Youngstown, Ohio — The ?Youngstown State women's basketball program's first 25-win season in 28 years came to a close in the Super 16 round of the WNIT on Friday with a 72-46 loss to Marshall. Nearly 1,800 fans came to watch the Penguins inside Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center as they reached game 35 for the first time in program history.
Youngstown State finishes the 2025-26 campaign with a 25-10 record and its second-highest win total in school history. Marshall improves to 25-9 and advances to the Great 8 of the WNIT on Monday.
Sarah Baker led the Penguins offensively with 14 points on 7-for-12 shooting, and Danielle Cameron made two 3-pointers in a nine-point night. Sophia Gregory finished with seven points, nine rebounds, four steals and two blocks, and Casey Santoro ended her six-year career with seven points and seven rebounds. Santoro played all of the first 38:47 before leaving to a standing ovation.
Four Marshall starters scored in double figures, and Timaya Lewis-Eutsey led all players with 20 points, four assists and six steals.
Youngstown State held Marshall to six 3-pointers overall and just two through 30 minutes, but the Thundering Herd held a 48-20 edge in the paint and scored 20 points off of 16 offensive rebounds.
Cameron's first 3-pointer gave the Penguins a 5-2 lead at the 7:05 mark of the first quarter, and they were ahead or tied until Leyocha Marigney's bucket six minutes later put Marshall ahead 12-11. Gregory made a highlight-reel pass from beyond half court to Baker for a transition basket that gave the Penguins their final lead at 13-12, and Timberlynn Yeast scored four points in the final 25 seconds of the quarter to put Marshall up 16-13.
Youngstown State stayed within two possessions for the first six-and-a-half minutes of the second quarter, and the margin was three on three different occasions. Santoro hit a deep 3-pointer at the 5:36 mark to make the score 23-20, and YSU was within 28-24 on a jumper by Erica King with 3:45 remaining. The Penguins were held scoreless the rest of the half, and Marshall closed on an 8-0 run to take a 36-24 lead.
Marshall was ahead by double digits throughout the second half, and the Herd scored the final six points of the third quarter to take a 53-33 lead. It then made three 3-pointers in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter to extend its advantage.
Marshall shot 44.8% from the field, and it was 24-for-42 inside the arc. The Penguins shot 29% from the field overall against the long and physical Herd zone, and YSU was 3-for-23 from 3-point range. YSU matched Marshall with 16 offensive rebounds but was limited to eight second-chance points.
