GAME #32
Little Caesars Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship First Round
#8 Cleveland State (9-22) vs. #9 Youngstown State (8-23)
Friday, March 2, 2018 | 8:00 pm ET
Detroit, Mich. | Little Caesars Arena
Live Stats | ESPN3 | AM 1420
PDF GAME NOTES
Cleveland State vs. Youngstown State
GAME PREVIEW:
• Eighth-seeded Cleveland State opens the Little Caesars Horizon League Championship with a first round game against ninth-seeded Youngstown State on Friday (March 2) at 8:00 pm in Little Caesars Arena.
• The Vikings are 9-22 overall and finished with a 6-12 mark in the Horizon League with a 99-94 double overtime win at Youngstown State on Saturday night.
• The Penguins are 8-23 overall and concluded the League slate with a 6-12 record after Saturday's loss to CSU.
• CSU earned the tiebreaker with the Penguins based on the Vikings win over Wright State this year.
• 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 7:30 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, 47-43, and has won 17 of the last 24 meetings.
• The 90 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, while the Vikings won in Youngstown on Saturday, 99-94, in double overtime in the regular season finale.
CSU IN THE HORIZON LEAGUE TOURNAMENT:
• The Vikings are 9-15 all-time in the Horizon League tournament and 23-28 all-time in conference tournaments.
• CSU's last win in the League tournament was a 70-53 win over Detroit in the 2015 second round.
• CSU won the 2009 tournament title, winning four games, including a 57-54 win at Butler in the championship game.
DEJA VU:
• This will be the second straight year that CSU will face Youngstown State in the opening round of the League tournament.
• Last year, the ninth-seeded Penguins earned an 84-69 win versus the eighth-seeded Vikings.
• This also marks the second straight season the teams will meet in the first round of the tournament after playing in the final game of the regular season.
ONE SHY OF THE CENTURY MARK:
• CSU's 99 points in Saturday's win at Youngstown State were the most by a Viking squad since since a 113-61 win over Cedarville on Dec. 12, 2009
• It marked the most by a Viking team against a Division I opponent since a 109-105 victory over Milwaukee on Jan. 20, 2000.
• In addition to setting a season-high for points, the Vikings also set season-highs for field goal percentage (.567), field goals made (34), rebounds (43) and free throw attempts (30), despite not taking a free throw in the first 23 minutes of the game.
WORKING OVERTIME:
• Saturday's game at Youngstown State was CSU's first overtime game of the season and the 89th in program history.
• The Vikings are now 45-44 all-time in overtime games, including an 8-7 mark in games with multiple overtimes.
• CSU had lost five straight OT games prior to Saturday's win.
A LOOK AT THE LAST FIVE:
• The Vikings have posted a 3-2 mark in their last five games. Here is a look at some numbers from those contests.
• Five players are averaging double figures, led by Bobby Word at 14.4 points. Tyree Appley (12.3), Kenny Carpenter (12.2), Stefan Kenic (12.2) and Anthony Wright (10.2) are also in double figures, while Jamarcus Hairston is averaging 9.8 points.
• CSU has made at least 10 three-pointers in each of its last five games and is shooting .462 (54-117) from long range during the stretch.
• The Vikings are shooting .477 (135-238) from the field overall and have hit 65-of-89 (.730) from the free throw line over the last five games.
TWO TOP-THREE WINS:
• CSU's 86-78 win at UIC on Feb. 10 marked the second time in as many weeks that CSU knocked off a top-three team in the League.
• UIC entered the game on a seven game win streak and had won 10 of its previous 11 games. The Flames went 12-6 in the League and finished in third place.
• On Feb. 1, CSU topped Wright State, 70-67. The Raiders had won 11 of 12 games heading into the contest with CSU finished in second place in the League at 14-4.
THEY'RE FREE!!:
• 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 300-of-407 (.737) at the charity stripe.
• In Horizon League play, the Vikings finished 229-of-300 (.763) at the free throw line, ranking second in the League behind Oakland (.768).
• CSU is shooting .709 (349-492) at the line this year.
CARDIAC VIKINGS:
• CSU has 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.
FOR THREE:
• CSU has hit a three-pointer in a school record 628 straight games.
• The Vikings have hit at least three three's in 177 straight contests, extending the streak with 11 threes at Youngstown State on Saturday.
• 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 20th in the League in scoring (11.3) and sixth in assists (3.8) and steals (1.3).
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 339 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 115.
• 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 87-of-120 at the free throw line this year. The 87 makes are tied for the third most by a freshman in program history, while his .725 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 (12.7) and 15th in rebounding (5.1), while adding 2.3 assists.
• Carpenter is 11th 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).
WORD UP!:
• Bobby Word has started all 63 games during his CSU career.
• He is 22nd in the League in scoring this year (11.0), while ranking third in the League in three pointers (2.4)
• Word has hit five or more threes in seven games this year.
• He poured in 25 points at Youngstown State (Feb. 24), tying a career-high with seven three-pointers in nine attempts.
• 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.
• Word reached 1,000 career points in a win against Green Bay on Jan. 4.
• Word scored 487 points during his two seasons at Oral Roberts and has 667 points during his CSU career for 1,174 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.
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 11th in the League in rebounding (5.8) and 10th in field goal percentage (.480).
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 7.1 points and 4.3 rebounds in League games, shooting .533 (49-92) 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.
KENIC SCORES CAREER-HIGH:
• Stefan Kenic scored a career-high 19 points in a win over Detroit (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 9.5 points and 3.3 rebounds this year, playing in all 31 games with 26 starts.
KASH IS MONEY:
• Kasheem Thomas has been one of the top sixth men in the Horizon League, averaging 6.6 points and 3.1 assists in League play.
• Thomas scored a season-high 11 points with six assists against Youngstown State (Jan. 1) and 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 (176 assists to 97 turnovers).
UP NEXT:
• A win on Friday would send the Vikings into a second round game against top-seeded Northern Kentucky on Saturday (March 3) at 8:00 pm.
