Game Notes
Game Preview
Youngstown State will try to clinch the first Horizon League regular-season championship in school history as it heads to Indianapolis for a challenging contest at IUPUI. Tipoff on Thursday against the Jaguars at The Jungle is set for 6 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on 1390 WNIO, iHeartRadio and ESPN+.
The Penguins have won five straight games and enter the final weekend of the regular season at the top of the Horizon League standings. YSU has a one-game lead on IUPUI and a game-and-a-half lead on Green Bay. A win over the Jaguars would give YSU the league's outright regular-season title, and a split this weekend would give the Penguins at least a share of the regular-season crown. YSU's last regular-season championship came in 1998-99 when it was in the Mid-Continent Conference (now the Summit League).
YSU earned a pair of double-digit wins last weekend, beating Northern Kentucky 62-49 on Friday and topping Wright State 77-53 on Sunday. Chelsea Olson had 27 points in the win over the Norse, and Lilly Ritz posted 20 points and 15 rebounds in the victory over Wright State.
At 23-4 overall, YSU has its best record through 27 games since the 1997-98 season. The Penguins have reached the 20-win plateau for the fourth time in the last eight seasons, and they have 23 regular-season victories for just the third time in program history, joining the 1997-98 and 1990-91 teams.
The Penguins have set a school record for conference victories – regardless of conference – with their 17-3 record.
Ritz ranks in the top four in the Horizon League in scoring (17.0 ppg), rebounding (9.9 rpg), field-goal percentage (.588) and steals (2.0 spg). Olson leads the conference in assists (4.7 apg) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.98), and she is one assist away from reaching 500 for her career.
Program Staples
Shooting 3s: Youngstown State has led the Horizon League in 3-pointers per game in each of the last seven seasons. A Penguin has ranked in the top five of the conference in 3s per game in each of the last 10 seasons.
Strong In The Post: The Penguins have had a post be named to the Horizon League's first team, second team or freshman team in six of the last eight seasons and 11 times in the last 14.
Sharing The Ball: A Penguin has led the Horizon League in assists per game in five of the last six years.
Academics: YSU has appeared on the WBCA Academic Top 25 Honor Roll 10 times in the last 11 years. The Penguins have been in the top 10 for four straight years.
Postseason Play: YSU has played in the WNIT or the WBI in five of the last nine years.
Strength at the Stripe: YSU has ranked in the top 20 nationally in free-throw percentage in four of the last seven seasons. The Penguins have shot at least 70 percent from the free-throw line in nine straight years.
Youngstown State vs. IUPUI
A Win Would...
Clinch the Horizon League Regular Season Championship and the No. 1 seed in the Keeps Horizon League Women's Basketball Championship.
Improve YSU's record to 24-4 this season, which would be the third time in program history that the Penguins were 24-4 or better through 28 games.
Give YSU 18 wins in conference play, which would extend its school record for Horizon League victories and conference wins (regardless of league).
Give YSU 24 regular-season wins for the third time in program history.
Improve the Penguins' record to 10-2 on the road, giving YSU at least 10 road wins for the fifth time in program history.
Be the 307th in Head Coach John Barnes' career and his 151st at Youngstown State.
Feb. 24 in YSU History
YSU is 10-5 all-time in games played on Feb. 24. The last game on the date resulted in a 70-65 loss at Wright State in 2019. In 2018, the Penguins beat Cleveland State 76-69 in the final home game of the regular season.
Individually, Nikki Arbanas made six 3s in the win over the Vikings in 2018. Jen Perugini had 21 rebounds in a game at Wright State in 2003. Against Murray State in 1986, Dorothy Bowers scored 37 points, and Danielle Carson had 15 assists.
Scouting IUPUI
IUPUI is 19-6 overall and 16-4 in Horizon League play, and it is one game behind the Penguins in the conference standings. The Jaguars had won 14 straight games before falling in their last game at Green Bay, 71-56, on Saturday.
IUPUI leads the conference in field-goal percentage, assists, scoring margin and rebounding margin, and it ranks in the top four in almost every category. Macee Williams is leads the HL in rebounding and field-goal percentage while ranking second in scoring, and Rachel Kent averages a league-best 2.52 3s per game.
Series History
Overall: IUPUI leads 10-9
Barnes: 3-7 • Home: 4-4 • Away: 4-5 • Neutral: 1-1
Current Win Streak: 4 by IUPUI
IUPUI holds a 10-9 all-time advantage against Youngstown State in a series that dates back to the 1998-99 season when both schools were members of the Mid-Continent Conference. YSU left the Mid-Con for the Horizon League in 2001-02, and IUPUI joined the Penguins in the Horizon League in 2017-18.
The teams split the season series in the first three years that IUPUI was in the Horizon League, and the Jaguars won both matchups in Indianapolis last season. IUPUI has won the last four meetings since YSU won 75-73 in Youngstown on Dec. 28, 2019. The Penguins have led in the fourth quarter in each of the last three contests against the Jaguars but haven't been able to hold on for the win.
Last Time vs. IUPUI
IUPUI rallied from a nine-point lead in the final 90 seconds of regulation to force overtime, and the Jaguars went on to win 76-68 on Jan. 16 at Beeghly Center.
YSU led 56-47 after a Chelsea Olson free throw at the 1:28 mark that completed a 13-4 run over more than six minutes. Anna Mortag hit a 3-pointer for IUPUI nine seconds after Olson's free throw, and IUPUI went on to outscore the Penguins 14-5 in the final 1:19 to tie the game at 61.
Youngstown State was an impressive plus-14 in turnover margin as IUPUI had 22 turnovers compared with the Penguins' eight. YSU had just three turnovers through the first 39:25 of the game, but it had three in the final 36 seconds of regulation and two more in overtime.
Lilly Ritz had game highs of 23 points and 13 rebounds, and she had a dominant final 20 minutes of regulation. She had four points and five rebounds in the first half, and she followed that with 18 points and six rebounds, and she was 9-of-10 from the field, in the next 20 minutes.
Malia Magestro scored a career-high 19 points and tied her career high with five 3-pointers.
Recapping Wright State
Youngstown State tied its season high for most field goals in a game with 31. Lilly Ritz had 10 of those makes, and nine other Penguins combined for the other 21. It was the fifth time this season that Ritz made at least 10 field goals in a game.
Ritz was YSU's leading scorer for the first time in five games with 20 points. She added a game-high 15 rebounds as the Penguins were plus-15 in rebounding margin. Ritz had double-digit rebounds for the 10th time this season, it was her fourth game with at least 15 rebounds in Horizon League play.
All 12 active YSU players appeared, and 11 of them scored. Emma Randall had her first points in conference play since the contest at Detroit Mercy on Nov. 20. Haley Thierry scored in a Horizon League game for the first time in her career.
YSU's 49 rebounds were the most against a Division I opponent this season. The Penguins had a season-high 50 against Davis & Elkins on Dec. 17.
The Penguins attempted a season-low five free throws, and they tied for a season-low three made free throws. The Raiders also had just seven fouls called against them, which was six fewer than the previous low by an opponent. NKU and Wright State combined for 20 fouls against them last week.
Wright State had seven turnovers, which was the lowest total by an opponent this season.
The Penguins had at least 30 points in the paint for the third straight game. YSU had 34 points in the paint, which tied for its most since scoring 36 against Point Park on Dec. 21.
YSU was credited with 17 fast-break points, which was its most against a Division I opponent in 2021-22. The only game the Penguins have had more transition points was when they had 22 against Point Park on Dec. 21.
YSU led from start to finish for the first time in Horizon League play since the Nov. 18 win at Oakland. The Penguins have led wire-to-wire four times this season - Nov. 18 vs. Oakland, Dec. 17 vs. Davis & Elkins, Dec. 21 vs. Point Park and Feb. 20 against Wright State.
Mady Aulbach, Paige Shy and Lexi Wagner each made three 3s as the Penguins made a dozen as a team. Aulbach has 11 3-pointers in her last six games after having nine total in her first 20. Shy made three 3s for the second straight game, and Wagner had her first game with multiple treys since the contest at Robert Morris on Jan. 20. It was Wagner's birthday.
Chelsea Olson, as well as student assistants Gabby Lupardus and Jamison Jenkins, were recognized as part of Senior Day before the game. Olson had eight points and nine rebounds in 33 minutes.
Up Next
Youngstown State will conclude the regular season at UIC on Saturday. Tipoff at the Credit Union 1 Arena is set for 2 p.m. Eastern, and the game will be broadcast live on 570 WKBN and ESPN+.
