All-Time vs. Milwaukee: 28-32
Last Meeting: 1/5/23 68-64 L, OT
Tickets: mkepanthers.com
Radio: 1100 AM WTAM
Play-By-Play: Al Pawlowski, Ed Daugherty(Host)
TV: ESPN+
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State Men's Basketball team wraps up the regular season with a road matchup against Milwaukee. The Vikings are winners of five in a row and sit in a tie for first place with Youngstown State at 14-5 in the league. A win would secure at least a share of a third consecutive Horizon League regular season title for CSU. Milwaukee is one game back of the Vikings at 13-6 in the league coming into the contest. The Panthers are winners of three of the last five coming in.
THE CLEVELAND STATE/MILWAUKEE SERIES
Saturday's game marks the 61st all-time meeting between Cleveland State and Milwaukee. The Vikings trail the all-time series 32-28. The Vikings had won three in a row in the series, until Milwaukee snapped that streak with a win in the last meeting between the two teams in early January. The game was a back-and-forth battle at the Wolstein Center that came down to the wire. BJ Freeman hit a three-pointer with under two seconds left in regulation to tie the game and send it to overtime. In the extra session the Panthers outscored the Vikings 12-8 to secure the victory. Tristan Enaruna had 16 points to lead the way for the Vikings in the contest.
CLEVELAND STATE DOWNS WRIGHT STATE IN FRONT OF NATIONAL AUDIENCE
The Vikings defeated Wright State at the Wolstein Center on Friday night for their third straight victory, 85-68. The game was televised to a national audience on ESPNU, and Cleveland State rose to the occassion. The Vikings had four players in double figures, led by Tristan Enaruna who tallied 20 points. Cleveland State decidedly won the rebounding battle and points in the paint battle on the evening, and the Vikings pulled away late, turning a tight game at the midway point into a runaway down the stretch.
CLEVELAND STATE DEFEATS NORTHERN KENTUCKY, SITS IN SECOND PLACE
Cleveland State defeated Northern Kentucky on Sunday to move into sole posession of second place in the Horizon League standings. Both matchups between the two teams came down to the wire. After NKU won by one in the first meeting, this time the Vikings prevailed by a point, 64-63. It was a back and forth game with 11 lead changes and eight ties. Deante Johnson led the way with 16 points on Senior Day, as CSU recognized Johnson, Deshon Parker and Yahel Hill who played their final regular season home game at the Wolstein Center.
SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
Milwaukee is 19-10 and 13-6 in the Horizon League coming into Saturday's game. The Panthers have won three of five and sit in a tie for second place in the league standings coming into the final day of the regular season. Milwaukee is led by BJ Freeman, who averages 16.4 points per contest. Freeman registered a triple-double in the Panthers' last outing, scoring 19 points, pulling down 12 rebounds and adding 11 assists. The 11 assists tied a career high, while the rebounding number was a career best. Bart Lundy is in his first season as the Head Coach.
LAST TIME OUT: VIKINGS DEFEAT GREEN BAY TO GRAB FIRST PLACE SHARE
Cleveland State defeated Green Bay on Thursday night 76-65 to move into a tie for first place in the Horizon League standings with one regular season game remaining. The game was a back-and-forth affair until the Vikings seized control with a 13-0 run midway through the second half to open up a double-digit lead. Tae Williams had a career night, registering season highs with 30 points and 14 rebounds. The Vikings shot 50 percent from the field overall in the win.
VIKINGS DEFEAT YOUNGSTOWN STATE TO SWEEP HOME WEEKEND
Cleveland State defeated Youngstown State on Saturday to move to 11-5 in Horizon League play. The final score was 81-78, and the biggest lead for either side was eight points. Tae Williams recorded his second 20-plus point scoring effort of the season scoring 20 points and adding six rebounds, two assists and three steals. Four of the five Viking starters finished in double figures as CSU moved to 10-3 inside the Wolstein Center this season.
GETTING IT DONE ON DEFENSE
Throughout the season, Cleveland State has found success defensively. The Vikings are holding opponents to an average of 67.4 points per game, which is third in the Horizon League. CSU ranks second in opponent field goal percentage, at .423, 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 offen- sively of late. The Junior from the Netherlands currently ranks 11th in the Horizon League in scoring at 14.9 ppg. Enaruna has scored in double figures in 17 consecutive games, and has registered four double-doubles thus far. Enaruna is averaging just over 17 points a game in conference play, which is eighth in the league.
PARKER NAMED TO #HLMBB ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
Deshon Parker was named to the Horizon League Men's Basketball Honorable Mention All-Academic team, the league announced Thursday. Parker is one of eight players to receive the recognition. The senior carries a 3.64 GPA as a Communication Studies major. Parker is a two time Dean's List honoree and also has been named to the President's List. This fall, he was named to the Horizon League Academic Honor Roll.
SENIOR SENDOFF
Last Sunday's game marked the final regular-season home game for three Vikings: Deante Johnson, Yahel Hill and Deshon Parker. Cleveland State honored the trio in a pre-game ceremony along with their families.
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 16 times so far this season, including three of the last six 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 six of his last seven games, including a season-high 21 in the first matchup with Green Bay.
UP NEXT
Cleveland State will prepare for the Barbasol Horizon League Tournament. The Vikings have clinched a bye to the quarterfinals and will host a yet to be determined opponent on Thursday, March 2 at the Wolstein Center.
