YSU Fights Hard But Falls Short Against Green Bay

Penguins show growth but can't overcome Phoenix's championship poise in close Horizon League matchup.

Published on Feb. 7, 2026

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The Youngstown State women's basketball team put up a strong fight against Horizon League rival Green Bay, but ultimately fell 54-51 in a close contest. Despite leading late, the Penguins couldn't hold off a late surge by Green Bay's Jenna Guyer, who hit the game-winning 3-pointer in the final seconds. YSU head coach Melissa Jackson praised her team's growth and fight, even in defeat, as they continue their quest for a Horizon League title.

Why it matters

This game highlighted the continued improvement of the Youngstown State women's basketball team, who were competitive against one of the top teams in the Horizon League. While they came up short, the Penguins showed they can hang with the conference's elite, setting them up for a strong finish to the season.

The details

Youngstown State led by 5 points late in the game, but couldn't score in the final 3:21. Green Bay's Jenna Guyer, the Horizon League Player of the Year favorite, took over down the stretch, hitting a 3-pointer to tie the game and then draining the game-winning 3 with 14 seconds left. YSU had two chances to tie it at the end but couldn't convert.

  • The Penguins lost to Green Bay by a similar margin two months ago in Wisconsin.
  • With 3:21 left, YSU held a 5-point lead over the Phoenix.
  • Guyer hit the go-ahead and game-winning 3-pointer with 14 seconds remaining.

The players

Melissa Jackson

The head coach of the Youngstown State women's basketball team, who praised her team's fight and growth despite the tough loss.

Jenna Guyer

The Green Bay star player who took over late in the game, hitting key shots to lead the Phoenix to victory and cementing her status as the favorite for Horizon League Player of the Year.

Sarah Baker

A redshirt freshman for Youngstown State who scored 18 points in the losing effort.

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What they’re saying

“We're definitely disappointed. Literally two months ago, we played them up at their place, and I think I (said) how disappointed but encouraged I was after that meeting because we were neck-and-neck with them, but in that second half, we folded up there.”

— Melissa Jackson, Head Coach, Youngstown State (tribtoday.com)

“I don't necessarily think we let it slip away, I think she just hit big-time shots because she's a big-time player. I think this is definitely something that we'll review and we'll look back on so this doesn't happen again if we're in another tight situation like this.”

— Sarah Baker, Redshirt Freshman, Youngstown State (tribtoday.com)

“She's really good. She's really poised in those moments. She's been in a lot of basketball games and she's been in a lot of big-time basketball games. Obviously played a lot of them last year on a really good team and has been in those moments. So I'm not surprised she's the one that hit the shot, she's the one that came up with the block. Would definitely have my vote for Horizon League Player of the Year at this point.”

— Melissa Jackson, Head Coach, Youngstown State (tribtoday.com)

What’s next

The Penguins will look to bounce back on Wednesday when they host Robert Morris at the Beeghly Center.

The takeaway

While the Youngstown State women's basketball team came up short against Green Bay, their strong performance and continued growth throughout the season has them well-positioned for a strong finish and a potential Horizon League championship run.