SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State men's basketball team will hit the road for the first time during Horizon League play this weekend, beginning with a 7:00 p.m. contest at Robert Morris on Friday, January 7. Cleveland State enters Friday's game standing at 8-3 overall this year and 4-0 in league play, while RMU is currently 2-11 on the year and 0-4 against league opponents.

A WIN ON FRIDAY WOULD…
Give the Vikings three straight wins…Keep the Vikings perfect in #HLMBB play this year…Mark the first road win of the season…Keep Cleveland State perfect during the month of January…Put Cleveland State at 39-32 during Dennis Gates' tenure.

THE CLEVELAND STATE/ROBERT MORRIS SERIES
Friday's game will mark the 16th meeting between the two teams, with Cleveland State owning an 8-7 advantage in the all-time series. After not playing RMU last year, Friday's contest will mark the first meeting between the two teams as Horizon League opponents. Cleveland State has been victorious in four of the last five meetings, including a 70-59 win against the Colonials in the last matchup during the 2019-20 campaign.

SCOUTING THE COLONIALS
Robert Morris enters Friday's game with a 2-11 record on the season, including an 0-4 mark in Horizon League play…Most recently, RMU dropped a 64-60 contest against Youngstown State, which opened a five-game homestand for the Colonials…The 2021-22 season marks the second year for RMU in the Horizon League, with the Colonials picked to finish 10th in this year's #HLMBB Preseason Poll…RMU enters the weekend as one of the more efficient teams in the league, ranking third with a .449 field goal percentage, while the Colonials also rank third in the league averaging 3.46 blocked shots per game.

LAST TIME OUT…
The Vikings picked up their second straight victory over Purdue Fort Wayne, earning a 65-58 victory against the Mastodons. Tre Gomillion led the Viking offense with 21 points, while Torrey Patton notched his second straight double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

VIKINGS REMAIN PERFECT IN #HLMBB PLAY
With the 65-58 victory over Purdue Fort Wayne last time out, Cleveland State remained perfect in #HLMBB play, improving to 4-0 this season. Entering the weekend, Cleveland State is one of three undefeated teams in #HLMBB action, while a win on Friday would put the Vikings at 5-0 in league play for the second straight season under head coach Dennis Gates.

…#HLMBB PLAY OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS
Throughout the last two years, Cleveland State has combined for a 20-4 regular season record against league opponents, including a 12-2 mark when playing at the Wolstein Center. If you include #HLMBB Tournament play, the Vikings have won eight straight against league opponents and 13 of their last 15 matchups. 

…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. 

ON THE ROAD AGAIN
For just the third time this season the Vikings will be playing away from the friendly confines of the Wolstein Center, as Friday's game at Robert Morris will be the first #HLMBB game on the road for the Vikings. Cleveland State, who opened the season playing nine of its first 11 games at home, will be trying for its first road win of the year, as the first two games away from home came at BYU (L, 69-59) and Oklahoma State (L, 98-93 OT).

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 99th appearance last time out against Purdue Fort Wayne. Johnson has played in all but two games during his collegiate career, and has picked up a spot in the starting lineup 45 times - including every game over the last two seasons.

GOMILLION RECORDS 20-POINT GAME AGAINST PFW
Senior Tre Gomillion posted his first 20-point game of the season against Purdue Fort Wayne last time out, finishing with a team-high 21 points against the Mastodons. Gomillion went 8-for-8 from the floor on the game, including a perfect 3-for-3 effort from behind-the-arc. Over the last two games, Gomillion is averaging 20.0 points per game, while shooting 80-percent from the floor (16-for-20).

PATTON NOTCHES SECOND STRAIGHT DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Last time out, Torrey Patton recorded his second straight double-double - and third of the season - finishing with 11 points and 10 rebounds against Purdue Fort Wayne. Patton, who is one of eight #HLMBB players with three or more double-doubles on the season, currently ranks in the top-20 in scoring (18th - 12.7 ppg) and rebounding (9th - 7.0 rpg).

CLEVELAND STATE SPREADING OUT THE OFFENSE
Through the first 11 games, the Vikings are averaging a league-best 16.82 assists per game, and have posted 10 or more assists in all 11 games. So far this season, 13 Vikings have recorded at least one assist, led by Torrey Patton with 40 and Deshon Parker with 31. Over the first part of the year, the Vikings have had three or more players score 10+ points during 10 games, including a pair of contests with five Vikings reaching double-figures.

VIKINGS FORCING THE TURNOVER
Through the first 11 games of the 2021-22 campaign Cleveland State has forced its opponents into 174 combined turnovers - 12+ against all nine opponents -  leading all Horizon League teams with a 3.91 turnover margin. Over the last two games, the Vikings have forced Purdue Fort Wayne into 35 turnovers, including 19 in Wednesday's matchup. As a team, Cleveland State leads the league with a 1.41 assist/turnover ratio.

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 nine games, and senior transfer Broc Finstuen ranks third on the team averaging 9.7 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 38-32 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 close out the weekend on Sunday, January 9, traveling to Youngstown State for a 2:00 p.m. contest.