Setting the Scene
The Youngstown State men's basketball team (12-12, 5-8 Horizon League) returns home to host Robert Morris Saturday, Feb. 7. Tipoff is set for 4:30 p.m. at Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center and the game will be aired on 570 WKBN and ESPN+.

Up Next
Youngstown State heads back on the road for a two-game swing through the state of Michigan beginning with matchup at Oakland, Thursday, Feb. 12. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at the O'Rena and the game will be aired on 570 WKBN and ESPN+.

Last Time Out
Youngstown State shot 66 percent from the field, made 16 3-pointers and five players scored in double figures to coast to a 90-61 win over Purdue Fort Wayne on Feb. 4 at Allen County Memorial Coliseum. Senior Bryson Dawkins led the Penguins with 18 points while Rich Rolf poured in 15 and made a career-best five 3-pointers. Junior Tae Blackshear posted 14 points with a career-best four 3s while Cris Carroll scored 12 and Cam Polak added 10 points.

A Win Would...

• Improve YSU's record to 13-12 overall and 6-8 mark in the Horizon League.
• Give YSU an 9-4 home record this season.
• Mark Youngstown State's 17th win over the over the Colonials and snap a three-game losing streak.
• Be Youngstown State's eighth in over Robert Morris at Zidian Family Arena and the first since 2024.
• Mark Ethan Faulkner's 34th career win and second win over Robert Morris.

Scouting Robert Morris
Robert Morris enters the game with an overall record of 15-10 and 7-7 mark. The Colonials are coming off a 72-66 home victory over Wright State on Feb. 4. Ryan Prather, Jr. leads the Colonials with 15.1 points per game while DeSean Goode is averaging 15.0 points and a team-best 8.8 rebounds per game.

Series vs. Robert Morris
This is the 34th meeting between Youngstown State and Robert Morris in a series dating back to 1989.  Robert Morris owns a slim 17-16 lead in the all-time series, and the Colonials have won the last three contests.  Robert Morris defeated the Penguins in overtime, 80-77, on Dec., 17, and 89-78, in the 2025 Horizon League Championship Game on March 11, 2025.  Youngstown State owns a record of 7-8 against the Colonials in Youngstown, and the Penguins have won two of the last three games at Zidian Family Arena.

Last Time Against the Colonials
Senior Cris Carroll scored a then-career-high 31 points, but Youngstown State suffered an 80-77 overtime setback to Robert Morris on Dec. 17 at the UPMC Events Center. Carroll connected on 10-of-12 shooting from the field and made a career-high six 3-pointers. He also became the first Youngstown State player to score at least 30 points in game since DJ Burns had 32 against Green Bay in 2024. Vlad Salaridze scored a season-high 15 points while Bryson Dawkins added 13 points.

Tae 4 Trey
Junior Tae  Blackshear has caught fire from the 3-point line recently. Blackshear went 7-for-9 from beyond the arc over the last two contests. He also averaged 14 points per game and shot 75 percent (9-for-12) during that span.

Carroll Approaching Top 10 in 3s
Senior Cris Carroll is approaching the YSU single-season top 10 chart for most 3-pointers made in a season. Carroll needs just one more to move into a tie for 10th and two more to move into a tie for ninth on the list. Carroll also needs seven more 3s to become just the fifth player in school history to make at least 80 3s in a season.

Dawkins in 2026
Senior Bryson Dawkins has thoroughly enjoyed the calendar turn from 2025 to 2026. Since Jan. 1., Dawkins averaged 14.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game and shot 58.6 percent from the floor (58-for-99) in a 10-game span. 

200 3s Streak Extended
With eight 3-pointers made against Cleveland State, Youngstown State has made at least 200 3-pointers in 15 straight full seasons. Youngstown State has made 256 this year and needs 48 more to break the school mark of 303 set in 2018-19. Last year, the Penguins made 299 3-pointers. The streak dates back to the 2010-11 season, and does not include the COVID-19 shortened 2020-21 campaign. The 299 made 3s rank second on the YSU single-season list. 

Need to Lead at Half
It is imperative for the Penguins to lead after the first 20 minutes of action. All of Youngstown State's victories have come when it holds a lead at halftime. YSU is 11-4 in games when it leads at halftime, 1-6 when it trails at the intermission, and 0-2 when the game is tied.

Home Sweet Home
Youngstown State has been quite protective of its home court over the last five-plus seasons. The Penguins have won 46 of the last 61 overall at Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center. YSU has won 82 games at home since the start of the 2019-20 season and own a 82-29 mark during that time. Youngstown State is 46-15 at home since the start of the 2022-23 season. The Penguins are 39-13 in their last 52 regular-season home games.

Guins Going the Distance
Youngstown State has made more 3-pointers than its opponents in 22 of 24 games played this season. The Penguins have made 256 3-pointers and 10.7 3s made per game, which leads the Horizon League and ranks 24th nationally. Youngstown State has also made at least 10 3-pointers in a game on 16 occasions.

Zorgvol Leads League
Senior Imanuel Zorgvol has been a tremendous rim protector this season. Zorgvol leads the Horizon League with 48 total blocks and 2.0 blocks per game. Zorgvol ranks 19th nationally in total blocks and 26th in blocks per game. He has recorded at least one block in 21 of 24 games and multiple blocks 16 times. Zorgvol posted four blocks against Wright State (Jan. 15), Grand Canyon (Nov. 7) and USC Upstate (Dec. 20).