# 2023–24 Youngstown State Penguins women's basketball team

The 2023–24 Youngstown State Penguins women's basketball team represented Youngstown State University during the 2023–24 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Penguins, led by interim head coach John Nicolais, played their home games at the Beeghly Center in Youngstown, Ohio as members of the Horizon League.
On October 2, 2023, it was announced that head coach John Barnes would be taking a leave of absence to focus on "personal family matters," with associate head coach John Nicolais serving as acting head coach in Barnes' absence. On January 19, 2024, Barnes announced that he would be stepping down after ten years at the helm, with associate head coach John Nicolais serving as interim head coach for the remainder of the season.

## Previous season

The Penguins finished the 2022–23 season 19–11, 13–7 in Horizon League play, to finish in a tie for third place. In the Horizon League tournament, they were defeated by Northern Kentucky in the quarterfinals.

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Regular season |||||||||
| November 8, 2023* 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ | | Xavier | W 55–41 | 1–0 | 31 – Saunders | 14 – Saunders | 6 – Kirby | Beeghly Center (1,259) Youngstown, OH |
| November 11, 2023* 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ | | Slippery Rock | W 78–32 | 2–0 | 22 – Saunders | 9 – Saunders | 5 – Jarrells | Beeghly Center (1,612) Youngstown, OH |
| November 16, 2023* 5:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Western Michigan | L 52–54 | 2–1 | 15 – Shy | 6 – Shy | 6 – Jarrells | Beeghly Center (1,182) Youngstown, OH |
| November 19, 2023* 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at West Virginia | L 40–94 | 2–2 | 12 – Jarrells | 5 – Saunders | 2 – 2 tied | WVU Coliseum (1,619) Morgantown, WV |
| November 24, 2023* 5:30 p.m. | | vs. Rhode Island Las Vegas Holiday Classic | L 50–63 | 2–3 | 10 – Kirby | 4 – 2 tied | 4 – Kirby | Orleans Arena Paradise, NV |
| November 25, 2023* 5:30 p.m. | | vs. Northern Arizona Las Vegas Holiday Classic | L 70–74 | 2–4 | 21 – 2 tied | 6 – 2 tied | 4 – 3 tied | Orleans Arena Paradise, NV |
| November 30, 2023 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ | | Detroit Mercy | L 50–59 | 2–5 (0–1) | 12 – Saunders | 8 – Shy | 5 – Jarrells | Beeghly Center (1,523) Youngstown, OH |
| December 3, 2023 12:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Robert Morris | L 63–65 | 2–6 (0–2) | 16 – Thierry | 8 – 2 tied | 4 – Kirby | UPMC Events Center (311) Moon Township, PA |
| December 6, 2023* 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ | | Akron | W 53–52 | 3–6 | 13 – Saunders | 8 – 2 tied | 5 – Magestro | Beeghly Center (1,761) Youngstown, OH |
| December 9, 2023* 4:00 p.m., NEC Front Row | | at Saint Francis | W 69–32 | 4–6 | 23 – Saunders | 8 – Thierry | 5 – 2 tied | DeGol Arena (124) Loretto, PA |
| December 16, 2023* 1:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at St. Bonaventure | L 47–55 | 4–7 | 18 – Kirby | 7 – Saunders | 5 – Jarrells | Reilly Center (225) St. Bonaventure, NY |
| December 21, 2023* 11:00 a.m., ESPN+ | | Canisius | L 59–65 | 4–8 | 22 – Jarrells | 7 – 2 tied | 6 – Jarrells | Beeghly Center (2,251) Youngstown, OH |
| December 29, 2023 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ | | Wright State | L 68–82 | 4–9 (0–3) | 22 – Magestro | 8 – Magestro | 5 – Jarrells | Beeghly Center (1,285) Youngstown, OH |
| December 31, 2023 12:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | IUPUI | W 58–56 | 5–9 (1–3) | 19 – Saunders | 9 – Saunders | 5 – Magestro | Beeghly Center (2,147) Youngstown, OH |
| January 3, 2024 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ | | Oakland | W 70–63 | 6–9 (2–3) | 18 – 2 tied | 6 – Linard | 6 – Shy | Beeghly Center (1,277) Youngstown, OH |
| January 6, 2024 1:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Cleveland State | L 37–79 | 6–10 (2–4) | 7 – Thierry | 6 – Thierry | 3 – Shy | Wolstein Center (368) Cleveland, OH |
| January 11, 2024 8:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Green Bay | L 47–85 | 6–11 (2–5) | 10 – 2 tied | 7 – Shy | 4 – Shy | Kress Events Center (1,531) Green Bay, WI |
| January 13, 2024 1:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Milwaukee | L 58–66 | 6–12 (2–6) | 18 – Magestro | 9 – Saunders | 4 – Magestro | Klotsche Center (596) Milwaukee, WI |
| January 18, 2024 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ | | Purdue Fort Wayne | W 66–57 | 7–12 (3–6) | 16 – 3 tied | 7 – Shy | 6 – Shy | Beeghly Center (1,726) Youngstown, OH |
| January 24, 2024 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ | | Northern Kentucky | L 56–62 | 7–13 (3–7) | 17 – Saunders | 7 – 3 tied | 4 – 2 tied | Beeghly Center (1,304) Youngstown, OH |
| January 27, 2024 1:30 p.m., ESPN+ | | Robert Morris | W 71–46 | 8–13 (4–7) | 23 – Saunders | 11 – Thierry | 4 – 3 tied | Beeghly Center (3,102) Youngstown, OH |
| January 31, 2024 11:00 a.m., ESPN+ | | at IUPUI | L 63–69 | 8–14 (4–8) | 18 – Saunders | 10 – Saunders | 3 – Jarrells | IUPUI Gymnasium (349) Indianapolis, IN |
| February 3, 2024 12:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Milwaukee | W 73–66 | 9–14 (5–8) | 23 – Magestro | 10 – Saunders | 4 – Saunders | Beeghly Center (1,724) Youngstown, OH |
| February 8, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Oakland | W 85–79 | 10–14 (6–8) | 24 – Kirby | 7 – Thierry | 6 – Thierry | OU Credit Union O'rena (358) Rochester, MI |
| February 10, 2024 1:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Detroit Mercy | W 54–49 | 11–14 (7–8) | 12 – Jarrells | 8 – Saunders | 5 – Magestro | Calihan Hall (303) Detroit, MI |
| February 14, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Wright State | W 72–52 | 12–14 (8–8) | 14 – Magestro | 8 – Jarrells | 5 – Kirby | Nutter Center (1,167) Fairborn, OH |
| February 17, 2024 1:30 p.m., ESPN+ | | Green Bay | L 59–71 | 12–15 (8–9) | 19 – Saunders | 11 – Saunders | 7 – Jarrells | Beeghly Center (1,884) Youngstown, OH |
| February 24, 2024 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Northern Kentucky | W 68–64 | 13–15 (9–9) | 25 – Jarrells | 16 – Saunders | 5 – Aullbach | Truist Arena (1,132) Highland Heights, KY |
| February 27, 2024 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ | | Cleveland State | L 53-56 | 13-16 (9-10) | 14 – Shay-Lee | 8 – 2 tied | 6 – Magestro | Beeghly Center (1,947) Youngstown, OH |
| March 2, 2024 3:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Purdue Fort Wayne | L 64-73 | 13-17 (9-11) | 17 – Saunders | 9 – Saunders | 5 – Jarrells | Hilliard Gates Sports Center (820) Fort Wayne, IN |
| Horizon League tournament |||||||||
| March 5, 2024 7:00 pm, ESPN+ | (7) | (10) IUPUI First Round | W 73-50 | 14-17 | 18 – Magestro | 6 – Saunders | 5 – Aulbach | Beeghly Center (929) Youngstown, OH |
| March 7, 2024 5:30 pm, ESPN+ | (7) | at (2) Green Bay Quarterfinals | L 57-94 | 14-18 | 15 – Kirby | 6 – Saunders | 7 – Jarrells | Kress Events Center (2,019) Green Bay, WI |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Eastern. |||||||||
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