GAME PREVIEW:
• Cleveland State continues Horizon League road action by traveling to IUPUI and UIC on Thursday, Jan. 10, and Saturday, Jan. 12.
• This marks the final two games of a four-game conference road trip which previously included stops at Milwaukee and Green Bay.
• IUPUI is 9-7 overall and 1-2 in the Horizon League. The Jags lost at Northern Kentucky and Wright State and won on the road at UIC.
• UIC is 7-9 overall and 1-2 in league play. The Flames defeated Wright State in overtime to open Horizon League play.
• Both games will be broadcast live on AM 1420 with Al Pawlowski calling the action.
• The IUPUI game will air on ESPN3 with the UIC game streaming on ESPN+. Both games will be on the ESPN app.
THE IUPUI SERIES:
• This will be the fifth all-time meeting between these teams.
• The two teams split the season series last year, which marked the first games for the two teams since the 2002-03 season.
• CSU defeated the Jags 70-67 last season in Cleveland behind 23 points from Kenny Carpenter.
THE UIC SERIES:
• This will be the 84th all-time meeting between these teams.
• The Vikings have won seven of the past 10 meetings between the two teams, which includes a split of the two games last year.
• Tyree Apleby poured in 25 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the floor to lead four players in double figures in scoring as the Vikings toped the Flames 86-78 last season in Chicago.
GAME 16: MILWAUKEE 83, CSU 76 (1/3/19):
• Milwaukee shot 60 percent from the floor and scored 55 points in the second half to rally past CSU.
• CSU limited Milwaukee to 40 percent shooting from the floor in the first half and took a 38-28 lead into halftime.
• Tyree Appleby scored 33 points on 9-of-16 shooting, including 7-of-12 from the three-point line, to lead the Vikings.
• Three Vikings finished in double figures.
• Algevon Eichelberger and Tyree Appleby each collected seven boards.
GAME 17: GREEN BAY 90, CSU 89 (1/5/19):
• Green Bay closed the game on a 24-8 run to overcome a 15-point deficit to defeat the Vikings.
• CSU outscored Green Bay 46-23 to build a 79-63 lead with 6:08 to play in the game.
• Tyree Appleby scored 27 points, including 21 in the second half, to lead CSU.
• Cleveland State scored 57 points in the second half and shot 51.4 percent from the floor.
• Rashad Williams scored 15 points, while Deante Johnson had eight points and a career-best 10 rebounds.
COOLING DOWN ROCKETS...
• Toledo is shooting 47.4% from the field in all other games, but the Vikings held the Rockets to a 38.7% mark from the floor.
• At the time, it marked the lowest field goal percentage by a CSU opponent in the Vikings' last 35 regular-season games vs. DI foes.
...AND THEN FOLLOWING IT UP VS. FALCONS...
• CSU then bettered that effort in its next game, holding Bowling Green to 32.9% shooting from the floor.
• The Vikings held Bowling Green to 64 points and 23 field goals.
...AND EAGLES:
• In its final non-conference game, the Vikings held Niagara to 60 points, a season low for the Purple Eagles.
• CSU held NU to 32.4% shooting and 22 field goals, both lows for CSU opponents this season.
• The Vikings also held Niagara to 18.5% shooting from distance, the lowest figure by a CSU foe since the 2016-17 regular-season finale.
IN SUMMARY:
• CSU held five of its seven opponents in December to under 41% shooting from the field and held four of seven below 39%.
HE SHOOTS, HE SCORES
• Tyree Appleby has reached double figures in scoring in 11 straight games entering the weekend, a career long streak.
• Appleby had 15+ points in seven of the final nine games in 2018 and has 11 such efforts this season.
• Appleby had a career-high 37 points Dec. 5 vs. Bowling Green.
• Appleby poured in 33 points at Milwaukee and also had seven rebounds and six assists
• Appleby is averaging 30 ppg, 4.5 reb., and 6.5 assists in the last two games.
HE PASSES, THEY SCORE
• Tyree Appleby had a career-high 10 assists Dec. 9 to notch his first double-double as a collegian as he finished with 12 points.
• He has at least six assists in eight of the past 11 games.
• Appleby is averaging 5.4 assists and is tied with Tarkus Ferguson of UIC for the Horizon League lead.
• His career-long streak of 13 straight games with a steal was broken Dec. 30 vs. Detroit Mercy.
SEVENTH HEAVEN:
• Rashad Williams had a breakout performance Dec. 16 at Illinois State, scoring a season-high 25 points.
• He was 8-of-12 from the floor and 7-of-11 from three, with his seven made three-pointers breaking the CSU freshman record.
• Williams had 20 points on the opening weekend of HL play.
• He hit double figures in four of his final five games of 2018.
THAT'S FOUL:
• Cleveland State has committed fewer fouls than the opposition in 11 games this season.
• A player on the opposing team has fouled out in five games while a Viking has yet to foul out in 2018-19.
VIKINGS FOR THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE:
• Cleveland State set a single-game school record with 15 made three-pointers Dec. 5 vs. Bowling Green.
• The Vikings had tied the previous record of 14 in four games last season but surpassed that standard against the Falcons.
• The large magnitude of three's did not come at the expense of efficiency as CSU shot 50% from distance in the game (15-for-30).
• Six Vikings contributed to the record with Tyree Appleby's seven treys and Stefan Kenic's four triples leading the way.
• CSU followed up the record-breaking effort with 13 threes and hit 10+ threes in five of the final eight games in 2018.
• CSU was a combined 24-for-55 in road games at Milwaukee and Green Bay last weekend.
• CSU ranks 22nd in the nation making 9.9 three-pointer's per game
NOT OVER THE HILL:
• Junior college transfer Jaalam Hill is shooting 56.1% from the floor (69-for-123).
• Hill had 13 points in each of the first two HL games and just missed a double-double against Oakland by adding nine rebounds.
• Hill tied his season high of 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting at DePaul, including hitting a pair of threes, when he made his first start of the season (11/28).
• Hill had a team season-high 12 rebounds Dec. 16 at Illinois State, two games after he collected 11 boards vs. Bowling Green (12/5).
• Reached double figures in scoring in a season-best four straight games against Niagara, Oakland, Detroit Mercy and Milwaukee
• Hill is averaging 9.2 points and a team-leading 6.6 rebounds for the season.
• Hill has nine double-figuring scoring games this season.
KASH IS MONEY:
• Kasheem Thomas has shown improvement in a number of areas in his third season.
• Thomas entered the season shooting 28% from three in his career but shot 44.4% from distance over the first 17 games of this season.
• He tied his career high of six made field goals Dec. 19 vs. Niagara.
• He tied his career high of three triples Dec. 9 vs. Notre Dame (Ohio).
• Thomas is also averaging career bests in rebounds (3.6) & assist-to-turnover ratio (1.9).
• Thomas hit double figures in scoring in four of the final eight games of 2018, including a 10-point, five-rebound, five-assist effort vs. Detroit Mercy (12/30).
LOCKING DOWN THE PERIMETER:
• Cleveland State held Toledo to an 8-for-34 mark on three-pointers in its Dec. 1 game.
• The Rockets' 23.5% mark from deep is their lowest in their past 41 regular-season games.
• That effort against the Rockets was part of a stretch that saw CSU hold its final seven non-conference opponents below 30% shooting from three-point range.
• CSU's first six non-conference opponents shot a combined 34% from beyond the arc while the last seven combined to shoot 24% from distance.
• Oakland broke CSU's stretch of holding foes below 30% from deep, but the Vikings rebounded by holding Detroit Mercy to 28% from distance.
• CSU has hit 10+ threes 10 times this season while its opponents have done it three times.
• CSU is among the top 45 in DI in three-point field goal percentage defense (.292).
TYREE'S TERRIFIC HALF
• Tyree Appleby had a then career-high 28 points in the home opener against Kent State.
• All 28 of his points came in the second half as he shot 5-of-8 from three in the frame with the five three's being a then career high.
• It was the first of nine games this season in which he had double digits points in the second half alone and one of two where he scored 25+ in the second half.
TYREE'S CAREER NIGHT:
• Tyree Appleby had a memorable effort Dec. 5 vs. Bowling Green as he flirted with a triple double.
• He finished with career highs in points (37) and rebounds (8) while also adding eight assists against just two turnovers.
• Appleby's large output came on just 19 field goal attempts as he went 13-for-19 from the floor, including 7-of-9 from deep.
• Appleby's 37 points are the most by a Viking since Norris Cole had 41 vs. Youngstown State in February 2011.
WE'LL TAKE 'EM, THEY'RE FREE:
• Cleveland State took 319 free throws through 15 games, a mark that ranks among the top 41 in Division I.
• Tyree Appleby leads the team with 99 attempts, having taken 27.9% of CSU's attempts.
DETERMINED ON DEFENSE:
• In their first 30 games under head coach Dennis Felton, the Vikings allowed their opponent to shoot 45% or higher on 17 occasions, including 50% or higher on 12 occasions.
• In the last 22 games dating back to last season, CSU has held 15 opponents under 45% from the field and 18 of 22 foes under 50% from the floor.
• CSU's opponents have shot a combined 42.3% in this stretch (595-for-1,406).
STEF STEPPING UP:
• After scoring a combined six points in the first two games, Stefan Kenic stepped up his scoring output.
• Kenic scored 10+ in 11 of the final 13 games of 2018.
• Kenic made a career-high four three's twice in the month of December, scoring 15 points vs. BG (12/5) and 18 vs. NDC (12/9).
• He tied his career high with 19 points against SCSU (11/16).
• He added 15 points and six rebounds vs. Samford, including making a career-high eight free throws (11/18).
• Kenic had a team-high 13 points at Ohio State (11/23) and then had 11 points & a career-high tying eight rebounds at DePaul (11/28).
• Kenic has taken 136 field goal attempts in the last 14 games after having only 11 in the opening three games.
SHARING THE SCORING LOAD:
• Cleveland State had five players reach double figures in scoring Dec. 19 against Niagara, the fourth such occasion this season.
• Tyree Appleby, Jaalam Hill and Stefan Kenic have been a part of the group of 5+ in double figures on each of those occasions.
WEEKLY HONORS BACK TO BACK:
• Tyree Appleby earned HL Player of the Week honors Dec. 10.
• He became the first Viking to earn that honor since 2014-15.
• Rashad Williams earned HL Freshman of the Week Dec. 17.
• Williams joined Appleby as active Vikings to win that honor.
FOR THREE:
• CSU enters the weekend with a school record streak of 649 straight games with a three-pointer.
• The Vikings have hit at least three three's in 198 straight games.
• 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.
FOR THREE, PART TWO
• The Vikings set a single-season school record for three-pointers made (294) and threes attempted (863) in 2017-18, breaking the old records of 247 makes and 709 attempts.
• CSU tied the previous single-game school record of 14 three pointers made in four different games last year.
FOR THREE, PART THREE
• CSU is on pace to finish the regular season with 307 three's, which would break last season's school record.
• CSU is among the top 15 in Division I with its 145 made three-pointers this season.
BETTER ON THE (OFFENSIVE) BOARDS:
• Cleveland State grabbed just eight offensive rebounds combined in its opening two games this season.
• In the past 15 games, the Vikings have combined for 175 offensive rebounds, grabbing at least 12 on eight occasions.
• The Vikings collected a season-high 18 offensive rebounds at Green Bay.
BOOST OFF THE BENCH:
• CSU's bench has outscored its opponents in 14 of 17 games.
• CSU has a 422-282 advantage in bench points on the year, an average of 8.2 points better per game.
• Rashad Williams leads the team with 162 bench points.
• CSU's bench outscored its foes in just 14 of 35 games last season.
CALL IT A CSU COMEBACK:
• CSU rallied from an 11-point deficit in its Dec. 5 win over BG.
• It marked the first double-digit comeback for CSU under Dennis Felton in a regular-season game. However, the Vikings did have two such comebacks in the Horizon League Tournament last year.
• It was also the largest comeback in a regular-season game for CSU since Jan. 16, 2016.
FELTON HITS MILESTONE:
• Head coach Dennis Felton won his 200th career game Dec. 9.
• Felton is in his second season at the helm for CSU.
• Felton's first Viking squad featured six seniors he inherited that completed their final season of eligibility last year.
• Felton was named the 15th head coach in program history on March 24, 2017.
EIGHT MAKE CSU DEBUT:
• Eight Vikings have seen action this season that are playing their first season for CSU.
• Seven of the eight also made their NCAA debut this season, including six true freshmen.
• Seth Millner is the lone freshman to start a contest this season. He joins junior Jaalam Hill and sophomore Algevon Eichelberger as the Viking newcomers to start this year.
LEAGUE WORK:
• Tyree Appleby is averaging 22.8 points per game through four Horizon League contests to lead the team
• Rashad Williams is second on the team scoring 11.5 points per game in league play
• Jaalam Hill is also averaging in double figures in scoring in conference play at 11.3 points per outing
• Seth Millner tops the Vikings in rebounding in Horizon League play averaging 6.0 per contest
• Jaalam Hill is shooting 58.8 (20-for-34) percent from the floor in conference action.
• Tyree Appleby is averaging 5.5 assists per game through four conference contests.
CLOSE AND LATE:
• After going 2-5 in its first seven one-possession games last season, Cleveland State won its final six games of the season that were decided by one possession or went to overtime, including two in the Horizon League Tournament.
• CSU's first one-possession game of this season was Nov. 25, when it dropped an 82-79 decision to Purdue Fort Wayne, ending its six-game winning streak in such contests.
• CSU fell in overtime Dec. 16 at Illinois State to move to 1-1 under Dennis Felton in overtime games.
DOUBLE THE FUN:
• True freshman Seth Millner had a breakout game vs. Purdue Fort Wayne, registering his first collegiate double-double.
• Millner had season highs in points (22) and rebounds (10).
• He hit 6-of-11 from the floor and 8-of-11 from the line.
• Millner has five double-figure scoring games on the season.
UP NEXT:
• CSU opens a three-game homestand on Jan. 17 against Northern Kentucky. The Vikings will also face Wright State (Jan. 19) and Youngstown State (Jan. 26) at Wolstein Arena.
