Youngstown State resumes its season and begins a prolonged stretch of games in Ohio by playing a Horizon League contest at Cleveland State on Monday. Tipoff at the Wolstein Center is set for 4 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN+, 570 WKBN and iHeartRadio.
Gameday Info
Youngstown State at Cleveland State
 
Game Preview
With a road-heavy schedule so far this season, Youngstown State is 8-4 overall and 2-1 in Horizon League play. YSU has played in its home state just once so far this month, but it will not leave the Buckeye State until Jan. 21 with its next seven games being played in Ohio. Following Monday's game at Cleveland State, YSU will play five of its next six games inside Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center, and its lone road game in the first 20 days of January is at Wright State.
Before the calendar flips to 2026, the Penguins continue their December weave in and out of conference play after an eight-day break from competition for the holidays. In their last contest, Youngstown State earned an impressive 72-69 non-league victory over a UMass squad that was 8-1 overall and ranked 63rd in the NET. YSU scored 20 points in each of the first three quarters to build a 60-49 lead, and the Penguins made winning plays down the stretch to hold off the Minutewomen. Sarah Baker led four starters in double figures with a career-high 17 points, and Casey Santoro made five of YSU's 11 3-pointers in a 16-point effort. Danielle Cameron added 15 points, and she went on to be named the Horizon League Freshman of the Week.
Cameron became the fourth Penguin to earn a weekly honor from the Horizon League this season, joining Baker as Freshmen of the Week honorees, while Santoro and Sophia Gregory have been named Player of the Week. Santoro, one of three newcomers on the roster, is YSU's top scorer this season at 12.8 points per game from the point-guard position. The other four starters — Cameron, Baker, Gregory and Erica King — average between 7.9 and 10.8 points per game as the Penguins are averaging 8.1 more 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. King ranks second on the team in scoring with 10.8 points per game, up from 5.5 last season as a freshman.
A Win Over Cleveland State Would...
- Give the Penguins a 9-4 record to start the season, which would be their best mark through 13 games since the 2021-22 team started 12-1.
- Give YSU a 3-1 start to Horizon League play for the third time in the last five years and for the first time since 2022-23.
- Snap a three-game slide at Cleveland State dating back to Feb. 11, 2022.
- Be YSU's second straight victory over the Vikings.
- Improve YSU's record away from home to 6-3.
- Give head coach Melissa Jackson her 93rd career win, her 21st at Youngstown State, and her second career victory over Cleveland State.
Milestone Watch
- Sarah Baker is eight points away from reaching 200 in her career.
- Sophia Gregory is nine points away from scoring 400 in her career. She also needs five blocks to reach 50.
- Erica King is one point away from reaching 300 in her career.
- Casey Santoro is three 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 8-4 overall and 5-3 away from home. That is already two more wins on the road than they had in 2024-25.
- 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 preseason poll.
- The Penguins didn't get their seventh Division I victory until their 26th game on Feb. 20 last season, and they are 7-4 against Division I opponents in 2025-26.
- The Penguins are shooting 43.6% from the field, which is third in the league and 5.8% better than last season. YSU is second in the conference in 3-point percentage at .336, up from .283 in 2024-25.
- YSU is averaging 67.8 points, up from 59.7 last season.
Player Snapshots
Sarah Baker is averaging 10.5 points, and Danielle Cameron is averaging 7.9 points. Baker missed YSU's final 22 games of 2024-25, and Cameron missed the last 29... Both have earned HL Freshman of the Week honors this season... Hayden Barrier is averaging 4.2 more points per game and 10.4 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 ranks second in the HL with 8.2 rebounds per game... Paulina Hernandez leads the Horizon League and ranks 31st in the nation with 1.9 blocks per game... Erica King is averaging 5.3 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 Cleveland State
- Cleveland State is 12-2 overall and 2-1 in Horizon League play with a reloaded roster in 2025-26. The Vikings lost three starters in the transfer portal from last season's team that won 27 games and advanced to the Fab 4 of the Women's NIT, but they have three more overall victories than any other team in the Horizon League. CSU has won five straight games since a 76-68 loss to Detroit Mercy to open conference play, and the Vikings are 8-0 at home.
- The Vikings lead the conference in scoring offense at 74.6 points per game, and they also top the circuit in scoring defense allowing just 55.7 points per contest. They rank first in the Horizon League and are among the top 25 teams in the nation in field goal percentage and field goal percentage defense. CSU makes 17 free throws per game on average, the 13th-best mark in the country.
- Individually, Horizon League Preseason Player of the Year Colbi Maples leads Cleveland State with 16.0 points per game and 28 3-pointers. Center Izabella Zingaro, a transfer from Montana, ranks 16th nationally with 62 made free throws while averaging 14.4 points and shooting 68.3% from the field. Jada Leonard, a transfer from Bryant, ranks fifth in the country with 48 steals.
Series History and Matchup Notes
Overall: Youngstown State leads 46-39
Home: 29-11 // Away: 13-27 // Neutral: 4-1 // Jackson (career): 1-3
Current Win Streak: 1 by Youngstown State
YSU has played Cleveland State more than any other program in its history and owns a 46-39 record against the Vikings in a series that dates back to Jan. 19, 1976. The Northeast Ohio rivals have played each other at least once in all 50 seasons of YSU's intercollegiate program. YSU holds a 10-9 advantage in the series since the 2016-17 season, and YSU is 15-13 against the Vikings going back to 2012-13.
Program Ties: The Penguins certainly have some familiarity with Cleveland State as student-athletes Faith Burch and Paulina Hernandez both began their careers as Vikings, and YSU head coach Melissa Jackson was an assistant at CSU for a season. Burch spent her first three seasons at Cleveland State before transferring to YSU, redshirting in 2021-22 before being part of 59 wins during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 campaigns. Hernandez played in 55 games at CSU over the last two seasons as the Vikings went a combined 56-16. Jackson spent the 2023-24 season at Cleveland State as an assistant coach before being named the leader of the Penguins on March 14, 2024. Both Burch and Hernandez were on the Vikings' squad that season.
Last Season vs. Cleveland State
At Cleveland State: The Penguins jumped out to a quick start, scoring nine of the game's first 11 points, but struggled offensively for the remainder of the contest. Jewel Watkins led YSU with 15 points, and Haley Thierry added 10 off the bench. YSU won the rebounding battle 40-and turned 13 offensive boards into 16 second-chance points The Vikings capitalized at the free-throw line with an 18-6 advantage.
At Youngstown State: Jewel Watkins starred on Senior Day with 29 points as Youngstown State closed the regular season with a 73-70 win over CSU. The Penguins erased an eight-point halftime deficit and scored the game's final seven points to secure the victory. Sophia Gregory added 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Haley Thierry posted nine points and 12 boards. Bella Samz hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 55 seconds left, and Watkins capped the rally with a baseline drive in the final moments.
Recapping UMass
Game Summary
Youngstown State scored 20 points in each of the first three quarters and made key plays late to earn a 72-69 win over UMass on Dec. 20 at the FIU Holiday Classic.
Sarah Baker led YSU with 17 points on 7-for-9 shooting and sealed the win at the free-throw line in the final seconds. Casey Santoro hit a career-high five 3-pointers and finished with 16 points, while Danielle Cameron added 15 with three triples.
YSU built a 15-point lead in the third quarter before holding off a late UMass rally. The Penguins made 11 3-pointers and went 13-for-16 at the line.
Notes
- The Minutewomen entered the contest with an 8-1 record and were ranked 63rd in the NCAA NET. YSU's win marked its highest NET-ranked victory since defeating 56th-ranked Green Bay on Jan. 20, 2023, on the road.
- The Penguins made 11 3-pointers, which was their most since the 2024-25 season opener. That was the first contest under head coach Melissa Jackson. YSU had not made more than 10 3s on the road since hitting 12 at Northern Kentucky on Feb. 24, 2024.
- YSU's starters combined for 63 of its 72 points, but the Penguins still won the battle of bench soring 9-4.
- The Penguins had 19 assists on 24 field goals, the second-highest assist-to-field goal percentage of the season.
- Sarah Baker scored a career-high 17 points, surpassing her previous high of 16 that she had achieved three times. Baker was 7-for-9 from the field and 3-for-4 from the free-throw line.
- Danielle Cameron made three 3s and continued her improvement at the free-throw line by going 6-for-6. Entering the week, she was 2-for-9 from the line. Over three games against Wright State, FIU, and UMass, she went 9-for-10.
- Sophia Gregory was held to two points, but she grabbed 14 rebounds, recorded three steals and tied her career high with six assists.
- Erica King did not come off the floor, playing all 40 minutes. She finished with 13 points, four assists and a career-high-tying four steals.
- Casey Santoro made a career-high five 3-pointers and scored 16 points in a huge bounceback effort. The sixth-year senior was held to two points in the loss to FIU the previous day.
Up Next
Youngstown State will wrap up 2025 and its nonconference schedule by hosting Salem University on Wednesday at 1 p.m. The New Year's Eve contest will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and 570 WKBN. All general admission tickets will be $5, and all military personnel, both active and retired, can receive discounted tickets with a valid military ID for the Veterans Appreciation Game, presented by NECA IBEW.
