Preview: Youngstown State Penguins at Cleveland State Vikings

CLEVELAND (Interstat) — A pair of Horizon League rivals heading in opposite directions will meet Saturday when the Youngstown State Penguins visit the Cleveland State Vikings at Wolstein Center.

Youngstown State (9-8, 3-3 Horizon) enters with momentum after a dominant 99-61 non-conference victory over Bryant & Stratton on Jan. 9. The Penguins have shown resilience in close league games, with three of their conference losses coming by a combined six points.

Cleveland State (5-13, 1-5), meanwhile, seeks to halt a four-game skid, all within conference play. The Vikings are coming off a 94-84 loss at Detroit on Sunday despite a standout performance.

The matchup features two of the league’s top individual talents. Youngstown State is led by guard Bryson Dawkins, who is averaging 12.0 points per game. Dawkins is coming off a 21-point, 8-rebound effort in just 24 minutes against Bryant & Stratton and scored 20 points in a narrow loss to Oakland on Jan. 1.

Cleveland State will counter with dynamic guard Jaidon Lipscomb, who erupted for a season-high 30 points to go with four assists in the loss to Detroit. Lipscomb leads the Vikings in scoring at 14.6 points per game and has been a consistent offensive bright spot during their recent struggles.

For Youngstown State, balance has been key. Alongside Dawkins, forwards Rich Rolf (15 points, 7 rebounds) and Cris Carroll (18 points) were highly productive in the last outing. The Penguins have won two of their last three.

The Vikings will need more support for Lipscomb. Center Dayan Nessah recorded a double-double (13 points, 10 rebounds) against Detroit, and guard Ice Emery added 19 points and six assists, but defensive lapses have plagued the team. Cleveland State has allowed an average of 90.3 points during its four-game losing streak.

Historically, this intrastate rivalry has been tightly contested. The teams will meet again in Youngstown on Feb. 18.

Saturday’s game tips off at 7 p.m. EST. Cleveland State looks to defend its home court and find a path back into the league standings, while Youngstown State aims to continue its climb above .500 and solidify its position in the upper half of the conference.