YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (Interstat) — A pivotal Horizon League men’s basketball matchup is set for Wednesday night as the Youngstown State Penguins host the Cleveland State Vikings at Beeghly Center. The Penguins (13-13 overall) enter at .500 and look to solidify their standing, while the Vikings (10-17) aim to play spoiler and build momentum for the conference tournament. The intrastate rivals last met on Jan. 17, with Cleveland State escaping with an 80-78 home victory. Cleveland State will lean on the hot hand of guard Ice Emery, who is coming off a career-high 30-point performance in a 102-90 loss to Wright State on Sunday. Over his last three games, Emery has averaged 24.7 points, providing a significant offensive spark for a Vikings team that has lost three straight. Youngstown State counters with its own dynamic scorer in Rontavious Blackshear. The guard poured in 22 points, along with four rebounds and two blocks, in a narrow 76-70 road loss at Detroit on Sunday. Blackshear has scored in double figures in four of his last five appearances where he saw substantial minutes. The Vikings have struggled defensively during their skid, allowing an average of 89.7 points in the three losses. Containing Blackshear and Bryson Dawkins, who added 20 points against Detroit, will be a primary focus. Youngstown State, which had won three of four prior to the Detroit game, will seek to protect its home court and improve upon a 7-4 record at Beeghly Center this season. Wednesday’s contest is the second of two regular-season meetings. Following this game, Youngstown State hosts Northern Kentucky on Saturday, while Cleveland State returns home to face Purdue Fort Wayne on Sunday.