Youngstown State University
2-2,0-0Horizon
Marshall
1-3,0-0Sun Belt
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marshall | 34 | 37 | 71 |
| Youngstown St. | 28 | 46 | 74 |
11/14/2026 4:25:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Youngstown, Ohio – In their 2026 home opener, the Youngstown State men's basketball team defeated Marshall 74-71 to earn its first victory over the Thundering Herd since 1950.
The Penguins improve to 2-2, while Marshall falls to 1-3.
Kelvin Amoako led the Penguins in scoring with a double-double, recording 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Jeff Nwankwo added 12 points. As a team, the Penguins shot 43.9% from the field.
It was a tale of two halves, as the Penguins outscored the Thundering Herd 46-37 in the second half, including 27 points from the bench.
Marshall, who led 34-28 at the intermission, opened the second half on a 5-0 run to extend its lead to double digits. YSU responded with an Akumo layup and made free throw to complete the three-point play, while Haynes made both of his free throws to bring the Penguins within 39-33.
A travel violation by the Thundering Herd forced another empty possession for Marshall, and Moupadele's layup brought the Penguins within one at 43-42.
On the following possession, Nwankwo grabbed a defensive rebound and found Jayden Tyler on the other end of the floor for a fast-break layup, giving the Penguins a 44-43 lead and capping an 11-point run. Marshall stopped the run with a 3-pointer from the corner.
Nwankwo made the Penguins' first 3-pointer of the contest to give YSU a 47-46 lead. Livingston followed with a layup off a pass from Nwankwo to give the Penguins their largest lead of the day at 49-46.
The Penguins continued their momentum with a 16-3 run coming out of the media timeout. Nwankwo's steal led to a Penguin layup to extend the lead to 53-48. A second consecutive steal, this time by Moupadele, led to Nwankwo's second straight 3-pointer and forced a Marshall timeout with 9:28 remaining in the half.
The Penguins started to find their rhythm from beyond the arc as Destin made YSU's third consecutive 3-pointer. Amoako grabbed his fourth offensive rebound and put back the layup, giving YSU its first double-digit lead of the day. The Penguins outscored the Thundering Herd 33-12 during the stretch with less than 10 minutes remaining.
Jermaine Coleman scored his first points from the field with a made 3-pointer with 6:04 remaining, but Marshall responded with 10 unanswered points to pull within one possession at 67-65.
Amoako grabbed another offensive rebound and fought through a foul to make the putback, sending a third Marshall player to the bench after fouling out.
With 1:49 remaining, Marshall made both free throws to tie the game at 69. Both teams exchanged empty possessions before YSU called a timeout with 1:04 remaining.
Amoako's free throw put the Penguins ahead by one, and Jayden Tyler's layup extended the lead to 72-69 with nine seconds remaining. Both teams went 2-for-2 from the free-throw line, and Marshall's deep 3-point attempt in the final seconds was no good, securing the Penguins' second win of the season.
Marshall scored the first seven points of the game before Nwankwo opened the scoring for the Penguins with a jumper, followed by an empty possession for the Herd. Dom Aekins added his first points of the game to bring the Penguins within one possession at 7-4 heading into the first media timeout.
The Penguins went on a seven-point run, including three trips to the free-throw line, to tie the game at 11. Japhet Moupadele gave YSU its first lead with his second made free throw at 12:28 in the first half.
Marshall extended its lead to 20-15 before a shooting foul sent Kaelen Destin to the free-throw line, where he went 1-for-2. Moupadele grabbed the offensive rebound and drew a foul on the putback attempt, earning an and-one opportunity. His made free throw brought the Penguins within one at 20-19.
The Penguins went 0-for-7 from beyond the arc in the first half, while Marshall shot 3-for-11.
Fouls littered the first half, with both teams entering the double bonus. The Penguins committed 10 personal fouls compared to the Thundering Herd's 15.
YSU will return to the road on Nov. 18 to face Cincinnati. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m., with the game streaming on ESPN+.
