Youngstown State reaches first Horizon League title game

Penguins overcome scoring droughts to defeat Cleveland State 60-55 and advance to championship

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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The Youngstown State women's basketball team, led by head coach Melissa Jackson and featuring a roster of mostly sophomores and freshmen, reached the Horizon League championship game for the first time in program history after defeating Cleveland State 60-55 in the semifinals. The Penguins overcame several scoring droughts, including a three-plus minute drought to end the second quarter, to hold off the more experienced Vikings and earn a spot in the title game against top seed and defending champion Green Bay.

Why it matters

Youngstown State's run to the Horizon League championship game is a historic accomplishment for the program, which is in just its second season under head coach Melissa Jackson. The Penguins, with a young roster, have overcome the odds to reach this point and now have a chance to earn an NCAA tournament berth by winning the conference title game.

The details

Despite trailing by as many as seven points in the second half, the Penguins rallied in the fourth quarter, outscoring Cleveland State 25-15 in the final period. Redshirt freshman Danielle Cameron hit three of her game-high four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to help fuel the comeback. YSU took the lead for good on a go-ahead corner three from Cameron with 35 seconds left after Cleveland State had briefly gone back in front.

  • The Horizon League semifinal game took place on Monday, March 9, 2026.
  • The Horizon League championship game is scheduled for today, March 10, 2026.

The players

Melissa Jackson

The head coach of the Youngstown State women's basketball team, in her second season leading the program.

Danielle Cameron

A redshirt freshman for Youngstown State who scored a game-high 16 points, including three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to help lead the Penguins' comeback.

Erica King

A Youngstown State player who scored 13 points and continued her strong tournament performance.

Sophia Gregory

A Youngstown State player who finished with 11 points, including the assist on Danielle Cameron's go-ahead 3-pointer in the final minute.

Colbi Maples

A Cleveland State player who scored a team-high 19 points, including a key and-1 that gave the Vikings a late one-point lead.

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What they’re saying

“We're the new kids on the block, right? First trip to Indy, first trip to the championship game. But our mantra all year has been grit, but it's also been taken one game at a time. I think we are a young group led by an unbelievable sixth-year senior. But this is a very mature basketball team for how young they are, and they really take care of their business.”

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

“Even though we're young, I feel like everyone's got a lot of maturity, and we've been in all these situations before. We've gone on longer scoring droughts. So I feel like we all just stayed composed, and we know that if we keep shooting, our next shot's going in.”

— Danielle Cameron, Redshirt Freshman, Youngstown State (tribtoday.com)

“They got their transition game going. They got the ball down on us pretty fast. We knew that was a strength of theirs and something they really exploited in the earlier games. We really did a good job with that most of the game, but in the fourth quarter, we didn't. I thought we missed some shots that we could have hit that you gotta finish in that moment. We made a lot of defensive mistakes and let them play to their strengths, like a lot of wide-open threes. A lot of things we're going to regret that we felt like we could have and should have done better.”

— Chris Kielsmeier, Head Coach, Cleveland State (tribtoday.com)

What’s next

The Youngstown State Penguins will face the top-seeded and defending champion Green Bay Phoenix in the Horizon League championship game on Monday, March 10, 2026. The winner will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

The takeaway

Youngstown State's improbable run to the Horizon League title game, led by a young roster and second-year head coach Melissa Jackson, showcases the program's rapid rise and the maturity of the Penguins' players. Despite their inexperience, YSU has proven it can compete with the conference's traditional powers and now has a chance to earn the program's first-ever NCAA tournament berth.