All-Time vs. RMU: 9-2
Last Meeting: 2/10/23 57-55 W
Tickets: csuvikings.com
Radio: 1350 AM The Gambler
Play-By-Play: Al Pawlowski, Pat Vuyancih
TV: ESPN+
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State Men's Basketball team enters the Barbasol Horizon League Men's Basketball Tournament as the third seed. The Vikings host Robert Morris in a Quarterfinal matchup at the Wolstein Center with the winner moving on to the semifinals in Indianapolis on Monday. Cleveland State has won five of its last six coming into the game to finish the regular season at 14-6 in the league. RMU defeated IUPUI on Tuesday night in the first round to advance to the quarterfinal round. The Colonials finished 10-10 in conference in the regular season.
THE CLEVELAND STATE/RMU SERIES
Thursday's game marks the 12th all-time meeting between Cleveland State and Robert Morris. The Vikings lead the all time series 9-2 and have won both matchups between the two teams this season. CSU won the first matchup 63-54 in Pittsburgh on New Year's Eve, and then defeated the Colonials 57-55 in the most recent meeting on February 10th at the Wolstein Center. The Vikings won on a last second tip in from Deante Johnson to kick-start a five game winning streak. This is the second consecutive season that the Vikings and Colonials have met in the Horizon League Tournament Quarterfinals. Cleveland State prevailed last season 83-67 in Cleveland.
ENARUNA, PARKER AND JOHNSON EARN #HLMBB POSTSEASON AWARDS
Tristan Enaruna, Deshon Parker and Deante Johnson were recognized on the Horizon League's posteason awards list which were announced earlier this week. Enaruna was named to the first team, and Parker and Johnson were named to the all-defensive team. Enaruna ranks in the top ten in scoring and rebounding in the conference, and has registered 18 consecutive games in double figures. Parker earns all-defensive team honors for the first time, after ranking in the top 15 in the league in steals. Johnson lands on the all-defensive team for the third straight year, after finishing third in the league in blocked shots with 1.4 per game.
SCOUTING THE COLONIALS
Robert Morris is 16-16 on the season and finished the regular season at 10-10 in the Horizon League. The Colonials are led by Kahliel Spear and Enoch Cheeks, both of whom earned All-League honors at the end of the regular season. Spear was named to the second team and the all-defensive team, and Cheeks was named to the third team. Andrew Toole is in his 13th season as the head coach. This is the second year in a row that the Vikings and Colonials will meet in the league quarterfinals, with Cleveland State getting the better of RMU in last year's postseason matchup at the Wolstein Center.
LAST TIME OUT: VIKINGS FALL TO MILWAUKEE TO CLOSE REGULAR SEASON
Cleveland State fell to Milwaukee on Saturday night to end the regular season at 14-6 overall in the Horizon League. The Panthers used a big second half to defeat the Vikings 82-71. Cleveland State held a five point advantage headed into the halftime break, but Milwaukee responded with a run to take a double-digit lead late in the second half. Tristan Enaruna led the way for CSU with 24 points and 11 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season.
VIKINGS IN THE HORIZON LEAGUE TOURNAMENT
Cleveland State has won the Horizon League tournament twice in program history. The first title came in 2009, when recent CSU Hall Of Fame Inductee Norris Cole led the Vikings to a 57-54 win over Butler in the finals. The Vikings made it to the title game in 2017-18 but came up short, finishing as the runner-up. The next tournament title came in 2020-21 as the Vikings defeated Oakland 80-69 to capture the championship and earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament.
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 offensively 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 18 consecutive games, and has registered five 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 Com- munication 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 four of the last five games. He has registered back-to-back double-doubles, including a 30 point, 14 rebound performance at Green Bay last weekend.
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 four of his last six games, including a season-high 21 in the first matchup with Green Bay.
UP NEXT
With a win, Cleveland State would continue on to play in a semifinal game in the Barbasol Horizon League Basketball Tournament on Monday against a to be determined opponent in Indianapolis.
