Highland Heights, Ky. — Youngstown State's women's basketball team led for more than 36 minutes and pulled away in the second half to beat Northern Kentucky 75-55 on Thursday night at Truist Arena.
The Penguins clinched a first-round home game in the 2026 Barbasol Horizon League Women's Basketball Championship, and Thursday's victory gave YSU a two-game cushion for second place with two contests remaining. Youngstown State improved to 20-8 overall and 13-5 in Horizon League play, securing the 14th 20-win season in program history. The Penguins also notched their 10th road win — a mark they've reached just once since 1999-2000.
Sixth-year point guard Casey Santoro scored a team-high 18 points with four 3-pointers, and she grabbed seven rebounds. She rebounded her own missed 3-pointer and converted an old-fashioned three-point play with 16.8 seconds left in the second quarter to increase YSU's lead from five to eight, and the Penguins outscored the Norse 39-27 in the second half.
Three Penguins joined Santoro in double figures as Danielle Cameron and Paulina Hernandez scored 15 points apiece, and Sarah Baker scored 13. Sophia Gregory finished with a career-high 17 rebounds, six points and five assists, and she helped YSU hold a 42-27 rebounding advantage. That was a big difference from the first meeting when NKU had a 41-38 edge. The Norse, the top offensive rebounding team in the Horizon League, were held to two second-chance points on six offensive rebounds despite shooting 34.5% from the field.
Youngstown State went 9-for-23 from beyond the arc, a sharp turnaround from its 3-for-28 effort in a 61-49 loss to the Norse on Jan. 8 at Zidian Family Arena, and shot 47.5% overall.
Karina Bystry scored 18 points to lead NKU, which dropped to 13-15 overall and 10-7 in league play. YSU earned the season split with the Norse and has now won three straight games against teams it lost to during the first half of conference play.
Baker, a native of Florence, Ky., scored the first points of the game as Youngstown State led 6-0 through a low-scoring first four minutes. NKU hit back-to-back 3s to tie the game, but Santoro answered on the next possession with her own triple to give the Penguins a 9-6 lead and spark a 10-0 run. Two layups by Cameron and a 3-pointer by Hernandez followed as YSU led 16-6 with a minute left in the quarter.
NKU scored the final four points of the first period, and Bystry scored the first six points of the second as the Norse tied the game at the 9:23 mark. NKU's first lead came when Maddie Moody made two free throws with 7:06 remaining, capping a 14-2 run going back to the first quarter.
King's 3-pointer gave YSU a 21-20 lead, and the only other time the Penguins trailed in the game was 22-21 on a Taysha Rushton bucket with 4:02 on the clock. King followed with her second 3, and Santoro answered a Bystry triple with another 3-pointer to give YSU a 27-24 lead. It held the upper hand the rest of the evening.
The Penguins' advantage was 27-26 after two more Moody free throws at the 2:17 mark, and they closed the half on a 9-2 burst to go up 36-28. Santoro's three-point play in the closing moments gave her a dozen first-half points.
NKU was within five points twice in the first three minutes of the second quarter, but 3-pointers by Cameron and Santoro in a span of three possessions pushed the lead to 47-36.
Cameron made two free throws with 4:32 left in the third to give YSU a 49-38 lead, and the Penguins were ahead by double digits the rest of the way. The advantage grew to 55-40 when Hernandez beat the shot clock with a jumper with 1:30 left, and the Penguins led 57-42 at the end of the period.
The margin reached 20 at 73-52 for the first time on Hernandez's second 3-pointer of the night with 3:44 left, and the largest difference was 75-53 when Brooke Adkins scored two minutes later.
Youngstown State will try to extend its winning streak on Saturday with its final road game of the regular season at Purdue Fort Wayne. Tipoff at the Gates Sports Center is set for 2 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and 570 WKBN.
