Game 3 - Ohio vs. Cleveland State
Ohio Game Notes | Cleveland State Game Notes
Wolstein Center, Cleveland OH
6:00 p.m.
All-Time vs. Ohio: 2-14
Last Meeting: 11/12/22 81-70 L
Tickets: csuvikings.com
Radio: 1350 AM The Gambler
Play-By-Play: Al Pawlowski, Pat Vuyancih, Ed Daugherty(Host)
TV: ESPN+
Play-By-Play: Al Pawlowski, Pat Vuyancih
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State Men's Basketball team continues its three-game homestand with a Saturday evening matchup against Ohio. The Vikings are playing their third game this week after a road loss on Monday to open the season at Duquesne and a 102-41 victory over NCAA Division III Defiance on Wednesday night. The game is slated as the annual Homecoming Game in conjunction with the CSU Alumni Association. Ohio is 1-0 on the season after opening with an 88-70 win over Troy on Wednesday night.
THE CLEVELAND STATE/OHIO SERIES
Saturday's game is the 17th all-time meeting between Cleveland State and Ohio. The Vikings are 2-14 overall and Ohio has won the last five meetings between the two schools. This is the fourth consecutive year that the Vikings and Bobcats have met up. The two teams met in Athens last season, almost one year ago to the day on November 12, where Ohio came away with an 81-70 victory. Tae Williams scored 11 points and Drew Lowder had 10 off the bench for CSU in the contest. The last meeting at the Wolstein Center saw Ohio emerge with a 67-56 victory on November 13, 2021.
CLEVELAND STATE COMES UP JUST SHORT AT DUQUESNE
Cleveland State put up a great fight in its season opener Monday night at Duquesne, falling 79-77 at the Dukes' UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. The Vikings and Dukes were neck and neck the entire way, with neither team holding more than a five-point advantage throughout the entire game. The game featured 13 lead changes and 13 ties. The Vikings had an opportunity to tie or win the game on the final posession, but a 20-foot jump shot was off the mark at the buzzer. Three Vikings finished in double figures, let by Drew Lowder with 27 points.
CAREER NIGHT FOR DREW LOWDER
Drew Lowder set multiple career highs in Monday's game. Lowder finished with 27 points which was a new all-time career high. Lowder finished 9-16 from the field in the game and connected on six of nine from behind the three-point arc. The six triples also set a new career best.
SCOUTING THE BOBCATS
Ohio is 1-0 on the season after an 88-70 win over Troy to open the season as part of the MAC-SBC Challenge. The Bobcats return 11 letterwinners from last year's squad including seven who made significant contributions. Ohio was picked third in the MAC Preseason Poll and ranked 21st in the Collegeinsider.com Mid-Major poll to begin the season. Jeff Boals is in his fifth year as the head coach. This marks the fourth consecutive year that the Bobcats and Vikings have met in November, with Ohio winning the previous three matchups.
DANIYAL ROBINSON ACHIEVES RECORD-SETTING FIRST SEASON
Cleveland State head coach Daniyal Robinson set a new school record in his first season in charge of the program. Robinson and the Vikings recorded 21 wins in 2022-23, which is the most wins of any first-year head coach in school history. Cleveland State finished as the runner-up in the Horizon League Tournament and made the program's third-straight postseason appearance, earning a trip to the CBI. Should the Vikings reach the postseason this year, it would be the first time in school history that CSU has reached the postseason four consecutive years.
VIKINGS PICKED FOURTH IN #HLMBB PRESEASON POLL
Cleveland State was picked to finish fourth in the Horizon League Men's Basketball Preseason Poll following a vote amongst league head coaches, media members and Sports Information Directors from the league's 11 participating schools. Cleveland State received one first-place vote and finished with 362 points. In addition, senior forward Tristan Enaruna was named to the all-league first team after averaging 15.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game last season.
RETURNERS PACK A PUNCH
Cleveland State returns a majority of the scoring and rebounding from last season's 21-win squad. The Vikings return 62 percent of the scoring and 51 percent of the rebounding from 2022-23. Cleveland State returns its top three scorers and two of its top three rebounders. In the scoring department, Tristan Enaruna led the way at 15.6 points per game, followed by Tae Williams who also averaged double figures at 11.1 points per contest. Senior guard Drew Lowder returns after averaging 9.8 points per game last season. Enaruna and Williams will provide a steady presence on the glass, as the two combined to average 12.5 rebounds per game in 2022-23.
NEW FACES
Seven newcomers will suit up in the green and white for the first time in 2023-24. The roster includes six transfer student-athletes and one freshman. The group features junior transfer guards Tevin Smith and Jalin Rice, who will see action on the wings, and junior transfer forwards KJ Debrick and Dok Muordar who will add to the depth in the post. Junior Chase Robinson was on the roster last season, but will make his debut after sitting out last year due to transer protocol. Fifth- year senior TJ Moss will provide verteran experience, and local product Danny Young(Shaker Heights), is the lone freshman addition.
CHALLENGING NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE AWAITS IN 2023-24
Head Coach Daniyal Robinson has assembled a challenging non-conference schedule in his second season in charge of the program. Monday's opener at Duquesne was one of four in which the Vikings will face off with a team that won 20 or more games and played in the postseason. Cleveland State will face two teams that appeared in the NCAA Tournament last season, with road matchups scheduled at St. Mary's (Dec. 5) and at Kent State (Dec. 9). Duquesne (CBI) and Bradley (NIT) also made postseason appearances last year.
VIKINGS CRUISE TO 96-48 EXHIBITION WIN OVER BALDWIN WALLACE
Cleveland State saw its first action of 2023-24 with an exhibition victory over Baldwin Wallace, 96-48, at the Wolstein Center Thursday night. The Vikings jumped out to an early 20-point lead and never looked back. The Vikings locked down defensively coming out of the halftime locker room, holding BW to just six points in the first ten minutes of the second half. Five Vikings scored in double figures led by Tae Williams who finished with 18 points. Williams was a stellar 8-10 from the field on the night. This marked the second consecutive year that the Vikings have recorded an exhibition victory over Baldwin Wallace.
VIKINGS POST FIRST WIN OF 2023-24 OVER DEFIANCE
Cleveland State defeated Defiance on Wednesday night for its first win of the season, rolling to a 102-41 victory. The Vikings led the entire way and locked down defensively. At one point in the second half, the Vikings posted a 24-0 run, holding the Defiance offense out of pocket for over eight minutes without a single point. Six players scored in double figures in a balanced offensive attack, led by Ramar Pryor who registered a CSU career-high 14 points in the contest.
JOHNSON JOINS COACHING STAFF
Head Coach Daniyal Robinson announced the addition of Kwanza Johnson as an assistant coach for the Vikings for the 2023-24 season. Johnson brings over 20 years of college coaching experience to the Cleveland State bench. Johnson and Robinson share a connection that goes back to their time working together at Arkansas-Little Rock, Robinson's alma mater. Johnson joins returning assistants Travis Lewis, Jay Shunnar and Special Assistant to the Head Coach Steve Payne on this season's coaching staff.
ENARUNA EARNS OLYMPIC EXPERIENCE
Preseason all-league first-team honoree Tristan Enaruna earned valuable playing experience over the summer, competing as a member of the Netherlands Olympic National Team in the 2023 FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament. Enaruna, who hails from Almere, was one of four Division I players on the Netherlands roster and the only player from a non-Power Five institution. The tournament featured several European nations competing for qualifying spots on the road to the 2024 Olympic Basketball Tournament scheduled to be held in Paris, France.
UP NEXT
Cleveland State concludes its three-game homestand with a Wednesday night matchup against Canisius. The game is scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off at the Wolstein Center on November 15.
