Youngstown State begins a four-game homestand while also concluding its nonconference slate on Wednesday by hosting Salem University. The Penguins and Tigers will tip at 1 p.m. on New Year's Eve, and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN+, 570 WKBN and iHeartRadio.
Gameday Info
Youngstown State vs. Salem
Tickets, Promotions & Fan Information
Tickets | Gameday & Parking Information | Visitors Guide | Promotional Schedule | YSU Mobile App - iOS - Android
Advance tickets for Wednesday's game are available online through YSUsports.com and at the Stambaugh Stadium Athletic Ticket Office. The ticket office and gates inside Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center will open at noon on Wednesday.
Promotions
- Holiday Hoops- Come celebrate the holiday season with the Penguins and receive a $5 GA ticket!
- Veterans Appreciation Game, presented by NECA IBEW
Game Preview
The Penguins have played at home just once since Nov. 25 and just four times overall this season while getting off to a 9-4 start. Following Wednesday's game against Salem, a Division II institution located in Salem, W. Va., YSU will have three straight contests inside Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center against Horizon League opponents as the conference slate gets fully underway.
While the Penguins have moved in and out of Horizon League play in December, they've won three of their four conference contests with three of those victories coming on the road. Most recently, Youngstown State beat Cleveland State 70-63 on Monday to snap the Vikings' 13-game winning streak on its home floor. Cleveland State had lost just three times at home since the start of the 2022-23 season. The Penguins' largest deficit was four, and it took the lead for good following an 8-0 run that put them ahead 34-27 with 5:09 left in the third quarter. Paulina Hernandez, a Cleveland State transfer, scored a career-high 18 points in her return trip to the Wolstein Center, and Casey Santoro scored 12 of her 18 points in the second half. Sophia Gregory had eight points, seven rebounds and five assists in the second half after foul trouble limited her to six minutes in the first half. She helped the Penguins post 14 assists against just four turnovers against the Vikings' zone defense in the second half.
Santoro continues to lead the Penguins in scoring with 13.2 points per game from the point-guard position, and she has made nine 3s in the past two games. The other four starters — Gregory, Danielle Cameron, Sarah Baker and Erica King — average between 8.2 and 10.6 points per game as Youngstown State continues to showcase a balanced attack in its improved offense. 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 Salem Would...
- Give the Penguins a 10-4 record to start the season, which would be their best mark through 14 games since the 2021-22 team started 13-1.
- Give YSU a 2-0 all-time record against the Tigers.
- Extend YSU's winning streak against non-Division I opponents to 32 games.
- Improve YSU's home record to 4-1 this season.
- Allow Youngstown State to start 10-4 or better through 14 games for the seventh time in the last 13 seasons.
- Give head coach Melissa Jackson her 94th career win, her 22nd at Youngstown State, and her first career victory over Salem.
Milestone Watch
- Sophia Gregory is one point away from scoring 400 in her career. She also needs five blocks to reach 50.
- Casey Santoro is closing in on 300 career assists, needing 16.
Scouting Salem
- Salem University (W. Va.) competes at the Division II level in the NCAA while also being a Division I member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association. The Tigers are 1-8 this season and are playing a Division I opponent as an exhibition for the second time this season. On Nov. 18, Salem lost 105-31 at Marshall.
- The Tigers' win this season came in their only game played in Ohio, a 97-75 victory at Cincinnati-Clermont on Dec. 1. Wednesday's game at YSU will be Salem's first since hosting Glenville State on Dec. 17.
- Junior guard Nakayla Green leads Salem in scoring with 9.6 points per game, and she also tops the team with 14 3-pointers, 17 assists and 15 steals. Meilin Guo is Salem's top rebounder with 6.3 per contest.
Series History and Matchup Notes
Overall: Youngstown State leads 1-0
Home: 1-0 // Away: 0-0 // Neutral: 0-0 // Jackson (career): 0-0
Current Win Streak: 1 by Youngstown State
Youngstown State has played Salem one other time in program history on Dec. 14, 2015. The Penguins won that contest 80-40 when the school was called Salem International University.
YSU vs. non-Division I teams: YSU vs. non-Division I teams: YSU's last loss to a non-Division I opponent came against Edinboro on Jan. 13, 1990. Since then, the Penguins have won 31 consecutive games against non-Division I teams. YSU is 85-10 all-time against teams that are currently outside Division I. The Penguins have played at least one non-Division I opponent in every season since 2013-14 except 2020-21. YSU was 3-0 against non-Division I competition last season, and it beat Thiel 104-33 in the 2025-26 season opener.
Last Time vs. Salem
Youngstown State made eight first-half 3-pointers and led by double figures for more than 35 minutes in an 80-40 win over Salem International on Monday at Beeghly Center. The victory was the 200th of head coach John Barnes' career. The Penguins jumped out to a 28-10 lead after one quarter and carried a 51-16 advantage into halftime while improving to 8-1 overall and 5-0 at home. Freshman Marissa Brown scored a career-high 16 points off the bench in 18 minutes as YSU's reserves accounted for 50 points. Kelley Wright added 12, and Nikki Arbanas and Janae Jackson scored 10 apiece. YSU shot 51.6% from the field, hit 10 3-pointers and had 11 players score.
Playing on New Year's Eve
- Youngstown State is playing on New Year's Eve for the eighth time in program history, and it will try to remain unbeaten at home on the date.
- The Penguins are 3-0 all-time on Dec. 31 on Rosselli Court with all three being Horizon League contests. YSU beat Cleveland State 70-48 in 2011, Purdue Fort Wayne 60-44 in 2022, and IU Indy 58-56 in 2023.
- This will be Youngstown State's first non-conference game on New Year's Eve since the Penguins played at Xavier in 2004.
Recapping Cleveland State
Game Summary
Paulina Hernandez scored a career-high 18 points on her former home court, leading Youngstown State to a 70-63 Horizon League victory over Cleveland State on Monday at the Wolstein Center. The Penguins won in Cleveland for the first time since 2022, improving to 9-4 overall and 3-1 in league play.
Hernandez was 8-for-13 from the field and added a free throw, and Casey Santoro also scored 18 points with five assists. Sarah Baker contributed 12 points in limited minutes, Sophia Gregory had eight points, nine rebounds and five assists, and Danielle Cameron made three 3-pointers in an 11-point effort. YSU tallied 24 assists on 28 field goals and outscored Cleveland State 47-42 in the second half.
Notes
- YSU improved to 3-1 in Horizon League play for the first time since 2022-23, and it has won three of its first four league games for the seventh time in the last 13 years.
- Cleveland State had won 55 of its last 58 home games coming into the contest. The Vikings were 8-0 this season and 15-2 on its home floor in 2024-25.
- After the teams combined for 44 points in the first half, Youngstown State outscored the Vikings 47-42 in the second half.
- YSU had 24 assists on 28 field goals, or 85.7% of their makes. That comes after the Penguins had 19 assists in 24 buckets in their win over UMass.
- Sarah Baker surpassed 200 career points in her 12-point effort. She reached double figures for the seventh time this season.
- Sophia Gregory had five assists, all of which came in the second half after foul trouble limited her to six minutes in the first half. Gregory has 11 assists and two turnovers in her last two games.
- In her return trip to the Wolstein Center, Paulina Hernandez scored a career-high 18 points while also grabbing a season-high six rebounds. She was 8-for-13 overall from the field and made her only attempt from 3-point range. Hernandez improved to 8-for-16 from beyond the arc this season after being 0-for-1 in her two seasons at Cleveland State. Hernandez also played a season-high 21:25 as Baker and Gregory battled foul trouble.
- Erica King posted a career-high seven assists, topping her previous high of five set at Akron. She also surpassed 300 career points while making her only field goal attempt of the game.
- Casey Santoro played all 40 minutes and finished with 18 points. She made four 3s, four free throws and one two-pointer. She also distributed five assists and grabbed her 400th career rebound. Santoro is 9-for-18 from beyond the arc in her last two games.
Up Next
Youngstown State will begin the bulk of its Horizon League schedule on Monday as it continues its homestand against Oakland. Tipoff against the Golden Grizzlies is set for 6:30 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and 570 WKBN. Fans attending the game will receive a $5 Dunkin' gift card.
