If you were watching the Horizon League standings back in early January, you probably saw the score flash across your screen: Northern Kentucky 94, Youngstown State 79. It looks like a typical double-digit conference win on paper, right? But honestly, if you actually sat through those forty minutes at Truist Arena, you’d know the "final score" doesn't even begin to tell the whole story of how these two programs are trending right now.
The rivalry between Youngstown St vs Northern Ky has always been a bit of a grind. They’re two teams that basically mirror each other's grit, but this latest meeting exposed some massive gaps in how they handle pressure. While Northern Kentucky (NKU) looked like a well-oiled machine for about 75% of the game, Youngstown State (YSU) showed flashes of a comeback that nearly gave the Norse fans a collective heart attack.
The First Half Blitz No One Saw Coming
Nobody expected the first half to be such a total blowout. Northern Kentucky came out like they were shot out of a cannon, putting up 50 points before the halftime buzzer even sounded. To put that in perspective, YSU only managed 24.
The Penguins looked lost. They were missing open looks, and the transition defense was—to put it nicely—non-existent. NKU’s Dan Gherezgher Jr. was basically playing a different game than everyone else, finishing the night with 26 points. He wasn't just scoring; he was dissecting the YSU defense with five assists and grabbing five boards. When a guard is playing that efficiently, it’s kinda hard to stop the bleeding.
Why the 26-Point Deficit Felt Even Bigger
It wasn't just the points. It was the "how." NKU finished the game with 27 fast-break points compared to just 7 for the Penguins. In college hoops, if you're giving up that many easy buckets in transition, you’re basically handing the other team the keys to the gym.
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YSU’s shooting in that first half was—honestly—brutal. They went 3-for-21 from three-point range during that stretch. You can’t win games in the modern era shooting roughly 14% from deep, especially against a Norse team that was hitting nearly 52% of their shots overall.
The Youngstown State Fight Back
Now, here is where it gets interesting. A lot of teams would have just packed it in down by 26. But Youngstown St vs Northern Ky games usually involve at least one chaotic run.
The Penguins' Cris Carroll decided he wasn't going down without a fight. He matched Gherezgher with 26 points of his own, and suddenly, that massive lead started to shrink. Around the 4:47 mark in the second half, a Bryson Dawkins jumper actually cut the lead to 73-66.
"Youngstown State never got closer than seven the rest of the way, but for about ten minutes there, the vibe in the arena shifted from a party to a panic."
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NKU coach Darrin Horn had to burn a timeout just to settle his guys down. Out of that break, they ran a beautiful set where Tae Dozier cut hard to the rim, dragging the defense with him and leaving Gherezgher wide open for a bucket that basically iced it. It was a veteran response to a young team's surge.
Breaking Down the Personnel
If you're looking for why these teams are where they are in the standings, you have to look at the rosters. NKU has a trio that is genuinely scary when they’re clicking:
- Donovan Oday: A scoring machine who dropped 22 in this one.
- LJ Wells: A double-double threat who finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
- Dan Gherezgher: The undisputed floor general.
YSU is in a bit of a transition year under Ethan Faulkner. They have talent—Rich Rolf and Bryson Dawkins both chipped in 10 points—but they lack that secondary playmaker when Carroll isn't on the floor. Plus, losing the rebounding battle 45-33 against NKU is a recipe for disaster.
The Horizon League Outlook
As of mid-January 2026, the standings are a bit of a mess. Wright State is sitting at the top, but NKU is right there in the hunt at 14-6 overall. Youngstown State is hovering around the .500 mark (9-10), struggling to find consistency on the road.
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Surprising Stats You Might Have Missed
While everyone talks about the scoring, the real difference was at the charity stripe. NKU went 25-of-32 from the free-throw line. YSU? They only got there 23 times and made 13. That’s a 12-point swing right there in a game decided by 15.
Also, it's worth noting the history. Before this win, YSU had struggled immensely at Truist Arena. They’ve only won there once since 2000—a weird outlier in December 2020. Highland Heights is basically a house of horrors for the Penguins.
How to Bet or Watch the Next Matchup
If these two meet again in the conference tournament, don't just look at the 94-79 score and assume NKU will cruise. YSU outscored them 55-44 in the second half of their last game. They found something that worked; they just found it way too late.
Actionable Insights for the Rematch:
- Watch the Three-Point Line: If YSU hits their season average of 35%, they stay in the game. If they repeat that 3-for-21 nightmare, it’s over early.
- Transition Defense: Keep an eye on the "Points off Turnovers" and "Fast Break Points." YSU has to slow the game down to half-court sets to have a chance.
- The Glass: If LJ Wells is allowed to get double-digit rebounds again, the Norse will have too many second-chance opportunities.
The next time Youngstown St vs Northern Ky pops up on your ESPN+ feed, pay attention to the first five minutes. It’ll tell you everything you need to know about whether YSU learned their lesson from the January blowout or if the Norse still own the mental edge.
To stay ahead of the next matchup, you should track the injury report for Cris Carroll, as his high usage rate makes him the engine for the Penguins' offense. Additionally, check the Horizon League defensive rankings; NKU’s ability to force turnovers in the mid-court has become their signature this season. Keeping an eye on these specific metrics will give you a much better edge than just looking at the win-loss column.