All-Time vs. Green Bay:34-51
Last Meeting: 2/20/22 79-67 W
Tickets: csuvikings.com
Radio: 1350 AM The Gambler
TV: ESPN+
SETTING THE SCENE
Cleveland State continues league play with the second game of a two game home weekend in the Horizon League. Green Bay returns to the Wolstein Center for a Saturday afternoon league matchup. Both teams are looking to rebound after tough losses on Thursday night. The Vikings dropped a 68-64 overtime thriller to Milwaukee, and the Phoenix fell on the road at Purdue Fort Wayne, 79-69.
THE CLEVELAND STATE/GREEN BAY SERIES
Saturday's game is the 86th all-time meeting between Cleveland State and Green Bay. The Vikings trail in the overall series 51-34, but have won the last four. The series dates back to 1982. CSU swept both matchups last season, winning 85-69 in Cleve- land and 79-67 in Green Bay. Jayson Woodrich and Yahel Hill each had big games in the two contests last season, with both going for 15 points in separate games to help propel the Vikings to victory.
VIKINGS DEFEAT ROBERT MORRIS TO MOVE TO 3-1 IN #HLMBB PLAY
Cleveland State defeated Robert Morris on Saturday to move to 3-1 in conference play. The Vikings got contributions from the entire rotation in the 63-54 win. Tristan Enaruna led the way with 18 points, followed by Deshon Parker with 14. The Vikings held RMU to just 18-percent from three-point range. CSU trailed just once, 2-0 at the start of the game, and held the Colonials at bay the rest of the way.
VIKINGS DOWN DETROIT MERCY TO CAP 2-0 WEEKEND
Cleveland State defeated Detroit Mercy 92-77 to move to 2-0 in Horizon League play. 92 points is the highest scoring output of the season for Cleveland State, and the Vikes shot 50-percent from the floor and 45-percent from three in the win. Tae Williams had a monster game, finishing with 23 points and 10 rebounds for his first career double-double. Both numbers are season highs for the Junior from Chicago, Illinois.
SCOUTING THE PHOENIX
Green Bay is 2-14 and 1-4 in the Horizon League coming into Saturday's game. The Phoenix dropped a 79-69 decision to Purdue Fort Wayne on Thursday night. Green Bay defeated IUPUI on December 5th for its first league win of the season. The Phoenix have yet to win a road game so far this season. Green Bay is led by Will Ryan, who is in his third season in charge. Ryan is the son of legendary Wisconsin Badgers Head Coach Bo Ryan.
VIKINGS FALL TO MILWAUKEE IN OVERTIME
Cleveland State dropped a heartbreaker to Milwaukee on Thursday, 68-64 in overtime. The Vikings had a lead as high as nine points in the second half, but Milwaukee fought back to take a one point lead late. CSU responded and held a three point lead with under 30 seconds to play, until a last second three-pointer by Milwaukee's BJ Freeman tied the game and forced the extra session. The Panthers scored the last eight points of overtime to hang on for the road victory. Tristan Enaruna led the way for the Vikes with 16 points, and Tae Williams registered his second double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds.
GETTING IT DONE ON DEFENSE
Throughout the early going of the season, Cleveland State has found success defensively. The Vikings are holding opponents to an average of 65 points per game, which is third in the Horizon League. CSU ranks third in opponent field goal percentage, at .413, and ranks third in opponent three-point percentage, holding opposing teams to just 30-percent from long range.
COACH ROBINSON ANNOUNCES COACHING STAFF
Head Coach Daniyal Robinson has assembled an experienced coaching staff in his first season at Cleveland State. Jermaine Henderson returns to CSU after previously serving as an assistant coach during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons under Gary Waters. Henderson most recently served as an assistant coach at Kansas State for the past five seasons. Travis Lewis is in his second season on staff at Cleveland State, after serving as Director of Video Operations under former head coach Dennis Gates last season. Jay Shunnar enters his first season as an assistant coach, after working in several capacities under John Belein at the University of Michigan and with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
VIKINGS FINISH 2-0 IN TURKEY SLAM - CLEVELAND STATE REGIONAL
Cleveland State went 2-0 in the Turkey Slam MTE hosted at the Wolstein Center this past week. The Vikings defeated Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Chicago State to run the winning streak to three. Jayson Woodrich was named the MVP of the invitational, after scoring in double figures in both contests. Woodrich had 12 points each in the two games, shooting at a 50-percent clip from three in the two contests. Tristan Enaruna was also named to the all-tournament team.
VIKINGS DEFEAT CANISIUS, EARN FIRST WIN UNDER COACH ROBINSON
Cleveland State picked up its first win of the 2022-23 season with a hard fought, 58-57 overtime win against Canisius last Wednesday. Cleveland State started fast, jumping out to a double digit lead in the first half, but had to withstand a surge by Canisius in the second half. The Golden Griffins battled back, and eventually tied the game at 53, sending it to overtime. Cleveland State scored first in the extra session and held on for the victory. Four of the five starters in the contest for the Vikings finished in double figures, led by Tristan Enaruna who finished with a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds. The win marked the first for Head Coach Daniyal Robinson in his career.
ENARUNA IMPRESSIVE TO START 2022-23
Transfer forward Tristan Enaruna has gotten off to a good start in a Viking uniform. Enaruna had a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds in the opener against Notre Dame College, and followed that up with another double figure scoring performance with 15 against Cincinnati. He recorded another double-double against Canisius, finishing with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and fell a point shy of another against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Enaruna has scored in double figures three straight times, including back-to-back 18 point outings this past weekend against Youngstown State and Robert Morris.
PARKER DROPPING DIMES
Deshon Parker has been a great facilitator for Cleveland State through the early going of the regular season. So far, Parker has totaled 76 assists. He had a career-high 11 in the opener against Notre Dame College. His average of 4.8 assists per game is tied for second in the Horizon League, and his assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.4 also ranks second in the league.
SHARING THE ROCK
Through five games, Cleveland State leads the league in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.33. The Vikings also sit in second place with an average of 13.8 assists per contest.
WILLIAMS RISES TO THE OCCASION
Tae Williams has been a key to the Vikings' success in the early going of the regular season. Williams registered a season-high 23 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Detroit Mercy. Williams is averaging 10 points per game and has scored in double figures nine times so far this season, including four of the last five games. He registered his second double-double with 13 points and a season-high 13 rebounds on Thursday against Milwaukee.
LOWDER LIGHTS IT UP
Drew Lowder has been a spark plug off the bench for the Vikings of late. Lowder had a stretch of three of five games where he scored in double figures, including a season-high 16 points in the win over Oakland. He has scored in double figures in four of the last five games, including a season-high 18 against Mount St. Joseph.
UP NEXT
Cleveland State heads back on the road, taking on IUPUI on Saturday, January 24. Tip off is scheduled for noon.
