YOUNGSTOWN — On Feb. 23, 2020, Youngstown State women’s basketball fans exited the Beeghly Center following the Penguins’ 86-73 loss to Oakland. It marked the last time those spectators attended a YSU women’s game before the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked its havoc on sports and the world.

Now, 631 days later, Penguins faithful can return to cheer on YSU as it hosts regional foe Akron in its 2021-22 home opener tonight at 7 p.m. (ESPN+, 570 AM WKBN).

Head coach John Barnes and company are eager for the fans’ return, to say the least.

“We have some of the best fans in the country. I mean, we’re second leading in attendance in the conference (behind only Green Bay),” Barnes said. “They’re loud, they’re rowdy, they really cheer on the team, and that’s a huge help, especially in close games. It just gives our team energy, so we’re excited to play in front of the Youngstown fans.”

YSU (1-0) is coming off of a 70-67 road win at Eastern Michigan. In the victory, five Penguins scored in double figures: Lilly Ritz (13 points, 8 rebounds), Malia Magestro (13 points, 7-for-8 free throws), Chelsea Olson (13 points, 4 assists), Paige Shy (13 points) and Lexi Wagner (11 points off the bench, 3-for-4 from 3-point range).

Barnes said he hadn’t expected that sort of scoring from his team, in particular because EMU had led the MAC in defense a season ago.

“So for us to score 70 against them on their floor is big, and then we’ve had different players step up in both scrimmages and obviously in this game,” he added.

Olson said the performance was “a huge win for us and definitely a step in the right direction.” However, she said YSU wasn’t satisfied.

“We learned a lot from that game and things to improve on, but it was definitely a good win for us,” Olson said. Specifically, she said YSU needs to correct some defensive positioning and execute better on offense. For her personally, she’d like to cut down on turnovers.

Now, after defeating one MAC opponent, the Penguins turn their attention to the next as 2-0 Akron comes to town. The Zips topped Division II Slippery Rock 97-54 last Tuesday and then Saturday defeated Robert Morris 60-50.

In both of those wins, forward Jordyn Dawson led the Zips in scoring and rebounding. She posted 31 points against SRU and then 22 against RMU, and grabbed five boards against the Colonials and nine against Slippery Rock.

And as it turns out, Dawson and Shy hail from the same hometown — Huntington, West Virginia. Dawson attended Huntington High School, while Shy graduated from St. Joseph Central Catholic and soon after attended Marshall University there.

The two never met on the hardwood as opponents, as HHS and St. Joe’s don’t face each other, but they did play on the same travel circuit team at one point — Dawson on the older team and Shy on the younger team, according to Shy, who debuted for YSU last week after transferring in from Marshall.

Of Dawson, Shy said, “She’s always been a great player. She’s very physical, and I feel like she does everything. She’s very tough, mentally tough. She could shoot threes, she rebounds real well. She’s just an all-around really good player.”

Like YSU, Akron also features some balance, as Kendall Miller scored eight points in each of the Zips’ games so far, and Rachel Martindale had nine against RMU.

Olson noted Akron also has an affinity for 3-point shots, something YSU excels and specializes in.

Akron shot 13-for-34 from beyond the arc against SRU, and then went 5-for-18 against Robert Morris.

“With Eastern Michigan, we wanted to contain more and make them shoot from outside, but with Akron, all of them are good shooters,” Olson said. “That’s definitely an adjustment we have to make on the defensive end.”

Offensively, Olson said the Penguins are looking for more points in transition after scoring just three against EMU.

“I think we’re a really good team in transition, so I think we can get a lot of opportunities (in the fast break),” she said.

YSU also is entering with a chip on its shoulder, according to Barnes. In their last meeting in 2019, Akron won big, 91-62.

The last time we played them, they dominated us,” he said. “So I think we have a lot to prove this game.”

jwhetzel@tribtoday.com