GAME #31
Cleveland State (8-22, 5-12 HL) at Youngstown State (8-22, 6-11 HL)
Saturday, February 24, 2018 | 7:00 pm ET
Youngstown, Ohio | Beeghly Center
Live Stats | ESPN3 | AM 1420
PDF GAME NOTES
Cleveland State at Youngstown State
GAME PREVIEW:
• Cleveland State concludes the regular season with a 7:00 pm game at Youngstown State on Saturday (Feb. 24) night in the Beeghly Center.
• It will be a doubleheader with the CSU women playing Youngstown State at 4:15 pm.
• The Vikings are 8-22 overall and 5-12 in the Horizon League after falling at first place Wright State, 72-63, on Monday night.
• The Penguins are also 8-22 overall and hold a one game lead over the Vikings in the League at 6-11. YSU fell at Northern Kentucky, 70-51, on Monday night.
• Saturday's game will be broadcast live on AM 1420 and AM 1440 with Al Pawlowski providing the call.
• Ed Daugherty will have the pre-game show on the radio beginning at 6:30 pm.
• The game will also be shown live on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app.
THE YOUNGSTOWN STATE SERIES:
• Cleveland State leads the all-time series with Youngstown State, 46-43, and have won 16 of the last 23 meetings.
• The 89 games are the most CSU has played against a school in program history.
• YSU won this year's first meeting, 80-77, in the Wolstein Center on Jan. 1 in the Horizon League opener for both teams.
• Bobby Word tied the game at 77-77 with a three-pointer with 10 seconds left, but Cameron Morse hit a three 0.6 seconds left for the win.
• CSU is 16-27 all-time in Youngstown.
GAME 30: @WRIGHT STATE 72, CSU 63 (2/19/18):
• Wright State outscored CSU in the second half, 39-27, to claim a victory at the Nutter Center.
• Bobby Word led the Vikings with 18 points and Kenny Carpenter scored 14 with four rebounds and three steals.
• Jamarcus Hairston added 11 points and Anthony Wright finished with seven points and eight rebounds.
• CSU was without second leading scorer Tyree Appleby who missed the game with an injury.
TWO TOP-THREE WINS:
• CSU's 86-78 win at UIC on Feb. 10 marked the second time in as many weeks that the Vikings knocked off a top-three team in the Horizon League.
• UIC entered the game on a seven game win streak and had won 10 of its previous 11 games. The Flames are now 12-4 in the League.
• On Feb. 1, the Vikings earned a 70-67 win over then first place Wright State. The Raiders had won 11 of 12 games heading into the contest with CSU and are currently in first place in the HL at 13-3.
IMPROVING AT THE LINE:
• CSU has shown continued improvement at the free throw line since going 13-of-37 (.351) over the first two games.
• Since those two games, CSU is shooting 280-of-377 (.743) at the charity stripe.
• In Horizon League play, the Vikings have hit 209-of-270 at the free throw line, tops in League play in free throw percentage (.774).
• CSU is shooting .712 (329-462) at the line this year.
CARDIAC VIKINGS:
• The Vikings have played in 10 one possession games this year, posting a 5-5 mark in those games.
• Six of CSU's League games have come down to the final possession as the Vikings fell to Youngstown State (80-77), defeated Green Bay (80-79), lost at Detroit Mercy (85-84) and defeated IUPUI (70-67), Wright State (77-74) and Detroit Mercy (75-72).
• CSU played in three straight one poessession games from Nov. 20 through Nov. 29, falling at ECU, 72-69 (Nov. 20), losing to Central Conn., 74-73, (Nov. 24), and topping Arkansas State, 75-72 (Nov. 29).
• It was the first time CSU played three straight one poessession games since the 1999-2000 season when CSU fell at St. Bonaventure, 71-69, (12/30/99), and won at Loyola, 70-68 (1/6/00) and at UIC, 91-89 (1/8/00).
VIKINGS TIE THREE POINT MARK WITH 14 MAKES:
• The Vikings have tied the single game school record with 14 made three-pointers four times this year.
• CSU was 14-of-32 from three-point in wins over Coppin State (Nov. 17) and Wright State (Feb. 1) and went 14-of-39 from long distance against Notre Dame College (Dec. 10).
• CSU was 14-of-31 from three-point at Detroit Mercy (Jan. 10).
• CSU has hit 14 threes in a game eight times in school history.
THREES OVER THE LAST FIVE:
• The Vikings have hit at least 10 threes in each of the last five games and have double-digit three-pointers 12 times this year.
• Over the last five games, the Vikings are 43-of-100 (.430) from long distance.
FOR THREE:
• CSU has hit a three-pointer in a school record 627 straight games.
• The Vikings have hit at least three three's in 176 straight contests, extending the streak with 10 threes at Wright State on Monday.
• The last time CSU failed to make a three-pointer was Feb. 21, 1998, when the Vikings were 0-for-8 in a 60-57 win over Detroit.
APPLEBY HAS CAREER NIGHT:
• Freshman Tyree Appleby set career-highs in points (25) and rebounds (9) in a Feb. 10 win at UIC.
• Appleby made 7-of-13 from the field, including three of four from three point, and was 8-of-10 at the free throw line.
• It was the most points by a CSU freshman since Rob Edwards scored 26 points at Detroit Mercy on Jan. 4, 2016.
• He bettered his old career-high of 24 points set at Western Michigan, while his old career-high was seven assists done five times this year.
• Appleby is 21st in the League in scoring (11.4) and fourth in assists (3.8) and steals (1.4).
APPLEBY EARNS FOUR LEAGUE HONORS:
• Tyree Appleby has been the Horizon League Freshman of the Week four times this year, earning the award in back-to-back weeks (Dec. 4, Dec. 10) and on Jan. 15 and Feb. 4.
• Appleby earned the first award after averaging 10.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals vs. Arkansas State and at Kent State, shooting .562 (9-16) from the floor.
• Appleby picked up his second straight honor after averaging 18.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 3.5 steals, shooting .800 (12-15) from the field and 5-of-6 (.833) from three-point at Western Michigan and vs. Notre Dame College.
• He won his third award after averaging 16.5 points, 7.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.5 steals in games at Detroit Mercy and Oakland.
• Appleby captured his fourth award on Feb. 4 after averaging 15.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.0 block vs. Wright State and Northern Kentucky.
A DEEPER LOOK AT THE FRESHMAN:
• Tyree Appleby's 327 points this year are the 10th most by a freshman in school history.
• Appleby is also just the fifth freshman in program history to reach 100 assists in a season, ranking fourth among CSU freshmen all-time for a season with 110.
• His 40 steals rank seventh for a freshman in a season in CSU history, just four shy of moving up to fourth place on the list.
• Appleby is 80-of-111 at the free throw line this year. The 80 makes are tied for the seventh most by a freshman in program history, while his .721 percentage is currently eighth best for a CSU freshman.
CARPENTER GOING TO WORK:
• Senior Kenny Carpenter is enjoying his best season to date. He ranks 16th in the Horizon League in scoring (12.8) and 14th in rebounding (5.1), while adding 2.2 assists.
• Carpenter is 12th in the League in field goal percentage (.470).
• He has three, 20-point games this year and has 23 double figure scoring games.
• Carpenter also has three double-digit rebounding games.
• He had 23 points in a win over IUPUI (Jan. 18) and scored 20 (10-14 FG) in a victory over Green Bay (Jan. 4).
• Carpenter scored a career-high 26 points against Coppin State (Nov. 17), bettering his old career-high of 24 points set at UIC as a sophomore.
• He scored 24 points in the first half vs. Coppin State and finished the game 10-of-17 from the field, including 6-of-11 from three-point.
• The six three-pointers are tied for the fourth most in a game in program history and the 17th time a CSU player made six three's.
• He became the first CSU player to make six threes since Charlie Lee hit six at Oakland on Feb. 6, 2014.
• Carpenter has posted two double-doubles this year, the first two of his career.
• He recorded his first career double-double with 11 points and a career-high 12 boards in the season opener at Akron (Nov. 11).
• He had a career-high 26 points and 11 boards against Coppin State (Nov. 17).
THE WRIGHT STUFF:
• Anthony Wright notched his second career double-double in a win over Detroit Mercy on Feb. 14 with 15 points and a career-high 12 rebounds. He also had a career-best four steals.
• Wright returned from injury at IUPUI (Feb. 8), playing 17 minutes off the bench and scoring eight points. He was back in the starting lineup at UIC on Feb. 10.
• He missed the previous seven games.
• Earlier this year, Wright recorded his first career double-double at Kent State (Dec. 2).
• Wright scored a career-high 21 points, hitting 8-of-11 from the field, including a career-best four three's (in six attempts). He also had a career-high tying 11 rebounds.
• Wright is averaging 8.1 points and is 10th in the League in rebounding (5.7) and field goal percentage (.490).
HAIRSTON TIES CAREER HIGH:
• Jamarcus Hariston tied his career-high with 17 points at UIC (Feb. 10) and just missed his first career double-double with a career-high nine rebounds.
• Hairston is averaging 6.9 points and 4.5 rebounds in League games, shooting .523 (45-86) from the field.
• He hit 4-of-5 from the field and all three of his three-pointers for 11 points at Wright State (Feb. 19).
• He scored 16 points - hitting 4-of-7 from three-point - with seven rebounds vs. UIC (Jan. 20).
• Hairston posted six points and set career-highs in rebounds (8) and steals (4) in a win over IUPUI, playing a career-high 32 minutes. His tip-in with 22 seconds left gave CSU the lead for good (68-67).
• He had 14 points (5-6 FG) with six boards at Detroit (Jan. 10).
• Hairston set a career-high with 17 points at Niagara (Dec. 19), hitting 7-of-9 from the field, adding five boards and two assists.
WORD UP!:
• Bobby Word has started all 62 games during his CSU career.
• He is 24th in the League in scoring this year (10.6), while ranking fifth in the League in three pointers (2.4)
• Word has hit five or more threes in six games this year.
• Word scored a career-high 26 points - hitting a career-best seven threes - at No. 2 Michigan State (Dec. 29).
• He followed that up with a 24 point effort vs. Youngstown State (Jan. 1), which included nine points in the final 49 seconds. His three-pointer with nine seconds left tied the game at 77-77 before the Penguins won it with a buzzer beater.
• With his 11 point effort vs. Green Bay on Jan. 4, Word reached 1,000 career points.
• Word scored 487 points during his two seasons at Oral Roberts and has 642 points during his CSU career for 1,149 career points.
• Word also notched his first career double-double vs. Green Bay.
• He scored 14 points and added a career-high 10 rebounds. His old career-high was seven rebounds.
• Word is the top returning scorer from last year's team (11.1).
KENIC SCORES CAREER-HIGH:
• Stefan Kenic scored a career-high 19 points in a win over Detroit Mercy (Feb. 14), hitting 6-of-9 from the floor and all five of his free throws.
• It bettered his old career-high of 16 points at IUPUI on Feb. 8.
• In a game at Detroit Mercy (Jan. 10) earlier this year, Kenic scored 15 points and was 6-of-10 from the floor. His three-pointer from the top of the arc with 3.9 seconds left gave the Vikings an 84-83 lead before UDM won the game at the buzzer.
• Kenic is averaging 9.3 points and 3.3 rebounds this year, playing in all 29 games with 25 starts.
KASH IS MONEY:
• Kasheem Thomas has been one of the top sixth men in the Horizon League, averaging 6.4 points and 3.1 assists in League play.
• Thomas scored a season-high 11 points with six assists against Youngstown State (Jan. 1).
• He had eight points with six assists at Detroit Mercy (Jan. 10) and posted 10 points and six assists at NKU (Jan. 15).
• Thomas scored 13 points against UIC (Jan. 20), setting career highs in free throws made (11) and attempted (12).
• Thomas started 39 consecutive games to open his career, including all 31 last year, the most by a freshman in program history.
• Thomas has a career assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.8 (173 assists to 94 turnovers).
THE FELTON FILE:
• First-year head coach Dennis Felton earned his first victory at CSU with an 80-56 win over Coppin State (Nov. 17).
• Felton, who made his CSU regular debut on Nov. 11 at Akron, was named the 15th head coach in CSU history on March 24.
• Felton, a coaching veteran with more than 30 years of experience, is in his 12th season as a head coach, having spent five years at Western Kentucky (1998-03) and five-plus seasons at Georgia (2003-09).
• During his time on the sidelines Felton has amassed 191victories, won seven conference championships and led six of his teams to the postseason, including four NCAA berths.
UP NEXT:
• CSU will open play in the Horizon League Championship with a first round game on Friday (March 2).
• The complete bracket will be announced on Sunday evening at the conclusion of all League games.