Maryland Eastern Shore vs. Youngstown State: 2026 WNIT Second Round Preview

Fresh off a landmark victory in Winston-Salem, the Maryland Eastern Shore women’s basketball team prepares for its next postseason battle on the road.

The Hawks (20-14, 11-3 MEAC) head to Youngstown, Ohio, for the WNIT second round, facing Youngstown State (24-9) at Zidian Family Arena, Beeghly Center, Tuesday, March 24, 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

UMES punched its ticket to the second round with a 59-48 upset of Wake Forest on March 19 at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C. It was the Hawks’ first postseason appearance and first postseason victory in program history.

Capitalizing on that momentum, head coach Malikah Willis and the Hawks now face a new challenge: a Penguins squad coming off one of its best seasons in two decades.

UMES: Riding a Historic Wave

The Hawks entered the WNIT field having finished second in the MEAC standings with an 11-3 conference record, earning the program’s first-ever postseason bid. In their WNIT opener against Wake Forest, UMES trailed 48-45 with less than five minutes to play before erupting for a 14-0 run to seal the upset, illustrating its toughness in high-stakes moments.

Freshman guard Desi Taylor sparked UMES off the bench, scoring a game-high 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including 5-of-10 from three-point range. Her go-ahead three-pointer with 3:40 left put UMES ahead permanently, and she added her fifth three-pointer in the final seconds. Taylor leads the MEAC in three-point shooting percentage among freshmen this season, at 43.8%.

Senior forward Kaliya Perry anchored the interior against Wake Forest, recording 16 points, 12 rebounds (including 5 offensive), four steals, and a block in 35 minutes for a double-double. Perry ranks third in the MEAC in rebounds per game (9.3) and is fourth in field goal percentage (.526) this season.

Senior guard Ashanti Lynch, the team’s leading scorer at 12.4 points per game, also ranks second in the conference in steals per game (2.1) and sixth in field goal percentage (.487). She added nine points and three steals in the first-round win.

Sophomore guard Kalise Hill directed the pace, dishing out 11 assists to just one turnover versus Wake Forest—an 11:1 assist-to-turnover ratio that illustrates her efficiency as UMES's point guard; she averages 5.8 assists (2nd MEAC) and 1.9 turnovers per game (5th fewest). Center Dakieran Turner grabbed 16 boards (7 offensive, 9 defensive). The UMES bench scored 26 points, while Wake Forest’s bench was held scoreless.

Willis, in her second year at the helm after an extensive career as an assistant at Georgia Tech, West Virginia, and Texas Tech, has built UMES into a legitimate postseason program. The Hawks posted wins over top-seeded Howard and defending MEAC champion Norfolk State during the regular season and reached the MEAC Tournament semifinals for the second consecutive year.

Youngstown State: A Program on the Rise

Turning to Youngstown State, the Penguins enter Tuesday’s game having posted one of their best seasons in two decades. The team went 24-9 overall and 15-5 in the Horizon League, earning the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament and reaching the Horizon League Championship Game.

The Penguins earned a WNIT automatic bid as the Horizon League’s top qualifier not selected for the NCAA or WBIT. YSU received a first-round bye and will host UMES at Beeghly Center, marking the program’s fourth time hosting a WNIT game at home. Beeghly Center has become a familiar site for postseason basketball in Youngstown, further highlighting the significance of Tuesday’s matchup for Penguins fans.

Sixth-year senior guard Casey Santoro drives the YSU offense, averaging 12.3 points per game, 4.8 assists (second in Horizon), and 1.7 steals (fifth in Horizon). She averages 35.6 minutes per game (Horizon League leader) and shoots 44.2% from three-point range (second in Horizon).

Santoro also ranks among the top ten in the conference in scoring, assists, assist-to-turnover ratio (2.4), three-pointers per game (2.5), and free-throw percentage (87.5%).

Sophomore forward Sophia Gregory won Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year by anchoring YSU’s defense, leading the team with 8.1 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game (second in Horizon). She also made the All-League Second Team and All-Defensive Team. Redshirt freshman Sarah Baker scores 11.8 points per game, breaking YSU’s single-season freshman scoring record (425 points). Paulina Hernandez, the Horizon’s Sixth Player of the Year, averages 8.4 points off the bench.

Keys to the Game

For UMES, sticking to the game plan that worked against Wake Forest is key: defend (allowing just 35.8% FG in the last five games), attack from three-point range (Taylor 43.8%, Lynch 37.5%), dominate the boards (UMES out-rebounded Wake Forest 46-32), and control the pace (Hill’s 11 assists tied a season-high). The UMES bench, averaging 18.2 points this season, contributed 26 in the first round.

Youngstown State’s challenge will be to slow Taylor’s three-point efficiency and limit UMES’s transition opportunities. YSU’s home-court advantage at Beeghly Center will also matter, as the arena holds roughly 6,300 fans. The Penguins have been one of the toughest teams to beat at home in the Horizon League all season.

History & Context

With the two teams making school history, Tuesday’s game does not represent only the first-ever meeting between UMES and Youngstown State on the basketball court but also a possibility for each program to further its breakthrough postseason.

For UMES, a win would extend the program’s inaugural postseason run and mark its second-ever postseason victory. For Youngstown State, a victory would advance the Penguins past their fifth WNIT appearance (2012-13, 2014-15, 2018-19, 2021-22, 2025-26) and UMES’s first. history (2012-13, 2014-15, 2018-19, 2021-22, 2025-26).

GAME INFORMATION

No. 2 Maryland Eastern Shore (20-14) vs. Youngstown State (24-9)

Date: Tuesday, March 24, 2026
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Location: Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center | Youngstown, Ohio
TV/Stream: ESPN+
Tournament: 2026 Postseason WNIT — Second Round

Frequently Asked Questions:

The UMES-Youngstown State WNIT second-round game tips at 6:30 p.m. ET, Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at Zidian Family Arena, Beeghly Center, Youngstown, Ohio. Stream on ESPN+. Center in Youngstown, Ohio. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+.

How did Maryland Eastern Shore reach the WNIT second round?

UMES defeated ACC program Wake Forest 59-48 in the WNIT first round on March 19, 2026, at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C. Freshman guard Desi Taylor scored 19 points, including a go-ahead three-pointer. Senior guard Ashanti Lynch leads UMES at 12.4 points per game. Forward Kaliya Perry is a double-double threat and among MEAC field goal leaders. Freshman Desi Taylor is a three-point threat. Sophomore Kalise Hill directs the offense. First-ever postseason victory.

Who are the key players for UMES in the WNIT?

Senior guard Ashanti Lynch leads the Hawks in scoring at 12.4 points per game. Forward Kaliya Perry provides a double-double threat and ranked among the MEAC leaders in field goal percentage. Freshman Desi Taylor has proved to be a dangerous three-point shooter, and sophomore Kalise Hill runs the offense as Casey Santoro leads YSU at 12.3 points and is among the Horizon League’s most efficient players. Sophia Gregory was the Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year. Redshirt freshman Sarah Baker broke YSU’s freshman scoring record.

Is this the first time UMES women’s basketball has been in the postseason?

Yes. The 2025-26 season marks the first postseason appearance in UMES women’s basketball history. The Hawks are the MEAC’s representative in the 2026 Postseason.