Setting the Scene
The Youngstown State men's basketball team (19-11, 13-6 Horizon League) closes out the regular season and seeks its 20th win of the year when it visits Northern Kentucky, Saturday March 1. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. at Truist Arena, and the game will be aired on ESPN+ and 570 WKBN.

Up Next
Youngstown State will play in the 2025 Barbasol Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship quarterfinals, Thursday, March 6. The Penguins opponent is to be determined.

Last Time Out
Sophomore Gabe Dynes and senior Nico Galette turned in dominant second-half performances to lead Youngstown State to an 81-77 Senior Day win over Green Bay on Feb. 23 at Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center. Dynes recorded his third double-double of the season with 19 points and 12 rebounds to go along with three blocks while Galette tied a season high with 21 points and nine rebounds. Junior Jason Nelson came off the bench 13 points and dished out four assists.

A Win Would...

• Improve YSU's record to 20-11 overall and 14-6 in the Horizon League.
• Mark the first time in program history Youngstown State posted three consecutive 20-win seasons.
• Mark the third straight year Youngstown State won 14 games in Horizon League action.
• Be the Penguins' 66th overall victory over the last three seasons, and the 43rd Horizon League win. 
• Mark Ethan Faulkner's 20th career win and second over Northern Kentucky.
• Mark Youngstown State's 14th win over the Norse and the fifth in Highland Heights.
• Snap a three-game losing skid to the Norse at Truist Arena.
• Give the Penguins an 10-5 road record overall and an 8-2 Horizon League road record. 
• Mark the first time since 1963-64 and the first time in its Division I era that YSU won 10 road games.

Scouting Northern Kentucky
Northern Kentucky enters the game with an overall record of 15-15 and a 10-9 Horizon League mark. The Norse are coming off a 79-74 win over Purdue Fort Wayne on Feb. 27. Leading Northern Kentucky is Trey Robinson with 15.5 points per game.  The Norse average 70.7 points per game and allow 71.8 points per contest.

Series vs. Northern Kentucky
This is the 31st meeting between Youngstown State and Northern Kentucky in a series that dates back to 1976. The Norse own a 17-13 advantage in the all-time series, but the Penguins have won the last two contests. The Penguins have won four times in Highland Heights, and the last YSU road victory was in 2020. Earlier this season, Youngstown State defeated the Northern Kentucky, 72-61, on Jan. 8 at Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center

Last Time Against NKU
Youngstown State built a 17-point halftime lead and held off a second-half surge from Northern Kentucky to earn a 72-61 victory in Horizon League play on Jan. 8 at Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center. The Penguins owned a 42-25 halftime lead that was cut down to eight on three different occasions in the final 20 minutes. Juwan Maxey led YSU as one of four players in double figures with 19 points while matching his career-best with five 3-pointers. Ty Harper poured in 14 points and connected on four of six 3-point attempts while David Wilkerson scored a career-high 12 points and went 2-for-3 from deep. Gabe Dynes impacted the game in multiple ways once again with 11 points on five-for-six shooting, a career-high 15 rebounds and four blocked shots.

Dynes Nearing Century Mark
Sophomore Gabe Dynes is approaching a rare feat not only in Youngstown State history, but in Horizon League history as well. Dynes has 95 blocks this season and is five shy of reaching 100. He would become just the third player in YSU history to record 100 blocks in a season and the fifth league history.

What a Win Means
With a win, Youngstown State would record its third straight 20-win season and just the fourth in its Division I era that began in 1981-82. It would also mark the first time in program history the Penguins won 20 games in three consecutive years. If the Penguins defeat the Norse, YSU will host a Barbasol Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship Quarterfinal for the third straight season.

Galette Goin' Crazy
Senior Nico Galette has been a force over the last 11 games. Galette has posted five double-doubles during that span. He averaged 14.3 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. He also dished out 40 assists for an average of 3.6 per game. In league play, Galette is averaging 11.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game.

200 3s Streak
The Penguins have made 261 3-pointers this season and extends their streak of at least 200 made 3-pointers streak to 14 straight full seasons. The streak dates back to the 2010-11 season and does not include the COVID-19 shortened 2020-21 campaign. The 261 made 3s rank fifth on the YSU single-season list. The Penguins need 10 more to move into a tie for third on the list with 271.

Dynes Collects 150 Career Blocks
With five blocks against Milwaukee, sophomore Gabe Dynes became the third player in program history to record 150 blocks in a career. He now has 156. Dynes also moved into fourth place on the YSU single-season blocks list with 95. He needs eight more to become the third player in school history to block 100 shots in a season. The last to do so was Damian Eargle with 102 in 2012-13.

Maxey Hits Career High
Junior Juwan Maxey scored a career-high 29 points against Milwaukee on Feb. 21. Maxey connected on 8-for-13 from the field and made four 3-pointers. His 29 points are the team best this season, and they are the most points scored in a game since DJ Burns had 32 against Green Bay on Feb. 10, 2024.