All-Time vs. RMU: 8-2
Last Meeting: 12/31/22 63-54 W
Tickets: csuvikings.com
Radio: 1350 AM The Gambler
Play-By-Play: Ed Daugherty
TV: ESPN+/Bally Sports Great Lakes
Play-By-Play: Al Pawlowski, Jensen Lewis
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State Men's Basketball team returns home for the first of four consecutive games to close out the regular season home slate at the Wolstein Center. The Vikings suffered back-to-back tough defeats on the road last week and are looking to get back on the winning track. Cleveland State is 9-5 in the Horizon League and in fourth place in the league standings. Robert Morris has also dropped two in a row coming in. RMU is 6-8 in the Horizon League. Tonight's game will be broadcast on Bally Sports Great Lakes, the second appearance for the Vikings on a linear network this season.
THE CLEVELAND STATE/RMU SERIES
Saturday's game is the 11th all-time meeting between Cleveland State and Robert Morris. Cleveland State leads the all-time series 8-2 and has won the last six meetings. This is the second meeting between the two teams this season. The Vikings won a tight defensive battle in the first meeting in Pittsburgh on New Year's Eve. Cleveland State defeated RMU 63-54 thanks to an 18 point effort from Tristan Enaruna. Deshon Parker added 14 points and Drew Lowder scored 11 on 4-7 from the floor to lead Cleveland State to victory.
CLEVELAND STATE DOWNS WRIGHT STATE TO CAP 3-1 ROAD TRIP
The Vikings defeated Wright State on the road Saturday night, 85-77 to take three of four in a critical mid-season Horizon League road swing. Cleveland State got contributions from several players, as four of the five Viking starters finished in double figures. Tristan Enaruna led the way with 21 points. Cleveland State led the entire way, starting out hot shooting 70-percent from the floor in the first half and holding off a second half rally from Wright State for the victory.
CLEVELAND STATE DOWNS PURDUE FORT WAYNE FOR KEY HL VICTORY
Cleveland State defeated Purdue Fort Wayne 79-74 on Friday night to improve to 8-3 in the Horizon League. The Vikings shot 58-percent from the floor and outrebounded the Mastodons 31-29. Cleveland State led the entire way, but had to hold off several comeback attempts from PFW to claim victory. Tristan Enaruna led a group of five Vikings in double figures with 19 points.
SCOUTING THE COLONIALS
Robert Morris is 11-14 and 6-8 in the Horizon League coming into Friday's contest. The Colonials are on a two game losing skid and looking to right the ship. RMU is currently in eighth place in the Horizon League standings. The Colonials have three players currently averaging in double figures, led by Enoch Cheeks who averages 16.5 points per game. Kahliel Spear is close behind at 15.8 points per game, and is the leading rebounder at eight per contest. Andrew Toole is in his 13th season as the head coach.
VIKINGS DROP HEARTBREAKER AT NORTHERN KENTUCKY
In a battle of two of the four teams tied for first in the Horizon League standings, the game lived up to the hype as Cleveland State and Northern Kentucky battled all the way to the finish. The Vikings outrebounded NKU 39-28, and forced 22 turnovers which was a season best. Neither team led by more than seven points in the game, and the Vikings appeared to seize control in the final minute, before NKU's Marques Warrick hit a long range three-pointer at the final buzzer to give NKU a narrow victory.
VIKINGS DEFEAT IUPUI TO MOVE INTO FIRST PLACE TIE
Cleveland State defeated IUPUI on Sunday to move into a tie for first place atop the Horizon League standings. Four of the five Viking starters finished in double figures in the 78-72 win. Cleveland State led wire-to-wire in the game, and had a lead as large as 20 in the early going of the second half. IUPUI came back and briefly trimmed the lead to one posession, but the Vikings were able to hold off the Jags down the stretch. CSU finished with 21 assists in the contest, which is a season best.
GETTING IT DONE ON DEFENSE
Throughout the season, Cleveland State has found success defensively. The Vikings are holding opponents to an average of 67.6 points per game, which is third in the Horizon League. CSU ranks second in opponent field goal percentage, at .424, and ranks third in opponent three-point percentage, holding opposing teams to just 32-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 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 ON A HOT STREAK
Transfer forward Tristan Enaruna has been the spark plug for the Vikings offensively of late. The Junior from the Netherlands currently ranks 11th in the Horizon League in scoring at 14.7 ppg. Enaruna has scored in double figures in 12 consecutive games, and has registered three double-doubles thus far. Enaruna is averaging just under 17 points a game in conference play, which is tied for eighth in the league.
PARKER DROPPING DIMES
Deshon Parker has been a great facilitator for Cleveland State throughout the regular season. So far, Parker has totaled 97 assists. He had a career-high 11 in the opener against Notre Dame College. His average of 3.9 assists per game is fifth in the Horizon League, and his assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.1 also ranks fourth in the league.
WINNING THE MARGINS
Through 14 games, Cleveland State is second in the Horizon League with a +3.0 turnover margin. The Vikngs are also second in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.16
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 14 times so far this season, including three of the last five games. He registered his second double-double with 13 points and a season-high 13 rebounds against Milwaukee.
LOWDER LIGHTS IT UP
Drew Lowder has been an energizer for Cleveland State, and played his way into the starting lineup. 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 five of his last six games, including a season-high 21 against Green Bay.
UP NEXT
Cleveland State continues its closing homestand with a Sunday afternoon matchup against Youngstown State. Football themed pricing will be offered, with tickets avaialble at $2, $3, and $7 price points.
