SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State men's basketball team will close out its current seven-game homestand on Saturday, December 4, hosting Wright State at 3:00 p.m. to continue #HLMBB play. Entering Saturday's game, the Vikings are 5-2 overall this season and 1-0 in league play, while Wright State is currently 2-5 on the year and 1-0 against league opponents.

A WIN ON SATURDAY WOULD…
Give the Vikings six straight wins…Keep the Vikings perfect in #HLMBB play, and during the month of December…Put Cleveland State at 36-31 during Dennis Gates' tenure.

THE CLEVELAND STATE/WRIGHT STATE SERIES
Saturday's game will be the 78th meeting between the two teams, with Wright State owning a 42-35 record in the all-time series. Last season, the teams split the two meetings, with the Vikings earning a 66-64 victory in the first game of the weekend series, and the Raiders posting an 85-49 victory in the second game of the series. Last year's 66-64 win over Wright State marked the first win for the Vikings against the Raiders since the 2017-18 season.

SCOUTING THE RAIDERS
Wright State enters Saturday's game standing at 2-5 overall this season and 1-0 in #HLMBB play…The Raiders opened their league slate with an 86-73 victory at Purdue Fort Wayne on Thursday, snapping a five-game losing skid…Earlier this season, the Raiders were selected to finish second in the Horizon League Preseason Poll, while Grant Basile was named Preseason First Team, and Tanner Holden was named Preseason Second Team…Wright State currently leads the league averaging 75.3 points per game, while Holden ranks third individually averaging 21.9 points per game.

CLEVELAND STATE IN THE HORIZON LEAGUE
The Vikings, who will be playing in their 28th season of Horizon League play, entered the 2021-22 #HLMBB season as the defending Regular Season Champions after posting a 16-4 regular season record against league opponents last year. Under head coach Dennis Gates, the Vikings now own a 24-15 record in regular season Horizon League games, and won a program-best 16 league games a year ago. 

…1-0 START TO #HLMBB PLAY
Cleveland State is off to a 1-0 start in league play after picking up a 72-58 victory over Northern Kentucky last time out. This marked the second time under head coach Dennis Gates that the Vikings were victorious in their league opener, while it marked the first time in program history that CSU was facing the Norse in its #HLMBB opener.

CLEVELAND STATE TABBED #HLMBB PRESEASON FAVORITES
Earlier this season, the Vikings were selected as the favorites in the Horizon League Preseason Poll - picking up 502 points along with 30 first place votes. Last season, the Vikings finished regular season play with a 16-4 record to clinch the top seed in the #HLMBB Tournament where they picked up a trio of wins against Purdue Fort Wayne, Milwaukee and Oakland to claim the 2020-21 Horizon League Championship. In addition to the Vikings, Wright State (9), Northern Kentucky (1), Milwaukee (2), and Detroit Mercy (2) also picked up first place votes in this year's poll.

VIKINGS EXTEND WIN STREAK TO FIVE GAMES
With the 72-58 victory over Northern Kentucky last time out, Cleveland State extended its current win streak to five straight games, picking up wins against Edinboro, Canisius, Coppin State, Penn State Behrend, and NKU during this stretch. This marks just the second time that the Vikings have won five straight games during head coach Dennis Gates' tenure, while the five-game win streak is a league-high so far this year.

HOME-SWEET-HOME
Saturday's game against Wright State will mark the seventh and final game of a current seven-game homestand for the Vikings, as Cleveland State has had the benefit of playing in the friendly confines of the Wolstein Center over the last three weeks. Under head coach Dennis Gates, the Vikings are 20-11 when playing at home, including a 9-2 record last season and a 5-1 mark so far this year.

PATTON NOTCHES ANOTHER 20-POINT GAME
Last time out, Torrey Patton once again led the Viking offense, posting his second 20-point game of the year after finishing right on the number against NKU. Patton shot 46-percent from the floor on the game, going 7-for-15 from the field. After Thursday's 20-point game against the Norse, Patton is now leading the Viking offense averaging 13.5 points per game. 

CLEVELAND STATE SPREADING OUT THE OFFENSE
Entering Saturday's game against Wright State, Cleveland State has recorded 112 total assists on the season - one of just two league teams to eclipse the 100-assist mark on the year. The Vikings have posted 10 or more assists in all seven games so far this season, including 22 assists on 27 made field goals against NKU last time out. Through the first seven games, 12 Vikings have recorded at least one assist, led by Deshon Parker who has a team-high 24 total assists on the year.

VIKINGS FORCING THE TURNOVER
Through the first seven games of the 2021-22 campaign Cleveland State has forced its opponents into 106 combined turnovers - 12+ against all seven opponents -  leading all Horizon League teams with a 4.14 turnover margin. Last time out, the Vikings forced Northern Kentucky into 14 turnovers. As a team, Cleveland State leads the league with a 1.45 assist/turnover margin, led by Deshon Parker with a 3.0 assist/turnover margin (24 assists, 8 turnovers).

DEANTE JOHNSON CLOSING IN ON 100 GAMES PLAYED AT CSU
Senior Deante Johnson is closing in on becoming the first active Viking to play in 100 career games at Cleveland State, notching his 95th appearance last time out against NKU. Johnson has played in all but two games during his collegiate career, and has picked up a spot in the starting lineup 41 times - including every game over the last two seasons.

HEAD COACH DENNIS GATES
The Vikings will be under the direction of third-year head coach and reigning back-to-back #HLMBB Coach of the Year Dennis Gates. Through his first two seasons, Gates has led the Vikings to a 35-31 overall reecord, including a 19-8 mark last season when the Vikings captured the Horizon League Tournament title and earned the program's third trip to the NCAA Tournament.

UP NEXT
Cleveland State will have a week off from competition, returning to action when they travel to Oklahoma State on Monday, December 13.