The Youngstown State men’s basketball team (7-6, 2-1 Horizon League) searches for the program’s 1000th win when it hosts Loyola(5-9, 0-4 Horizon League), Thursday Jan. 5, at 7:05 p.m. at the Beeghly Center.

Decades of student athletes have contributed to this figure.  It is a nice accomplishment for a school, and it would be even nicer to see some support in the stands for the game.

This is the 26th meeting between Youngstown State and Loyola in a series that dates back to 1956. Loyola leads the all-time series, 14-11, and has won the three contests. Last season, Loyola swept the season series, including an 83-53 victory at the Beeghly Center. The last time YSU defeated Loyola was a 71-67 win on Jan. 9, 2010, at the Beeghly Center.

In the latest NCAA stats released on Jan. 1, YSU can be found throughout several categories. The Penguins rank fifth nationally wiht 9.6 3-pointers made per game, 20th with 6.8 blocks per game and 33rd with a .388 3-point field-goal percentage. Individually, besides Damian Eargle, Blake Allen is ninth with a with 3.2 3-pointers made per game 36th with a .438 3-point percentage.