Game 6 - East Tennessee State vs. Cleveland State
ETSU Game Notes | Cleveland State Game Notes
Wednesday, November 22
Woodling Gymnasium, Cleveland OH
7:00 p.m. Tip Off
All-Time vs. ETSU: 0-1
Last Meeting: 12/21/19 80-55 L
Tickets: csuvikings.com
Radio: Real 106.1 FM
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 opens the Viking Invitational inside historic Woodling Gymnasium Wednesday night, playing host to East Tennesee State. Cleveland State has won three of its last four coming in, with all three victories coming at home. The Buccaneers are coming in at 2-2 following an impressive victory at home over Davidson on Friday.
THE CLEVELAND STATE/ETSU SERIES
Wednesday's contest marks just the second ever meeting between Cleveland State and ETSU. The first matchup came on December 21, 2019 at ETSU, where the Bucs came away with an 80-55 win. ETSU shot 45 percent from the field and had three players in double figures in the win. Algevon Eichelberger led the Vikings with 23 points in a losing effort. This marks the first time the two teams have met in Cleveland.
CLEVELAND STATE EARNS 82-78 WIN OVER OHIO
Cleveland State earned the program's third all-time victory in the series against Ohio and the first since 1998 with a strong performance Saturday at the Wolstein Center. The game was back and forth the entire way and featured 13 lead changes and 13 ties. Tristan Enaruna led the way for the Vikings with a season-high 22 points, six rebounds and a career-high six assists. Jayson Woodrich also finished in double figures with 14 points on 4-5 shooting from three-point range, including multiple critical makes down the stretch to push the Vikings in front.
CAREER NIGHT FOR DREW LOWDER
Drew Lowder set multiple career highs in last Monday's game at Duquesne. 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 BUCCANEERS
ETSU is 2-2 on the sesaon coming into play this weekend. The Bucs have tallied wins over Davidson and King, with losses to Elon and Butler. ETSU returns two starters and four letterwinners from a team that finished 12-20 overall and 8-10 in conference play for a fifth place finish in the Southern Conference. Brooks Savage is in his first year as the head coach. Savage is no stranger to the SoCon, having spent seven of his 12 years as an assistant coach in the league, including five at ETSU.
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. Last 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 DOWN CANISIUS FOR THIRD STRAIGHT VICTORY
Cleveland State defeated Canisius on Wednesday night to cap a 3-0 run in the opening homestand of the season at the Wolstein Center. The Vikings clamped down defensively in the second half, turning a slim one-point margin at the halftime break into a 10 point victory, 71-61. Cleveland State held Canisius to just 27 points in the second half on 9-30 shooting from the field. Tristan Enaruna posted his first double-double of the season finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Drew Lowder and Tae Williams both recorded double-figure scoring performances for the Vikings.
CLEVELAND STATE HISTORY IN WOODLING GYMNASIUM
Woodling Gymnasium served as the home of Viking Basketball for over 20 years, with the first basketball games played there starting in the 1973-74 season. The gym served as the permanent home for the program until the Wolstein Center was built in 1991. Overall, Cleveland State owns a sparkling 124-21 record in games played in Woodling Gymnasium, good for an .855 winning percentage. The attendance record for a men's basketball game in the venue was set on February 24, 1986 when 3,688 fans packed the gym to watch the Vikings play host to Eastern Illinois.
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 takes on Alabama A&M in the second game of the Viking Invitational on Saturday night. The game is scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. tip.
