The Cleveland State men's basketball team will open Horizon League play on Saturday (Dec. 28) when it visits UIC at 4 p.m. Prior to the opening of league play, we take a look back at the storylines of the first half of the season.
THE FIRST WIN: Cleveland State head coach Dennis Gates is in his first season as the head coach of the Vikings and recorded his first victory with a 79-54 victory over Edinboro in the Wolstein Center...The Vikings shot 50.9 percent from the floor in the victory and topped 50.0 percent shooting from the field in each half...Deante Johnson led four players in double figures in scoring with 13 points...Franklyn Penn Jr. had 12 points and Tre Gomillion and Torrey Patton each had 11 points
NON-CONFERENCE WINNING STREAK: Cleveland State won three consecutive non-conference games for the first time since the 2011-12 season...Cleveland State defeated UNC Wilmington, Eastern Kentucky and Robert Morris in succession...The Vikings won five consecutive games to start the 2011-12 season...Cleveland State was also .500 after eight games for the first time since the 2014-15 season
PERFECT IN DC: Cleveland State wrapped up play in the Battle for the Capital by winning both of its games against UNC Wilmington and Eastern Kentucky...The Vikings defeated UNC Wilmington 47-46 when Tre Gomillion scored with 10 seconds to play in regulation...Cleveland State then capped play in the tournament with a 65-51 victory over Eastern Kentucky...Algevon Eichelberger and Tre Gomillion were each named to the Battle for the Capital All-Tournament team
THAT'S SOME SERIOUS DEFENSE: Cleveland State turned in a pair of brilliant defensive efforts in recording victories over UNC Wilmington and Eastern Kentucky...Cleveland State held UNC Wilmington to 27.3 percent shooting from the floor and did not permit the Seahawks to score a field goal in the final 7:47 of the game...The Vikings then held Eastern Kentucky to 25.5 percent shooting from the floor and held the Colonels without a field goal for 15:08 of the second half
DEMANDING NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE: Cleveland State played a daunting non-conference schedule...The combined record of the Vikings opponents is currently 95-62...Four teams, Florida International, Kent State, DePaul and East Tennessee State, each have the best overall record in their respective conference
EMERGENCE OF ALGEVON EICHELBERGER: Junior Algevon Eichelberger has had a breakout season for the Vikings...Eichelberger currently leads the Vikings in both scoring and rebounding...He is averaging 13.0 points and 8.2 rebounds per game...Eichelberrger scored a career-high 23 points at East Tennessee State and tied his career-high with 13 rebounds on three occasions...He leads the Vikings with three double-doubles on the season...Eichelberger also is tied for the team lead with six double-figure scoring games
NEW FACES CONTRIBUTE: Cleveland State has also received significant contributions from newcomers Tre Gomillion and Craig Beaudion...Gomillion ranks second on the team in both scoring and rebounding averaging 10.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per contest...Gomillion is tied for the team lead with six double-figure scoring games...He scored a season-high 18 points at South Carolina and grabbed a season-high 16 rebounds against Eastern Kentucky...Beaudion ranks third on the team averaging 7.2 points per game and leads the team averaging 2.5 assists per game...He reached double figures in scoring in four consecutive games and has five double-figure scoring games on the year
DEFENSIVE TOUGHNESS: Cleveland State has turned in some outstanding defensive efforts during the course of the first half of the season...The Vikings have held eight of its first 13 opponents under 45.6 percent shooting in a game and held six opponents under 40.4 percent shooting...Cleveland State held Eastern Kentucky to just 25.5 percent shooting from the floor...The Vikings limited UNC Wilmington to 27.3 percent shooting...Cleveland State held Edinboro to 28.3 percent shooting
WE STEAL A LOT: Cleveland State has reached double figures in steals in five different games...The Vikings recorded a season-high 15 steals against DePaul...Cleveland State had 12 steals in the win over Robert Morris and 10 steals each against Edinboro, Florida International and Bowling Green
WHAT A COMEBACK: Cleveland State turned in a brilliant second-half comeback against DePaul in the Wolstein Center...The Vikings trailed by 16 points on two occasions in the first half, but rallied to tie the game midway through the second half...Cleveland State trailed by just one point with just over three minutes to play in regulation...The Cleveland State fans gave the Vikings a standing ovation at the conclusion of the game
