Youngstown State senior, Ashen Ward, became the third Penguin this season to be given Horizon League Player of The Week honors.   Ward is sharing the honor with Wright State’s Julius Mays.

The award is the first for Ward and marks the first time since joining the Horizon League that three different YSU players have won the honor. Junior Damian Eargle won the award on Jan. 2 and senior DuShawn Brooks captured the accolade on Dec. 5.

Ward helped lift Youngstown State (9-6, 4-1 Horizon) to its best start since joining the Horizon League, knocking down 7-of-10 three-pointers as the Penguins defeated Loyola, 68-64, before a 71-50 win against UIC. The senior recorded 21 points in the overtime victory on Thursday before finishing with 22 on Saturday, marking the first time in his career he scored at least 20 points in consecutive games.

In conference play, Ward is tied for fifth in scoring average at 14.6 points per game.

Tied with the Milwaukee and Cleveland State atop the League ladder, Ward and Youngstown State hit the road on Friday, Jan. 13, heading to Valparaiso (10-7, 3-2 Horizon) for an 8:05 p.m. ET contest on HLN. The Penguins wrap up the weekend at Butler (9-8, 3-2 Horizon) at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, Jan. 15, with HLN covering the game.