Youngstown State begins a three-game homestand to start February by hosting Milwaukee on Thursday inside Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center. Tipoff against the Panthers 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. Milwaukee

• When: Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026 | 6:30 p.m.
• Where: Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center | Youngstown, Ohio
• Watch: ESPN+ | espn.com
• Listen: 570 WKBN | iHeart.com
• Stats: SIDEARM Stats
• Social: X | Instagram | Facebook

Tickets, Promotions & Fan Information

Tickets | Gameday & Parking Information | Visitors Guide | Promotional Schedule | YSU Mobile App - iOS - Android

Advance tickets for Thursday's game are available online through YSUsports.com and at the Stambaugh Stadium Athletic Ticket Office. The ticket office and gates inside Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center will open at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Promotions

• Autism Awareness Game, presented by The Rich Center (Specialty Jersey Auction) | More Info
• YSU student T-shirt giveaway, and the first 100 YSU students will receive a free Jimmy John's sub
• $2 Busch Light beers for all fans until halftime
• YSU Stadium Flag giveaway, courtesy of Varsity Club Youngstown, Covelli Enterprises, Pepsi, Medical Mutual, and 21 WFMJ

Game Preview

YSU begins the final month of the regular season in a tie for second place in the Horizon League standings with a 9-4 record in conference play and a 16-7 overall mark. The Penguins went 2-0 in Michigan last week, beating Detroit Mercy 69-53 on Thursday and Oakland 72-60 on Saturday. The Penguins won in very different fashions, leading Detroit Mercy by double digits for the final 34 minutes on Thursday and rallying from a 10-point deficit at Oakland on Saturday. YSU shot 50% from the field at Detroit Mercy and 53.2% at Oakland.

Melissa Jackson recorded her 100th career victory as a head coach with Saturday's win at Oakland. Jackson was 72-69 in five seasons at Akron from 2018-23, and she is 28-26 overall in her second year at Youngstown State. YSU finished 12-19 overall and 7-13 in league play last season, and it already has four more victories with at least eight games remaining.

The Penguins had four starters reach double figures in both games last week, continuing a season-long trend of balanced scoring. For the year, all five starters are averaging between 12.2 and 9.1 points per game. Sixth-year transfer Casey Santoro is YSU's top scorer while also leading the team in assists and minutes, and she's joined by four underclassmen in the starting lineup, which has started every game together. Danielle Cameron and Erica King combined to go 13-for-24 from beyond the arc last week, and posts Sarah Baker and Sophia Gregory both scored in double figures in both games in Michigan.

In addition to its offensive highlights, Youngstown State has been the Horizon League's top defensive team over the first three months of the season. The Penguins rank among the top 40 teams in the country in scoring defense, field-goal percentage defense, 3-point field-goal percentage defense and blocks per game. YSU leads the conference in each of those four categories.

A Win Would...

• Give the Penguins a 17-7 record, their best mark through 24 games since 2022-23. YSU would be 17-7 or better for the sixth time in the last 14 seasons.
• Give YSU a 10-4 record in Horizon League play, its best start since 2022-23. It would be the fourth time since joining the league in 2001-02 that the Penguins would be 10-4 or better. YSU has won at least 10 league games total six times previously, all of which have come starting with the 2012-13 season.
• Improve YSU's home record to 8-3 this season.
• Give the Penguins their first regular-season sweep of Milwaukee since 2021-22.
• Give head coach Melissa Jackson her 101st career win, her 29th at Youngstown State, and her third career victory over Milwaukee.

Milestone Watch

• Sarah Baker is one assist away from 50 in her career.
• Sophia Gregory needs six points to reach 500 points in her career.
• Paulina Hernandez is 10 points from 250 in her career.
• Erica King is eight assists away from 100 in her career and nine points shy of 400.
• Casey Santoro is 14 points from 1,200 in her career.

A Glimpse at the Guins

Team Notes

• YSU is in its second season under head coach Melissa Jackson, recorded her 100th career victory on Jan. 31. The Penguins have surpassed last season's overall and Horizon League win totals with a 16-7 overall record and a 9-4 mark in Horizon League play.
• The Penguins posted an incredible 3.86 team GPA in the fall semester. YSU has had one of the top 25 team GPAs in the country in 14 of the past 15 seasons.
• YSU has used the same starting lineup of Sophia Gregory, Erica King, Sarah Baker, Danielle Cameron and Casey Santoro in every game this season. Gregory is the only player in the group who started more than eight games last season, and Santoro is the only upperclassman.
• While 73% of YSU's roster consists of returners, only Gregory and King played in more than 10 games and averaged at least 14 minutes per game for YSU in 2024-25. Players who appeared in 10 games or fewer at YSU last season have scored 67.81% of the Penguins' points.
• YSU leads the Horizon League and ranks in the top 40 nationally in scoring defense, field-goal percentage defense and blocks per game. It is also ranked in the top five in scoring offense and field-goal percentage.

Player Notes

Sarah Baker is averaging 11.1 points and has reached double figures in 10 of her last 12 games... She ranks third in the Horizon League in field-goal percentage... Danielle Cameron ranks third in the Horizon League with 2.2 3-pointers per game and is averaging 9.4 points... Baker missed YSU's final 22 games of 2024-25, and Cameron missed the last 29... Hayden Barrier is averaging 14.3 minutes, up from 6.3 last year... Sophia Gregory was the Horizon League Freshman of the Year in 2024-25 and was named to the Preseason All-League First Team... She ranks in the top 10 in the league in rebounds, blocks, assists and steals... Paulina Hernandez leads the HL and ranks 35th in the nation with 1.8 blocks per game... Erica King has already surpassed her freshman totals in points, assists, steals and rebounds... Bella Samz is the longest-tenured Penguin, now in her third season with the program... Casey Santoro, a sixth-year senior transfer point guard, leads the team in points and assists, and  she leads the Horizon League in minutes.

Scouting Milwaukee

• Milwaukee is 8-16 overall, 4-9 in Horizon League games and 3-8 on the road as it heads to Youngstown. The Panthers are coming off a 75-70 win over Wright State on Saturday, and they also have two conference victories over Detroit Mercy and one over Cleveland State.
• The Panthers have four players shooting better than 33.3% from 3-point range, and they are shooting a league-leading 33.7% as a team. Madison Fitzgibbon has made a team-high 39 3-pointers while shooting 46.4%, and Grace Lomen has made 36 3s while averaging 10 points overall. Jorey Buwalda leads Milwaukee in scoring with 12.7 points per game, and she is the conference's top rebounder with 8.8 per contest.
• Milwaukee ranks 11th in the league in scoring offense at 61.0 points per game, and it is sixth in scoring defense. The Panthers are also sixth in field goal percentage, both offensively and defensively, and their 7.0 3s per game ranks fourth in the league.

Series History and Matchup Notes

• Milwaukee is 8-16 overall, 4-9 in Horizon League games and 3-8 on the road as it heads to Youngstown. The Panthers are coming off a 75-70 win over Wright State on Saturday, and they also have two conference victories over Detroit Mercy and one over Cleveland State.
• The Panthers have four players shooting better than 33.3% from 3-point range, and they are shooting a league-leading 33.7% as a team. Madison Fitzgibbon has made a team-high 39 3-pointers while shooting 46.4%, and Grace Lomen has made 36 3s while averaging 10 points overall. Jorey Buwalda leads Milwaukee in scoring with 12.7 points per game, and she is the conference's top rebounder with 8.8 per contest.
• Milwaukee ranks 11th in the league in scoring offense at 61.0 points per game, and it is sixth in scoring defense. The Panthers are also sixth in field goal percentage, both offensively and defensively, and their 7.0 3s per game ranks fourth in the league.

Recently vs. Milwaukee

This Season — Dec. 5, 2025: YSU controlled the opening quarter and stayed in front throughout a 68-56 win over Milwaukee at the Klotsche Center in the Horizon League opener. The Penguins held the Panthers without a field goal for the first 11 minutes and led 14-4 after a quarter, never allowing the margin to slip below four the rest of the way. Casey Santoro scored her 1,000th career point late in the third quarter and finished with 14. Erica King matched her with 14 for her fifth straight double-figure outing, and posts Sarah Baker and Sophia Gregory added 11 apiece. YSU shot 51% overall and outscored Milwaukee 44-36 in the paint.

Last Season at YSU — Dec. 4, 2024: Jewel Watkins scored a game-high 22 points and made six 3-pointers, and freshmen Sarah Baker and Erica King each scored 16 as YSU beat Milwaukee 66-50 in the 2024-25 Horizon League opener for both teams. That trio combined for 54 of YSU's 66 points as the Penguins led for more than 30 minutes. Both teams had an 8-0 run in the first period, and the Panthers led 11-4 with 4:58 on the clock. Watkins and King hit back-to-back 3-pointers as YSU scored the next eight points, and it did not trail again after taking a 16-15 lead in the final minute of the period. That same duo also hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions in the third quarter to put YSU up 43-33. Youngstown State had a substantial 28-11 edge in points off turnovers.

Recapping Oakland

Game Summary

Youngstown State rallied from an early deficit to defeat Oakland 72-60 on Saturday at OU Credit Union O'rena, giving head coach Melissa Jackson her 100th career victory. The Penguins outscored the Golden Grizzlies by 19 points in the second half.

YSU trailed for most of the contest and didn't take its first lead until late in the third quarter before shooting 10-for-12 from the field in the fourth. Sophia Gregory led YSU with 15 points, while Casey Santoro added 14 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Erica King scored 12 points, and Sarah Baker contributed 11.

YSU limited Oakland to 1-for-12 from 3-point range over the final 26 minutes while allowing just one offensive rebound and committing two second-half turnovers.

Notes

• There were just 17 turnovers in the game. The Penguins committed a season-low nine turnovers, and they forced a season-low eight. 
• Only four of the game's 132 points were scored after offensive rebounds.
• Youngstown State shot 53.2% from the field, its best in a Horizon League game since shooting 55.2% at Oakland on Feb. 8, 2024. YSU also shot 50% from the field in its game at Detroit Mercy last Thursday. This is the second time that YSU has shot at least 50% in consecutive road games this season (at Akron and at Milwaukee).
• YSU notched its third victory this season when trailing for more than 29 minutes - at North Dakota, at Wright State and at Oakland. The Penguins overcame a double-digit deficit to win in each of those three contests.
• The Penguins attempted 21 free throws, their most in a Horizon League game this season.
• Sarah Baker reached double figures in scoring for the sixth straight contest and for the 10th time in the last 12 games. She has scored between 10 and 13 point in five straight outings.
• Danielle Cameron made two 3-pointers, giving her 12 in her last three games. She is 12-for-26 from long distance in that stretch.
• Sophia Gregory surpassed 400 career rebounds while tying her season high in scoring in Horizon League play with 15. Gregory was YSU's leading scorer for the first time since the game at Akron on Nov. 30
• Paulina Hernandez set a new career high with three assists. She made her first 3-pointer since going 2-for-2 vs. Oakland on Jan. 5.
• Casey Santoro registered a well-rounded game with 14 points, eight rebounds and six assists. She played all but three seconds in the game.

Up Next

Youngstown State will continue its three-game homestead by hosting Green Bay on Saturday at 2 p.m. in an action-packed day on campus. It will be YSU's pink game, the first 500 fans will receive a free pink YSU basketball t-shirt, courtesy of Mercy Health. All fans in attendance will receive a stadium cup, courtesy of Lyden Oil Company, Key Kutterz, Roof Rite, and 21 WFMJ. YSU's six Athletics Hall of Fame inductees, including women's basketball alumna Heidi Schlegel Hahn, will be introduced at halftime. Finally, it will be YSU Alumni Day, and YSU's men's basketball team will host Robert Morris on Rosselli Court at 4:30 p.m.