Youngstown State's women's basketball team looks to regroup and finish its three-game homestand on a high note as it hosts Robert Morris in another crucial Horizon League clash on Wednesday. Tipoff inside Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center is set for 6:30 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN+, 570 WKBN and iHeartRadio.
Gameday Info
Youngstown State vs. Robert Morris
Tickets, Promotions & Fan Information
Tickets | Gameday & Parking Information | Visitors Guide | Promotional Schedule | YSU Mobile App - iOS - Android
Advance tickets for Wednesday's game are available online through YSUsports.com or at the YSU Athletic Ticket Office in Stambaugh Stadium. The ticket office and gates inside Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center will open at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Promotions
- National Girls & Women in Sports Day celebration
- YSU student T-shirt giveaway, and first the 100 YSU students will receive free pizza
Game Preview
The Penguins look to bounce back from a 54-51 loss to Green Bay on Saturday in what was an encouraging effort but disappointing result against the first-place Phoenix. YSU led by five with just over three minutes left, but Green Bay fifth-year senior Jenna Guyer scored the game's final eight points to help the Phoenix prevail.
Youngstown State is now 17-8 overall and 10-5 in Horizon League play, holding a one-game lead for second place in the standings with five games remaining. Robert Morris, YSU's closest geographic Division I opponent, which had a three-point loss at the buzzer to Green Bay last week, is in a tie for third place in the standings at 16-8 overall and 9-6 in conference play. The Colonials won the first meeting with YSU in Moon Township, Pa., by outscoring the Penguins 15-4 over the final 7:16. A Youngstown State victory on Wednesday would move the Penguins two games in front of the Colonials and clinch a split in the regular season series.
The first meeting with Robert Morris was a defensive battle, and the teams remain among the best in the Horizon League. The Penguins lead the conference and rank in the top 40 nationally in scoring defense, field-goal percentage defense, 3-point field-goal percentage defense and blocks per game. RMU ranks among the top four in the conference in those four categories. Offensively, the Penguins averaged 70.3 points during their four-game winning streak leading into the Green Bay game, and they rank sixth in the league with 66.8 points per game overall.
Sixth-year senior point guard Casey Santoro leads Youngstown State with 12.3 points per game, and she's also YSU's leader in assists and minutes. She is one of five Penguins to start all 25 games, and she's surrounded in the starting group with underclassmen who all average at least 9.1 points. Redshirt freshman Sarah Baker is averaging 11.4 points and has scored in double figures in eight straight games, and sophomore Erica King is averaging 10 points.
A Win Would…
- Give the Penguins an 18-8 record, their best mark through 26 games since the 2022-23 season. YSU would be 18-8 or better for the sixth time in the last 14 seasons.
- Give YSU an 11-5 record in Horizon League play, its best start since 2022-23. It would be the fifth time since joining the league in 2001-02 that the Penguins have started 11-5 or better. YSU has won at least 11 league games five times previously, all since the 2012-13 season.
- Improve the Penguins' home record to 9-4 this season.
- Snap a three-game losing streak to Robert Morris.
- Allow YSU to split the regular-season series with the Colonials.
- Give head coach Melissa Jackson her 102nd career win, her 30th at Youngstown State and her third career victory over Robert Morris.
Milestone Watch
Scouting Robert Morris
- Robert Morris is 16-8 overall, 9-6 in Horizon League play and 7-5 in road contests entering Wednesday's games in Youngstown. The Colonials split two tight contests last week at home, falling 61-58 at the buzzer to Green Bay and beating Milwaukee 71-64 in overtime on Saturday. RMU has gone 3-2 since its 55-40 win over Youngstown State on Jan. 21.
- RMU ranks 13th in the country with a .784 free-throw percentage, and the Colonials are in the top 50 nationally in defensive rebounds per game (28.4) and rebounding margin (plus-6.1).
- Individually, Pitt transfer Aislin Malcolm averages a team-high 12.3 points per game, and the guard leads the Colonials with 35 3-pointers. Myriam Traore is also averaging double figures with 10.7 points while blocking a team-best 25 shots. Jada Lee has a team-high 66 assists and 39 steals, and she is shooting 89.8% from the free-throw line.
Series History and Matchup Notes
Overall: Youngstown State leads 24-11
Home: 14-3 // Away: 10-8 // Neutral: 0-0 // Jackson (career): 2-3
Current Win Streak: 3 by Robert Morris
- Youngstown State and Robert Morris have played 35 times, and YSU has won seven of the last 11 meetings between the schools located approximately 60 miles apart.
- The Penguins have won seven of the 12 encounters since the Colonials joined the Horizon League in 2020-21, and they won six straight meetings between the 2020-21 and 2022-23 seasons. RMU has won four of the last five contests.
- The teams played 14 times between 1983 and 1996, and they played just four times between 1996 and 2014. Two of YSU's wins since the series was rekindled have come in overtime, and the victory at the UPMC Events Center on Jan. 20, 2022, came in the final second when former Colonial Megan Callahan hit a go-ahead 3-pointer for the Penguins.
Last time vs. Robert Morris
Casey Santoro scored a team-high 19 points, but Youngstown State struggled offensively in a 55-40 loss at Robert Morris on Jan. 21, 2026. The Penguins led 21-20 at halftime following a defensive opening 20 minutes. However, the Colonials surged in the second half, shooting 55% from the field to pull away. While Santoro and Sarah Baker, who added 13 points, combined for 12 field goals, the rest of the Penguins' roster managed just three field goals and eight points. Despite forcing 22 turnovers and recording 13 steals, Youngstown State shot 30% from the floor and 3-for-18 from long range. Robert Morris outscored YSU 35-19 after the intermission and controlled the boards, 44-22.
Recapping Green Bay
Game Summary
Youngstown State came up just short in a 54-51 loss to Horizon League-leading Green Bay on Saturday inside Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center.
YSU led 51-46 with just over three minutes remaining, but Green Bay's Jenna Guyer scored the final eight points, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 14.9 seconds left. Erica King's potential game-tying 3 at the buzzer went off the back of the rim.
Sarah Baker led all scorers with 18 points on 8-for-13 shooting and added seven rebounds and three assists. King finished with 12 points, while Sophia Gregory had nine points and a career-high five blocks. Casey Santoro posted nine points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Notes
- The Penguins held Green Bay to four points from the 4:13 mark of the third quarter until Guyer scored eight points in the final 3:04 of the fourth. The Phoenix scored 21 points in the first quarter and 25 points over the next 23 minutes.
- Dating back to the 2018-19 season, this was the fourth time the Penguins lost to the Phoenix by one possession or in double overtime.
- YSU lost for the first time this season when winning the rebounding battle. The Penguins were 14-0 previously while outrebounding their opponents.
- YSU shot 54.8% inside the arc but was 5-for-29 from 3-point range.
- Youngstown State was just 2-for-2 from the free-throw line for the second time this season against Green Bay. In the two meetings, the Phoenix outscored the Penguins 22-4 at the free-throw line and had a 29-4 edge in attempts.
- YSU forced Green Bay into 15 turnovers, two more than its average coming in. The Phoenix were plus-2.5 in turnover margin for the season, and YSU was plus-one in the game.
- YSU's starting five combined for all 51 points, and four starters played more than 36 minutes. The three reserves who played combined for 14:30 of game action.
- Sarah Baker scored a game-high 18 points, reaching double figures for the eighth straight game. She was 8-for-13 from the field and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line.
- Erica King had 10 3-point attempts, the most of her career. She made multiple 3s for the fourth straight game and made her 50th career 3-pointer. The sophomore guard also recorded her 100th career assist.
- Sophia Gregory's five blocks were the most of her career and the most by a Penguin in a game since Emily Saunders had six at Purdue Fort Wayne on March 2, 2024. Gregory also scored at least nine points for the fifth straight game.
Up Next
Youngstown State plays its next three games on the road, starting with a contest at IU Indy on Sunday at 1 p.m. The contest from The Jungle will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and 1390 WNIO.
