Youngstown State looks to extend its winning streak to five games as it continues its homestand by hosting Northern Kentucky on Thursday inside Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center. The Penguins and Norse will tip off at a special time of 7:17 p.m. as part of YSU's partnership with 7 17 Credit Union, and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN+, 570 WKBN and iHeartRadio.
Gameday Info
Youngstown State vs. Northern Kentucky
 
Tickets, Promotions & Fan Information
Tickets | Gameday & Parking Information | Visitors Guide | Promotional Schedule | YSU Mobile App - iOS - Android
Promotions
- 7 17 Night: Free Upper Reserved and General Admission Tickets for all fans, courtesy of 7 17. Due to limited availability, fans are encouraged to pick up their free tickets in advance at the YSU Athletic Ticket Office in Stambaugh Stadium.
- Lower Reserved tickets $7.17, courtesy of 7 17. Discounted tickets must be purchased with a credit card.
- Rally Towel Giveaway courtesy of 7 17
- Burgan Real Estate Welcome Back Students Night
- YSU student T-shirt giveaway, and the first 100 YSU students will receive free pizza
- One lucky student will have the chance to make a half-court shot for $717 cash
Game Preview
The Penguins have won four straight games and five of their last six contests to improve their record to 11-4 overall and 4-1 in Horizon League play. Their most recent triumph came on Monday in the second leg of this four-game homestand, an 81-58 victory over Oakland. A win against the Norse will give the Penguins their first five-game winning streak since December 2022 and allow them to keep pace with the top tier of the Horizon League standings as conference play gets into full gear in January.
Sophomore guard Erica King had a career night against the Golden Grizzlies on Monday, posting career highs of 23 points and eight rebounds. She scored 13 of those points in the second quarter as the Penguins turned a 16-16 tie into a 42-30 lead heading into halftime. She then scored eight points in the fourth as Youngstown State pulled away for the 23-point victory. Paulina Hernandez provided a strong one-two punch off the bench by scoring 10 of her 16 points in the final period as she reached double digits for the third straight game. Starters Sophia Gregory (15 points), Sarah Baker (12) and Danielle Cameron (9) all scored above their averages.
Casey Santoro was held to four points in Monday's win, but she still posted eight rebounds and six assists from the point guard position. The sixth-year senior ranks among the top 10 players in the Horizon League in scoring, 3-pointers, free-throw percentage, rebounding, assists and minutes. All five starters are averaging between 12.3 and 8.1 points per game, and Hernandez is averaging 7.7 as Youngstown State continues to showcase a balanced and improved attack. The Penguins rank among the top three in the Horizon League in scoring, field-goal percentage, 3-point field-goal percentage and assists.
A Win Would…
- Give the Penguins their first five-game winning streak since Dec. 21, 2022.
- Give the Penguins a 12-4 record, which would be their best mark through 16 games since the 2021-22 team started 15-1. YSU would be 12-4 or better for the sixth time in the last 12 seasons.
- Allow YSU to match its win total from the entire 2024-25 season.
- Improve the Penguins' all-time record against NKU to 12-9 and be their fourth straight win over the Norse.
- Improve YSU's home record to 6-1 this season.
- Give YSU at least five wins in its first six Horizon League games for the fourth time in program history.
- Give head coach Melissa Jackson her 96th career win, her 24th at Youngstown State, and her sixth career victory over Northern Kentucky.
Milestone Watch
Scouting Northern Kentucky
- Northern Kentucky comes to Youngstown on a three-game winning streak that started with an impressive 88-85 win at Purdue Fort Wayne on Dec. 29. The Norse then beat IU Indy and Detroit Mercy at home to open January by an average of 18.5 points. Overall, NKU is 6-11 against a full schedule of Division I opponents, and three of its losses were by two points or fewer.
- The Norse are averaging 66.7 points in Horizon League play, which ranks third in the league. They are making 7.7 3-pointers on average against conference opponents, the top mark in the conference.
- Three newcomers lead NKU in the scoring column, including two freshmen at the top. Guard Karina Bystry is averaging 12.5 points and has made 70 free throws, and forward Maddie Moody is averaging 10.5 points and 6.6 rebounds. Bystry and Moody have each been the Horizon League Freshman of the Week twice.
Series History and Matchup Notes
Overall: Youngstown State leads 11-9
Home: 7-4 // Away: 4-5 // Neutral: 0-0 // Jackson (career): 5-0
Current Win Streak: 3 by Youngstown State
- Youngstown State holds an 11-9 advantage in the all-time series with Northern Kentucky, and recent games have been tight between the programs. All three games in 2022-23 were decided in the final 12 seconds, and 11 of the last 16 meetings have either been decided by six points or gone to overtime. YSU won both games by nine points in 2024-25.
- Both teams have been slightly better on their home floors as YSU is 7-4 at Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center and 4-5 on the road. Three of YSU's five losses all time at NKU have come at the buzzer or in overtime.
Last Season vs. NKU
At NKU (Dec. 7, 2024): Youngstown State surged past Northern Kentucky using a 21-5 fourth-quarter edge to secure a 56-47 comeback victory at Truist Arena. The Penguins trailed by seven entering the final period before scoring 13 unanswered points. Faith Burch led the charge, scoring 12 of her 16 points in the closing minutes while adding 13 rebounds. Sophia Gregory also recorded a double-double with career highs of 11 points and 12 rebounds. YSU's defense limited the Norse to one field goal in the fourth quarter.
At YSU (Jan. 15, 2025): Youngstown State delivered one of its strongest conference offensive performances of the season, defeating Northern Kentucky 75-66 at Beeghly Center. The Penguins completed a regular-season sweep of the Norse behind a game-high 21 points from Jewel Watkins. Malia Magestro and Sophia Gregory each added 15 points, helping YSU maintain the lead for the final 28 minutes of play. After allowing seven first-half 3-pointers, the Penguins' defense tightened, limiting NKU to a single make from deep in the second half. YSU sealed the victory at the free-throw line, finishing 22-of-27 as a team.
Recapping Oakland
Game Summary
Erica King scored a career-high 23 points to lead Youngstown State to its fourth consecutive victory, an 81-58 win over Oakland on Monday at Beeghly Center.
The Penguins pulled ahead in the second quarter behind King's 13-point outburst. Paulina Hernandez sparked the bench with 16 points and nine rebounds, while Sophia Gregory and Sarah Baker added 15 and 12 points, respectively.
YSU's defense dominated the perimeter, holding the Golden Grizzlies to 1-of-18 shooting from 3-point range and keeping them without a field goal for the final 4:48 of the game. Hernandez scored 10 points in the fourth quarter, and King added eight. The Penguins shot 48.5% from the floor to secure the double-digit win.
Notes
- Youngstown State had its second straight game posting at least 50 rebounds. That hadn't happened since the 2014-15 team had 53 vs. Ohio Valley and 52 at Robert Morris in a three-day span (Dec. 17-19, 2014).
- The Penguins scored 18 points in transition, their highest total since recording 27 in the season opener against Thiel.
- YSU shot 48.5% from the field and grabbed 11 offensive rebounds, leading to an 18-6 edge in second-chance points. The 18 second-chance points were the most for the team since the season opener.
- The Penguins made at least nine 3-pointers for the fourth straight game.
- Brooke Adkins played in her first Horizon League game and finished with two points and four rebounds in 12 minutes.
- Sarah Baker scored eight of her 12 points in the first period by going 4-for-4 from the field in the opening frame.
- Danielle Cameron made three 3-pointers for the sixth time this season, including the fourth time in the last six games. She is averaging 11.3 points over those six contests.
- Sophia Gregory recorded her 50th career block, and she has three in each of her last two games. Gregory also recorded multiple steals and assists for the fourth straight contest.
- Paulina Hernandez surpassed 200 career points during a 16-point performance. She made both of her attempts from 3-point range, with both occurring in the fourth quarter. She is now 10-for-19 from deep this season after going 0-for-1 combined in her first two seasons at Cleveland State. Hernandez also grabbed a career-best nine rebounds.
- Erica King set new career highs with 23 points and eight rebounds. She scored 13 points in the second quarter to help YSU pull ahead 42-30 at halftime, and she scored eight points in the fourth as the Penguins closed out the win. King has scored at least 13 points in four of her last five games.
Up Next
Youngstown State will conclude its four-game homestand on Saturday by hosting Purdue Fort Wayne at 2 p.m. It will be Teachers Appreciation Day, and teachers can purchase a $5 general admission ticket with a valid teacher ID. Kids age 12 and under can shoot foul shots after the game.
