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YOUNGSTOWN -- It just might be a preview of things to come when Youngstown State takes the court against Northern Kentucky tonight at the Beeghly Center.
The Penguins (21-4, 15-3) and Norse (17-6, 11-5) enter at first and fourth in the Horizon League standings, respectively, and could very well meet again in a couple weeks when the conference tournament gets underway.
YSU coach John Barnes says his team is taking things one game at a time before worrying about postseason prognostications, however.
"The league is so tough. The top six or seven could all win it. We're just trying to take every game in itself and try to improve as the last four games happen," he said. "So we can be playing our best basketball once tournament times hits, but I think the top half of the league is so good, it's going to be a challenge no matter where you fall."
Northern Kentucky certainly presents a challenge. The Norse are as talented as any team in the Horizon, Barnes says, and have been especially tough on the road. NKU features wins at Green Bay, IUPUI and Oakland, and is 11-2 away from Highland Heights, Ky.
NKU is paced by former Kentucky Ms. Basketball recipient Lindsey Duvall, who transferred to NKU from perennial powerhouse Louisville over the summer. She scores 17.3 points per game and adds 7.2 rebounds.
Ivy Turner chips in 14.2 points per game, while Grayson Rose powers the frontcourt and snags just over nine rebounds per game.
"Arguably the most talent in the league. They have a ton of returning experience -- one of the most experienced teams in the league," Barnes said. "Duvall ... is really tough to deal with; Ivy Turner's another one of their guards who can really score at all three levels. Grayson Rose leads the league in blocked shots. (Emmy) Souder is a heck of a post player and a very tough, physical rebounder. They have a lot of players that you have to deal with, and we're going to have to play one of our best games."
The teams haven't met yet this season, a rarity for mid-February. YSU originally was supposed to face the Norse at NKU on Jan. 9, but COVID-19 protocol at NKU forced a cancellation. The game was deemed a no contest by the Horizon League.
Youngstown State, meanwhile, could set its program record for most conference wins in a single season if it comes away victorious. The Penguins already have set their program high in terms of Horizon League wins, but could set the new mark for league wins regardless of affiliation.
Of that achievement, Barnes said, "We really don't think about that too much. We hear about it from media and in our sports information department, but we're really focused on each game. I think after the season, that's when you can kind of take a breath and smile and say, 'Hey, we had a good year' and that type of thing."
The Penguins haven't beaten NKU since Jan. 21, 2019, and enter the contest on a three-game losing skid in the series. In terms of this season, YSU has won its last three games, and Lilly Ritz is the reigning Horizon League Player of the Week after averaging 17.5 points and 13.5 rebounds in last week's pair of wins. She leads the conference in scoring average in Horizon League contests at 18.6 per game.
The Penguins defeated Purdue Fort Wayne on the road in their last game, paced by Megan Callahan's 19 points. She sank a pair of decisive 3-pointers in the fourth quarter that put the game away.
"Megan had put together a good two or three games, so that consistency is what we need," Barnes said of his transfer guard from Robert Morris.
A win tonight and Sunday against Wright State would put the finishing touches on securing a top four spot in the conference standings, and in turn a first-round bye in the league tournament and a home quarterfinal game.
"Basically, with six games to go, we talked about just focusing on each game, making it a six-game season," Barnes said. "So we have to play our best in game six, and then in game five. So far, we took care of the first two wins and we have four left. We're going to throw everything we can, leave it all on the floor against NKU and then the same thing against Wright State and then go from there."
jwhetzel@tribtoday.com