Double or nothing: Penguins set for rematch vs. IUPUI

Winner gets top seed for league tourney

YOUNGSTOWN -- The regular season Horizon League title, the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament, and even a bit of revenge.

There's no shortage of pomp and circumstance as Youngstown State visits IUPUI tonight (6 p.m., ESPN+, 1390 AM WNIO), with an opportunity to clinch the top spot for the postseason league tournament with a win and avenge a 76-68 overtime loss from January.

"We're excited about where we are, but there's a lot of work left," YSU coach John Barnes said as the regular season reaches its final week. "IUPUI is a fantastic team -- really good, really talented, well-coached."

The Jaguars (19-6, 16-4) are coming off a 71-56 loss at Green Bay, and had won 14 straight prior to that defeat. IUPUI visited YSU (23-4, 17-3) on Jan. 16 and rallied from a late nine-point deficit to top the Penguins 76-68 in overtime.

IUPUI was without starting point guard Destiny Perkins in that game, and as such, Barnes expects the rematch to play out differently in terms of style from the first.

"There's a lot of different things in how they're going to play this time as opposed to last time," he noted.

What won't change, however, is the Jaguars' ability to play inside out. Forward Macee Williams, one of the frontrunners for Horizon League Player of the Year, is averaging a double-double at 18.3 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. Her field goal percentage of .629 is tops in the Horizon.

Around her, Rachel McLimore and Rachel Kent are threats from 3-point range, and are averaging 13.0 and 11.2 points per game, respectively. Kent has attempted a team-high 143 shots from deep, and has connected on 40.6 percent of them, the top clip of the conference.

"It's a daunting task," Barnes said of slowing IUPUI down. "But if you focus on the little things and the details, it makes it a little easier to go into the game."

Youngstown State, meanwhile, has won five straight. Should the Penguins fall to IUPUI, they'll likely finish second behind the Jaguars. The Penguins are seeking their first regular season conference title since earning the 1998-99 Mid-Continent Conference crown. The MCC is now the Summit League.

Given how the initial encounter went, though, YSU seems eager to get another shot.

"I think all of us want another shot at them, because I think we let it slip last time," fifth-year senior Chelsea Olson said. "We're definitely going to be locked in -- just a big week for us."

Similar to IUPUI, the Penguins have been working inside-out. Lilly Ritz is coming off another double-double, as she posted 20 points and 15 rebounds in Youngstown State's 77-53 shellacking of Wright State on Sunday. She's averaging 17.0 points and 9.9 rebounds per game.

On the perimeter, Olson is scoring 11.3 per game and adding 4.7 assists, while Malia Magestro is scoring 9.8 points per game.

YSU enters with the third-best 3-point field goal percentage in the Horizon League -- .326 -- but IUPUI's defense is allowing a conference-low mark at .256.

YSU closes out its regular season with a Saturday matinee with UIC (2 p.m.). The Flames are 2-22 overall and 1-18 in Horizon League play entering their contest tonight with Robert Morris.

"To have an opportunity (to earn the league 1-seed) is a place the program hasn't been at in a long time," Barnes said. "I think our players have worked extremely (hard) to give themselves this opportunity, and now we have to go on the road and try to win a couple. I think we understand how tough that task is, but we're focused on the little things, on the details that have helped us get to this point. Then it doesn't become too overwhelming."