Youngstown State University
Buffalo
11/5/2026 9:45:00 AM | Women's Basketball
The Youngstown State women's basketball team will play the second of two home games to begin its 2026-27 season on Saturday night when it plays host to Buffalo. Tipoff inside Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center is set for 6:30 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and 570 WKBN/iHeartRadio.
Gameday Info
- When: Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026 | 6:30 p.m.
- Where: Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center | Youngstown, Ohio
- Watch: ESPN+ | espn.com
- Listen: 570 WKBN | iHeart.com
- Stats: ysusports.com
- Social: X | Instagram | Facebook
Tickets, Promotions & Fan Information
Advance tickets for Monday's game are available online through YSUsports.com. The ticket office and gates at Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center will open at 5:30 p.m. on Monday.
Season tickets are available by calling the YSU Athletic Ticket Office at (330) 941-1978.
Promotions
- YSU Pantry Drive - Bring a canned good and receive a ticket voucher for a free General Admission ticket for a future game
Game Preview
Youngstown State will play Buffalo for the first time since Nov. 13, 2013. The Penguins own a 13-12 mark in the all-time series, which dates back to 1995 when both programs were members of the Mid-Continent Conference. The Bulls have won four of the last five encounters.
The Penguins opened their 52nd season in program history and the third under head coach Melissa Jackson with a 99-26 victory over Division III Hiram on Monday night in Youngstown. All 12 Penguins on the roster made at least one field goal, and YSU made 14 3-pointers to tie for the 12th-most in a game in program history. Danielle Cameron made three 3-pointers in the first quarter, and Hayden Barrier buried four of her career-high five triples in the second quarter to help Youngstown State build a sizable lead over the Terriers.
Senior transfer Mia Kalich scored her 1,000th career point during a 30-2 run in the first half on Monday night. Kalich entered the game with 999 career points, which were all scored at the Division II level at Seton Hill University. She finished with eight points, three rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks in her YSU debut. Barrier finished with 17 points, adding two free throws to her five 3-pointers, to lead all players in scoring. Erica King finished with 12 points, and junior transfer Gemma Walker's 10 points came in just over 11 minutes off the bench. Fifth-year point guard Jada Leonard had game highs of five assists and five steals in her YSU debut as a transfer from Cleveland State, and Paulina Hernandez and Sarah Baker both grabbed a game-high eight rebounds.
The Penguins shot 50% from the field while going 14-for-34 from long distance, and they had 24 assists on their 35 field goals in Monday's season opener. Defensively, the Penguins held the Terriers to 18.8% shooting from the field, including 0-for-8 from 3-point range, while forcing 38 turnovers. Youngstown State's 25 steals tied for the fourth-most in program history and were the most in a game since 1990. YSU's 10 blocks tied for the third-most in school history and were the most in a game since 2019.
YSU won its season opener for the sixth consecutive campaign while extending the program's winning streak against non-Division I opponents to 33 games.
A Win Would…
- Improve YSU's overall record to 2-0 and allow the Guins to start 2-0 for the fourth straight season.
- Give the Penguins 14 victories in their last 17 games dating back to last season.
- Give YSU its first win over Buffalo since the 2012-13 season.
- Give the Guins their first victory over the Bulls in Youngstown since the 2006-07 season.
- Improve YSU's all-time record vs. Buffalo to 14-12.
- Give head coach Melissa Jackson her 111th career win and her 39th at Youngstown State.
Milestone Watch
- Sarah Baker is 21 assists from 100 in her career and 24 points from 500 for her career.
- Mia Kalich is three steals from 300 in her career, nine rebounds from 900 in her career and 29 assists from 300 in her career.
- Paulina Hernandez is five blocks away from 100 in her career.
- Erica King is seven field goals from 200 in her career and 25 assists away from 150 for her career.
- Jada Leonard is 10 3-pointers from 100 in her career, 23 steals from 250 in her career and 28 assists from 250 for her career.
- Danielle Cameron is 22 3-pointers away from 100 in her career and 23 assists from 100 for her career.
A Glimpse at the Guins
Team Notes
- YSU is in its third season under head coach Melissa Jackson. The Penguins concluded last season with a 25-10 record, posting their highest win total since the 1997-98 campaign.
- In 2025-26, Youngstown State reached the championship game of the Horizon League tournament for the first time since joining the conference in 2001-02, and it went on to reach the Super 16 round of the Postseason WNIT.
- The Penguins posted an impressive 3.82 team GPA in 2025-26 to rank fourth on the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll. YSU has had one of the top 25 team GPAs in the country in 15 of the past 16 seasons.
- YSU's roster in 2026-27 features seven returners including three starters as well as five newcomers.
- YSU paced the Horizon League and ranked in the top 30 nationally in scoring defense (57.7), field-goal percentage defense (.365) and blocks per game (4.9) last season.
Player Notes
- Sarah Baker averaged 11.5 points and reached double figures a team-high 23 times in 2025-26... A Horizon League All-Freshman Team selection, she ranked third in the HL in field-goal percentage and set YSU's freshman scoring record (404).
- Danielle Cameron ranked second in the HL last season with 2.1 3-pointers per game and averaged 8.9 points... She made more 3s than any other freshman in program history (73).
- Hayden Barrier scored a game-high 17 points and made a career-high five 3-pointers in the season opener vs. Hiram on Monday.
- Reigning HL Sixth Player of the Year Paulina Hernandez led the HL and ranked 26th in the nation with 63 blocks, the third-most in school history in 2025-26.
- Erica King recorded 9.9 points per game, 2.7 assists per contest, 51 3-pointers and 47 steals while starting all 35 games in 2025-26.
- Fifth year transfer point guard Jada Leonard was named to the HL All-Defensive Team at Cleveland State in 2025-26... She posted game highs of five assists and five steals in the Monday's season opener.
- Senior transfer forward Mia Kalich was named an Honorable Mention All-American at Division II Seton Hill in 2025-26... She eclipsed 1,000 career points vs. Hiram on Monday, finishing with eight points, three rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks in her YSU debut.
Scouting Buffalo
- Buffalo earned an 82-81 home victory over Georgia State in its 2026-27 season opener on Monday night. The Bulls return five letterwinners and four starters from last season's team that finished 3-27 overall and 1-17 in Mid-American Conference play. Buffalo also features a group of nine newcomers including six freshmen.
- The Bulls are under the direction of second-year head coach Kristen Sharkey, who scored over 1,200 career points and was a two-time All-MAC selection as a player at Buffalo. Sharkey returned to her alma mater after spending three seasons on the staff at Syracuse University, most recently serving as associate head coach.
- Junior guard Aniya Rowe returns after leading Buffalo with 12.6 points per game, 3.5 assists per contest, 43 made 3-pointers and 57 steals last season. The Bulls return their top two scorers from last year as sophomore Meg Lucas averaged 9.9 points and a team-high 9.6 rebounds as a freshman in 2025-26.
- Freshman guard Ava LaMonica scored a team-high 27 points in her collegiate debut on Monday while junior guard Ella Corry added 17 points for the Bulls. Buffalo shot better than 60% from the field and scored 44 points in the paint against Georgia State to offset 25 turnovers.
Series History and Matchup Notes
Overall: Youngstown State leads 13-12
Home: 7-4 // Away: 5-8 // Neutral: 1-0 // Jackson (career): 3-8
Current Win Streak: One by Buffalo
Last Five Meetings
Nov. 11, 2007 at Buffalo – L, 62, 53
Nov. 19, 2008 at Youngstown State – L, 66-42
Dec. 13, 2009 at Buffalo – L, 92-38
Nov. 13, 2012 at Buffalo – W, 60-50
Nov. 13, 2013 at Youngstown State – L, 72-65
- Youngstown State owns a 13-12 record in 25 all-time meetings with Buffalo. The series dates back to 1995 when both teams were members of the Mid-Continent Conference. The two programs have not faced off since the Bulls topped the Penguins 72-65 in Youngstown on Nov. 13, 2013.
- YSU's last win over the Bulls was a 60-50 victory in Buffalo on Nov. 13, 2012. The Penguins have not defeated the Bulls in Youngstown since a 78-44 victory on Nov. 21, 2006. Buffalo has won four of last five encounters overall.
- Youngstown State dominated the early history of the series, winning 10 of first 12 meetings between the programs from 1995-98. Buffalo has won 10 of the 13 matchups that have occurred since 1999.
Recapping Last Game
Game Summary
Senior transfer Mia Kalich scored her 1,000th career point during a 30-2 run in the first half, and Youngstown State beat Hiram 99-26 to open the 2026-27 season on Monday night inside Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center.
All 12 Penguins on the roster made at least one field goal, and YSU made 14 3-pointers to tie for the 12th-most in a game in program history. Danielle Cameron made three 3-pointers in the first quarter, and Hayden Barrier buried four of her career-high five triples in the second quarter to help Youngstown State build a sizable lead over the Division III Terriers.
Notes
- The Penguins shot 50% from the field while going 14-for-34 from long distance, and they had 24 assists on their 35 field goals.
- Defensively, the Penguins held the Terriers to 18.8% shooting from the field, including 0-for-8 from 3-point range, while forcing 38 turnovers.
- Youngstown State's 25 steals tied for the fourth-most in program history and were the most in a game since 1990. YSU's 10 blocks tied for the third-most in school history and were the most in a game since 2019.
- Youngstown State outscored the Terriers 44-3 off turnovers and 34-3 in transition.
- Mia Kalich entered the game with 999 career points, which were all scored at the Division II level at Seton Hill University. She finished with eight points, three rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks in her YSU debut.
- Hayden Barrier finished with 17 points, adding two free throws to her career-best five 3-pointers, to lead all players in scoring.
- Erica King finished with 12 points, and junior transfer Gemma Walker's 10 points came in just over 11 minutes off the bench. Dacia Lewandowski scored a career-high nine points while matching her career best with three steals.
- Jada Leonard had game highs of five assists and five steals in her YSU debut as a transfer from Cleveland State, and Paulina Hernandez and Sarah Baker both grabbed a game-high eight rebounds.
- Baker and Hernandez each surpassed 200 career rebounds in Monday's season opener.
- Brooke Adkins set new career highs with four steals and three assists.
- Youngstown State won its season opener for the sixth consecutive campaign while extending the program's winning streak against non-Division I opponents to 33 games.
Up Next
Youngstown State will play its next two games on the road beginning with a tilt at Toledo on Tuesday morning. Tipoff at Savage Arena in Toledo is set for 11 a.m., and the contest will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and 1390 WNIO.
