SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State men's basketball team will return to action this week, hosting Purdue Fort Wayne on Thursday, December 30. Thursday's game will be the first contest for the Vikings in 17 days, as they were last in action at Oklahoma State on Monday, December 13. Cleveland State enters Thursday's contest standing at 6-3 overall this year and 2-0 in league play, while Purdue Fort Wayne is currently 5-5 on the year and 1-1 against league opponents.

FREE ADMISSION FOR ALL
Thursday's game will be FREE for all to attend, with no tickets required (general admission seating, except for courtside seats). Doors will open at 6:00 p.m., and fans must enter through the Medical Mutual Gate located at Prospect & E. 21st. 

A WIN ON THURSDAY WOULD…
Put the Vikings back in the win column…Keep the Vikings perfect in #HLMBB play this season…Extend Cleveland State's win streak inside the Wolstein Center to seven straight games…Put Cleveland State at 37-32 during Dennis Gates' tenure.

THE CLEVELAND STATE/PURDUE FORT WAYNE SERIES
Thursday's game will mark the ninth meeting between the two teams, with Cleveland State owning a 6-2 record in the all-time series. Last year, the two teams faced each other five times due to rescheduling, with the Vikings going 4-1 against Purdue Fort Wayne on the year. The last meeting between the two teams came in the #HLMBB Quarterfinals, with the Vikings claiming a 108-104 triple overtime victory.

SCOUTING THE MASTODONS
Purdue Fort Wayne enters the week with a 5-5 record on the year, including a 1-1 mark against league opponents…During the first week of #HLMBB play, the Mastodons picked up a 71-57 victory over Northern Kentucky and fell to Wright State…Purdue Fort Wayne was last in action on December 11, when the Mastodons earned a 78-65 victory over Southeast Missouri State…The Mastodons currently rank second among league teams in scoring (73.5) and turnover margin (2.10)…Earlier this season, Purdue Fort Wayne was selected to finish ninth in the Horizon League Preseason Poll, while Jarred Godfrey earned a spot on the Preseason Second Team.

NEW OPPONENT, SAME DATE
After having to cancel this week's original #HLMBB matchups at IUPUI and UIC due to COVID-19 implications within both programs, the Vikings were able to secure a new opponent in Purdue Fort Wayne. Both games against IUPUI and UIC will be deemed No Contests, while Thursday's matchup against the Mastodons will count towards Cleveland State's Horizon League record.

LAST TIME OUT…
The Vikings dropped a 98-93 overtime contest at Oklahoma State, playing away from home for just the second time this season. The loss against the Cowboys snapped a six-game win streak for the Vikings, while it marked Cleveland State's first loss during the month of December. Four Vikings finished with double-digit points, led by D'Moi Hodge with 31, while Cleveland State finished with a season-high 23 assists.

VIKINGS RETURN TO #HLMBB PLAY
Cleveland State will return to Horizon League play on Thursday, looking to stay perfect in #HLMBB play and improve to 3-0. Entering the second week of league play, Cleveland State is tied for the top spot in the league standings, while a win against the Mastodons on Thursday would put the Vikings at 3-0 in league play for the second straight season under head coach Dennis Gates.

…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. 

HODGE RECORDS 30-POINT GAME AT OKLAHOMA STATE
D'Moi Hodge led the Viking offense against Oklahoma State last time out, finishing with a season-high 31 points on an 11-for-22 performance from the field. This marked Hodge's first 30-point game of the season, and the second of his CSU career. Hodge converted four three-pointers on the game, while also going 5-for-5 from the free throw line, and was responsible for five of Cleveland State's final eight points over the last 2:03 of regulation that helped force the game into overtime.

…NAMED #HLMBB PLAYER OF THE WEEK
For his efforts, Hodge was named the #HLMBB Player of the Week on Monday, December 20, claiming the first weekly honor for the Vikings this season. This marked the second Player of the Week accolade for Hodge during his Cleveland State career, picking up his first honor almost exactly one-year prior on December 21, 2020.

FINSTUEN NOTCHES FIRST DOUBLE-DOUBLE AT CSU
Last time out, senior transfer Broc Finstuen notched his first double-double at Cleveland State, finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds at Oklahoma State. Finstuen tallied season-highs in both points and rebounds, while he is now one of just two Vikings with a 19-point game and 10-rebound game on the year (Torrey Patton). For the season, Finstuen ranks third on the team averaging 9.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.

CLEVELAND STATE SPREADING OUT THE OFFENSE
Cleveland State has tallied 20+ assists in each of its last three games, finishing with a season-high 23 against Oklahoma State last time out, and notching 22 against both Northern Kentucky and Wright State. Through the first nine games, the Vikings are averaging a league-best 17.44 assists per game, and have posted 10 or more assists in all nine games. So far this season, 13 Vikings have recorded at least one assist, led by Deshon Parker and Torrey Patton who both have a team-high 29 total assists on the year.

VIKINGS FORCING THE TURNOVER
Through the first nine games of the 2021-22 campaign Cleveland State has forced its opponents into 139 combined turnovers - 12+ against all nine opponents -  leading all Horizon League teams with a 3.56 turnover margin. Last time out, the Vikings forced Oklahoma State into 18 turnovers. As a team, Cleveland State leads the league with a 1.47 assist/turnover margin, led by Deshon Parker with a 2.6 assist/turnover margin (29 assists, 11 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 97th appearance last time out at Oklahoma State. Johnson has played in all but two games during his collegiate career, and has picked up a spot in the starting lineup 43 times - including every game over the last two seasons.

BUILDING MOMENTUM
Entering the 2021-22 campaign, Cleveland State welcomed back 14 letterwinners - including all five starters - from last season's team that captured Horizon League Regular Season and Tournament championships. The Vikings returned 93-percent of their offense from a year ago, with the group accounting for 78-percent of CSU's offense so far this season.

…AND WELCOMING FRESH FACES
In addition to the strong returning core, Cleveland State also welcomed five new Vikings for the 2021-22 campaign, including four transfers. Two of these newcomers have had an immediate impact for the Vikings, as senior transfer Deshon Parker has appeared in the starting lineup for the last seven games, and senior transfer Broc Finstuen ranks third on the team averaging 9.8 points per game. 

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 three seasons, Gates has led the Vikings to a 36-32 overall record, 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 one of its busiest stretches of the 2021-22 campaign, playing three games over five days, beginning when the Vikings host Purdue Fort Wayne on Wednesday, January 5.