YSU claims third McCafferty trophy

YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State University earned the Horizon League’s 2025-26 McCafferty Trophy after posting one of its most broadly successful years in the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics’ history.

The conference’s all-sports award was presented to YSU President Bill Johnson, Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Ron Strollo, Deputy Athletic Director for Internal Operations and Senior Woman Administrator Rebecca Fink, Faculty Athletics Representatives Chet Cooper and Barbara Flinn and student-athletes Rylee Sorrell (women’s soccer) and Reid Withey (men’s swimming and diving) at the Horizon League’s annual meetings in Indianapolis on Wednesday.

It’s the third time that Youngstown State has claimed the trophy for success across the Horizon League’s 19 championship sports. The Penguins shared the McCafferty Trophy in 2020-21, and they won it outright in 2022-23. YSU has now finished second or better in each of the last six seasons.

Youngstown State finished as the runner-up by 2.5 points in 2024-25, but it won convincingly in 2025-26. The Penguins outscored second-place Oakland by 19.5 points, creating the widest gap between the top two teams in a decade. YSU is also the first school since 2021-22 to sweep the men’s and women’s all-sports awards, and the Penguins’ 56.5 total points tied for the most since 2015-16.

“We set our sights each year on winning the McCafferty Trophy, and it takes a total group effort from so many people in our department to achieve the success we had this past year,” Strollo said.

“First and foremost, we appreciate the time, energy and dedication from our student-athletes and coaches to help us compete at a high level across the board. To place as highly as we did in so many sports is also a result of an incredible support staff that includes our athletic trainers, sports performance coaches, academic advisors, compliance officers, communications staff, revenue generation group, facilities staff and equipment room.”

Knicks steal Game 1 from Spurs

SAN ANTONIO — The New York Knicks’ winning streak lives on, and they struck first in the NBA Finals.

Jalen Brunson scored 30 points, Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds, and the Knicks erased a 14-point second-half deficit to beat the San Antonio Spurs 105-95 in Game 1 of the finals on Wednesday night.

OG Anunoby had 17 points for New York — which has won 12 consecutive playoff games, the seventh team to have such a streak in NBA history.

And the Knicks, who finished on an 11-0 run, made a little more history. They became the first team to beat San Antonio in a Game 1 of the title series — the Spurs were 6-0 in those — and this is also the first time the Spurs have ever trailed a finals before the finish.

Victor Wembanyama had 26 points and 12 rebounds for the Spurs, but he shot 6 for 21 from the field in his finals debut. Stephon Castle scored 17, while Julian Champagnie and Dylan Harper each had 16 for the Spurs.

Game 2 is Friday in San Antonio.

The Knicks led 14-7 early, the Spurs answered with a 20-13 run to go up by 10, the Knicks rallied and the second quarter saw six lead changes before San Antonio took a 55-48 lead into the break.

San Antonio pushed the lead to 14 midway through the third quarter before the Knicks stormed back, finishing the period on a 22-9 run and sending the game into the fourth tied at 76.

New York’s lead was eight midway through the fourth. Wembanyama made a pair of free throws with 2:16 left to put San Antonio up 95-94, but Brunson made a corner 3 on the next possession to put the Knicks on top.