Youngstown, Ohio – Youngstown State's men's basketball team had its highest-scoring game ever in a Horizon League matchup and beat Cleveland State 106-82 on Wednesday night inside Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center.

The Penguins shot 63.5% from the field, made 14 3-pointers and went 26-for-34 from the free-throw line in their 24-point win over the Vikings. YSU improves to 14-14 overall and 7-10 in Horizon League play, while Cleveland State falls to 10-18 overall and 6-11 in conference games.

Youngstown State's 106 points topped its previous scoring high for a Horizon League game, which was 105 against IU Indy in 2023 and Detroit Mercy in 2024. The Penguins also had their highest-scoring game in the 109-game all-time series with the Vikings.

Cris Carroll scored 26 points with six rebounds and six assists, and Vlad Salaridze scored a season-best 24 points. Carroll made four of YSU's 14 3-pointers, while Salaridze and Tae Blackshear each made three. Blackshear finished with 18 points while Bryson Dawkins scored 13 and Rich Rolf added 12. YSU finished 18-for-30 on two-point attempts, 14-for-22 from 3-point range and 26-for-34 at the free-throw line. 

Cleveland State's Jaidon Lipscomb scored a game-high 32 points and made eight of the Vikings' 16 3-pointers. The Vikings shot 44.6% overall and 34% from 3-point range.

Youngstown State went 9-for-14 from 3-point range, with six players making at least one triple, and led by as many as 16 points in the first half.

Cam Polak hit the first of those nine first-half 3-pointers a minute into the game, and the Penguins never trailed against their Northeast Ohio rivals. Carroll and Jason Nelson also had 3s during a 13-4 burst to start the game, which Nelson finished at the 14:41 mark.

Cleveland State went on an 8-2 run to get within three points at 15-12 at the 13:27 mark, but Blackshear's first 3-pointer of the night sparked a 12-0 run over the next three-and-a-half minutes that put the Penguins ahead 27-12.

The Vikings hit two 3s in a span of 30 seconds to get within nine, and YSU's advantage was between eight and 12 until Salaridze hit two 3-pointers during an 8-1 run that gave the Penguins their largest lead of the half at 40-24 with 5:37 left.

YSU led by at least eight points the rest of the half, and Salaridze's third 3-pointer gave the Penguins their 52-38 lead at the intermission.

Salaridze had 15 points in the first half to lead all scorers, and Carroll posted nine.

Carroll scored on YSU's first two possessions of the second half to push the margin to 18 points at 56-38, and the Penguins kept the Vikings at arm's length the entire half.

Cleveland State was within 63-51 with 14:26 remaining when Blackshear and Carroll both scored six points during a 12-0 run that stretched the difference to 75-51. The margin was at least 16 points over the final 13-and-a-half minutes.

YSU reached 100 points on a Nelson layup with 3:23 on the clock, and the Penguins' largest lead was 106-80 when Derrick Anderson made the record-setting bucket with 46.9 seconds remaining.

Youngstown State plays its final home game of the regular season against Northern Kentucky on Senior Day this Sunday. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m. at Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center.