Setting the Scene
The Youngstown State men's basketball team returns home to host the league's top scoring team when it welcomes Purdue Fort Wayne, Wednesday, Feb. 12. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. at Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center, and the game will be broadcast on 570 WKBN and ESPN+.

Up Next
Youngstown State visits Horizon League leader Cleveland State in a nationally-televised game on ESPNU, Sunday, Feb. 16. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The game will also be broadcast on 570 WKBN. 

Last Time Out
Youngstown State made a season-high 16 3-pointers and never trailed in an 87-72 win over Detroit Mercy on Feb. 8 at Calihan Hall. Junior Juwan Maxey scored a team-high 21 points and made a career-best six 3-pointers to lead the Penguins (16-10, 10-5 Horizon League) while senior EJ Farmer scored 17 points with four 3s. Junior Cris Carroll poured in 16 points and connected on three 3-pointers while Ty Harper and Nico Galette scored 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Scouting Purdue Fort Wayne
Purdue Fort Wayne enters the game with an overall record of 18-8 and 11-4 in Horizon League play. The Mastodons are currently in second place in the league standings. Leading the Mastodons is the league's scoring leader Jalen Jackson at 20.2 points per game. Rasheed Bello is sixth in the league in scoring at 15.3 points per game. The Mastodons are averaging 83.3 points per game while allowing 74.4 points per contest.

Series vs. Purdue Fort Wayne
This is the 14th meeting between Youngstown State and Purdue Fort Wayne in a series dating back to 2002. The Mastodons lead the all-time series, 7-6, and won the last meeting 90-81 in Fort Wayne, Ind. Last season, the Penguins defeated the Mastodons, 93-85, in Youngstown, but lost 78-72 in Fort Wayne.  Youngstown State won for the first time in Fort Wayne with an 81-72 victory on Feb. 10, 2023. Youngstown State owns a 5-2 record against Purdue Fort Wayne in games played in Youngstown.

A Win Would...

• Improve YSU's record to 17-10 overall and 11-5 in the Horizon League.
• Mark the third straight season and the fifth time in program history YSU began conference play at least 11-5 after 16 games.
• Mark Ethan Faulkner's 17th career win and first over Purdue Fort Wayne.
• Mark Youngstown State's seventh win over the Mastodons and the sixth at Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center.
• Be YSU's second straight victory over the Mastodons in Youngstown.
• Give the Penguins an 8-4 home record overall and a 5-3 Horizon League home record. 

Last time Against Purdue Fort Wayne
Junior Cris Carroll recorded his first career double-double, but the Youngstown State men's basketball team dropped a 90-81 decision to Horizon League foe Purdue Fort Wayne on Jan. 4 at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. Carroll tied a career high with 20 points and posted a career-best 12 rebounds to go along with five assists. Nico Galette scored 14 points, EJ Farmer poured in 12 and David Wilkerson added a career-high 10 points.

Farmer Nopw Top 5
After his offensive exploits recently, senior EJ Farmer has moved into fifth place among the 2024-25 Horizon League overall scoring leaders. Farmer, who has reached double figures 18 times, is averaging 15.6 points per game. 

To The Max
Junior Juwan Maxey posted two of his best games at Youngstown State last week. Maxey led the Penguins to a 2-0 record last week with a pair of road victories at Oakland (84-75) and Detroit Mercy (87-72). Maxey averaged 20 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. He shot 55 percent (11-for-20) from the floor, 55.6 percent (10-for-18) from 3-point range, and 100 percent (8-for-8) from the free-throw line. He scored 19 points on 5-of-10 shooting with four 3-pointers against Oakland. He posted 21 points and made a career-high six 3-pointers in the Penguins win over Detroit Mercy. 

Carroll Steppin' Up
Since Jan. 4, junior Cris Carroll's offensive production has skyrocketed. Carroll averaged 13.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. During that span, Carroll has made 21 3-pointers for an average of 1.9 made per game. He also posted a career-high 24 points with three 3-pointers in the Penguins' 73-69 win over Green Bay on Jan. 19.