SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State men's basketball team will open a two-game roadswing on Friday, January 28, traveling to Wright State for a 9:00 p.m. nationally televised game. Cleveland State enters Friday's game standing at 13-4 overall this year and 9-1 in league play, while Wright State is currently 11-9 on the year and 8-3 against league opponents.

A WIN ON FRIDAY WOULD…
Give the Vikings four straight wins for the third time this season…Improve CSU to 3-0 in #HLMBB road games this year…Give the Vikings the season sweep over Wright State…Put Cleveland State at 44-33 during Dennis Gates' tenure.

THE CLEVELAND STATE/WRIGHT STATE SERIES
Friday's game will mark the 79th meeting between the two teams, with Wright State  owning a 42-36 record in the all-time series. Earlier this year, the Vikings picked up an 85-75 win over Wright State at home, and have won two out of the last three matchups.

…THE FIRST TIME AROUND
In the first meeting earlier this season, Cleveland State picked up an 85-75 victory over the Raiders in their second #HLMBB contest of the year. As a team, Cleveland State shot 55-percent from the floor, with five Vikings finishing in double-figures. The Vikings recorded 22 assists, while also notching 10 steals. Cleveland State's bench accounted for 37 of its points, marking one of 10 games this season that the Viking bench has posted 20+ points.

SCOUTING THE RAIDERS
Wright State enters Friday's contest with an 11-9 overall record this season, including an 8-3 mark against league opponents…Most recently, the Raiders dropped a 73-63 decision at Northern Kentucky on Tuesday - a game that was rescheduled from earlier this month…Friday's game against the Vikings will start a four-game homestand for Wright State, a place where the Raiders are 6-1 so far this year…Wright State currently sits third in the #HLMBB standings with its 8-3 record in league play…Among Horizon League teams, the Raiders rank second in scoring (75.8 ppg) and field goal percentage (.465), while Tanner Holden (20.7 ppg) and Grant Basile (9.0 rpg) rank second in their respective individual categories.

LAST TIME OUT…
The Vikings picked up their third straight win with a 75-68 victory over Robert Morris. Cleveland State was once again able to overcome a second half deficit, gaining control of the game midway through the second half. The Vikings shot 45-percent from the floor, while D'Moi Hodge (22 pts) and Torrey Patton (21) both recorded 20-point games - marking the first time this season that two Vikings have posted 20+ points in the same game.

VIKINGS MAINTAIN FIRST PLACE STANDING IN #HLMBB
With the 75-68 victory over Robert Morris last time out, the Vikings maintained their hold on first place in the #HLMBB standings, owning a 9-1 record against league opponents this season. Sitting behind the Vikings in the standings as of Wednesday, January 26 are Oakland (8-1) and Wright State (8-3), with Oakland representing Cleveland State's lone loss in league play this year.

#HLMBB PLAY OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS
Throughout the last two years, Cleveland State has combined for a 25-5 regular season record against league opponents, including a 10-2 mark when playing on the road. If you include #HLMBB Tournament play, the Vikings have won 18 of their last 21 matchups entering Friday's game against the Raiders. 

ON THE ROAD AGAIN
For just the fifth time this season the Vikings will be playing away from the friendly confines of the Wolstein Center, as Friday's game at Wright State will be just the third #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 third straight road win after picking up victories at RMU and Youngstown State earlier this month.

HODGE LEADING THE VIKING OFFENSE
For the fifth time this season D'Moi Hodge tallied 20+ points, finishing with 22 points last time out against Robert Morris. Hodge, who leads the team and ranks seventh among #HLMBB players averaging 15.6 points per game, has notched double-digit points in all but three games this season. 

…PATTON FOLLOWS SUIT
For the first time this season the Vikings had two players finish with 20+ points against RMU last time out, as Torrey Patton notched 21 points for his fourth 20-point game of the year. So far this year, Patton is averaging 13.2 points per game, while also leading the Vikings with 65 total assists. With his 21 points against the Colonials, Patton eclipsed 1,000 Division I points, including 910 as a Viking and 107 during one season at Akron.

JOHNSON ON THE BOARDS
Last time out, senior Deante Johnson recorded his 500th career rebound, grabbing five boards against RMU. For the season, Johnson has collected a team-best 111 total rebounds, averaging 6.5 boards per game. Johnson has recorded three double-digit rebounding performances so far this year, including a career-high 14 boards against Oakland earlier this month. 

CLEVELAND STATE ON THE OFFENSIVE END
Entering Friday's game against Wright State, Cleveland State continues to lead the league shooting 46-percent from the floor, including a .450 clip or better in nine of its last 12 games. Last time out, the Vikings posted a .451 clip from the floor against YSU, including a .500 clip during the second half when they went 13-for-26 from the field.

…CLEVELAND STATE SPREADING OUT THE OFFENSE
Cleveland State has tallied 15+ assists in 11 of its 17 games so far this season, including 20+ assists on six occasions. Through the first part of the 2021-22 campaign, the Vikings are averaging a league-best 16.82 assists per game, and have 286 total assists on the year. So far this season, 13 Vikings have recorded at least one assist, led by Torrey Patton with 65 assists and Deshon Parker with 55 assists on the year. 

COLLEGEINSIDER.COM MID-MAJOR POLL
For the third straight week, Cleveland State entered the week ranked in the top-25 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major poll, currently sitting at No. 16 in the most recent poll released on Monday, January 24. The Vikings are one of three Horizon League teams to be mentioned this week, joining Oakland (No. 15) and Wright State (RV).

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 81-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 15 games, and senior transfer Broc Finstuen is one of the top offensive threats on the team averaging 7.5 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 43-33 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 continue the weekend roadswing at Northern Kentucky on Sunday, January 30.