguins didn't get their sixth Division I victory until their 21st game on Jan. 26 last season, and they are 6-3 against Division I opponents in 2025-26.
- The Penguins are shooting 44.7% from the field, which is third in the league and 6.9% better than last season. YSU is second in the conference in 3-point percentage at .333, up from .283 in 2024-25.
Player Snapshots
Sarah Baker is averaging 10.1 points, and Danielle Cameron is averaging 7.2 points after a career-high 18 against Wright State. Baker missed YSU's final 22 games of 2024-25, and Cameron missed the last 29... Hayden Barrier is averaging 4.1 more points per game and 11.5 more minutes than she did as a freshman... Sophia Gregory was the Horizon League Freshman of the Year in 2024-25 and was named to the Preseason All-Horizon League First Team. She is 29-of-40 from the field in the last four games... Paulina Hernandez leads the Horizon League and ranks 21st in the nation with 2.1 blocks per game... Erica King is averaging 4.6 more points than last season... Bella Samz is the longest-tenured Penguin in her third season with the program... Casey Santoro scored her 1,000th career point on Dec. 5 at Milwaukee. The transfer point guard is the team's leader in points, assists, 3-pointers and minutes.
Scouting FIU
- Florida International is 5-3 this season and will enter Friday morning's contest on a four-game winning streak. The Panthers beat Florida Atlantic 80-63 on Monday, and they have also defeated UMBC, Seattle and Georgia State during the streak.
- FIU is averaging 75.0 points per game and has surpassed 80 four times in its five victories. The Panthers average 19.5 free throws made per game and force 23.3 turnovers per contest.
- Ole Miss transfer Rhema Collins averages a double-double of 20.0 points and 10.7 rebounds per game, and Parris Atkins averages 17.3 points while ranking third in the nation with 4.6 steals per contest.
- FIU was picked to finish sixth in the 12-team Conference USA preseason poll, and Atkins was a preseason all-conference selection.
Series History and Matchup Notes
Overall: FIU leads 2-0
Home: 0-0 // Away: 0-2 // Neutral: 0-0 // Jackson (career): 0-0
Current Win Streak: 2 by FIU
FIU has won the only two meetings between the two programs, both of which have come in Thanksgiving tournaments hosted by the Panthers. YSU lost 71-59 on Nov. 24, 1989, and it fell 84-68 on Nov. 25, 2000.
Youngstown State and Conference USA
Youngstown State is 2-13 all-time against current members of Conference USA, with its last victory coming in an 83-81 win over Sam Houston on Dec. 3, 1993, at Missouri. The Penguins are 1-1 against Delaware, 0-2 against FIU, 0-10 against Middle Tennessee and 1-0 against Sam Houston. YSU and Middle Tennessee were both members of the Ohio Valley Conference from the 1983-84 through 1987-88 seasons.
Youngstown State's bowling program has been an affiliate member of Conference USA since the conference began sponsoring the sport in 2023-24. The Penguins are the reigning national champions in bowling after defeating Conference USA member Jacksonville State in the title match.
Coaching Connections
FIU assistant coach Heather Karner is a Youngstown State alumna who played for the Penguins during the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons. She was YSU's leading scorer in both seasons, and her 87 3-pointers as a senior set the program's single-season record at the time. Karner totaled an impressive 740 points and 139 3s over her two-year career at YSU. Florida Atlantic assistant coach McKenah Peters is also a former Penguin and Youngstown State graduate, having played four seasons at YSU from 2017-18 through 2020-21. FAU plays both UMass and FIU this week in Miami.
Scouting UMass
- UMass won its first seven games before falling 64-61 to Army West Point on Dec. 6. The Minutewomen won't have played for two weeks before their game against Florida Atlantic on Friday.
- Yahmani McKayle leads UMass with 15.6 points per game, and she also tops the Minutewomen with 42 assists and 16 3-pointers. Megan Olbrys is averaging 15.1 points and a team-high 7.9 rebounds, and Ayanna Franks has 29 steals.
- UMass was picked to finish third in the MAC preseason poll in its first season in the conference. The Minutewomen received three of the 13 first-place votes and were picked behind Kent State and Toledo, which YSU lost 69-65 to on Nov. 25.
YSU vs. UMass and the Mid-American Conference
- Youngstown State has never played UMass in women's basketball. In fact, Saturday's game will be YSU's first against any team from the state of Massachusetts since it played Boston University in 1986.Â
- YSU has already played Akron and Toledo this season, and the Penguins annually play opponents from the MAC due to being firmly in the geographic footprint of the conference.
Recapping Wright State
Game Summary
Redshirt freshman Danielle Cameron scored a career-high 18 points, and Youngstown State pulled away from Wright State with a dominant finish in a 65-46 win on Tuesday inside Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center. The Penguins outscored the Raiders 26-6 over the final 13:57 after trailing 40-39 late in the third quarter.
Cameron went 6-for-12 from the field and hit three 3-pointers, while Casey Santoro added 15 points, four rebounds and four assists. Sarah Baker posted nine points and eight rebounds, and Sophia Gregory and Erica King each scored eight.
YSU held Wright State to 20.8% shooting in the second half and just one field goal in the fourth quarter.
Notes
- Four points tied for the fewest Youngstown State has ever allowed in a fourth quarter. Wright State was 1-for-8 from the field in the fourth quarter and 5-for-24 in the second half.
- The Penguins grabbed 14 offensive rebounds and converted them into 13 second-chance points. The Raiders did not score any second-chance points on 11 offensive rebounds.
- While the final margin ended up being 19 points, the game featured 10 lead changes and three ties before the Penguins took control over the final 14 minutes. That was the most lead changes in a YSU game this season.
- The Penguins had eight steals and forced 20 turnovers, and they held a 19-12 scoring edge off turnovers.
- Sarah Baker grabbed eight rebounds, which is her season high against a Division I opponent.
- Hayden Barrier recorded her first block of the season.
- In addition to scoring a career-best 18 points and matching her career high with three 3-pointers, Danielle Cameron registered a career-best three steals.
- Paulina Hernandez made her only attempt from 3-point range, and she improved to 7-for-15 from beyond the arc this season. She was 0-for-1 combined in her first two collegiate seasons at Cleveland State.
- Erica King grabbed seven rebounds, the highest total of her career, and recorded her first block of the year. She also scored at least seven points for the seventh straight game.
- Dacia Lewandowski had three assists without a turnover in 17 minutes.
- Casey Santoro was recognized before the game for scoring the 1,000th point of her career. She finished with 15 points for her sixth straight game in double figures.
Up Next
Following the two games in Miami, Youngstown State will have eight days off from competition for the holidays. The 2025-26 schedule will resume on Dec. 29 with a Horizon League contest at Cleveland State starting at 4 p.m.
