Youngstown State (2-2) vs. Akron (3-1)
James A. Rhodes Arena, Akron, Ohio; Thursday, 7 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Youngstown State and Akron both look to put winning streaks together . Both teams are coming off of home victories in their last game. Akron earned a 76-45 win over South Carolina Upstate on Monday, while Youngstown State won 66-60 over NC Central on Tuesday.
LEADING THE CHARGE: The dynamic Xeyrius Williams has averaged 16.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocks to lead the way for the Zips. Loren Cristian Jackson has paired with Williams and is maintaining an average of 14 points, four rebounds and four assists per game. The Penguins are led by Darius Quisneberry, who is averaging 15.5 points.DOMINANT DARIUS: Quisneberry has connected on 30 percent of the 20 3-pointers he's attempted and has gone 5 for 15 over his last three games. He's also converted 80 percent of his free throws this season.
STREAK SCORING: Akron has won its last three home games, scoring an average of 71.3 points while giving up 52.
PASSING FOR POINTS: The Zips have recently created baskets via assists more often than the Penguins. Akron has 33 assists on 60 field goals (55 percent) over its previous three contests while Youngstown State has assists on 22 of 68 field goals (32.4 percent) during its past three games.
DID YOU KNOW: Youngstown State has committed a turnover on just 16.5 percent of its possessions this season, which is the lowest rate among all Horizon teams. The Penguins have turned the ball over only 11.5 times per game this season.
