By Jeysla Gonzalez
CLEVELAND STATE NOTES
https://csuvikings.com/documents/2024/12/28/MBB_Game_Notes_vs_Wright_State_2.pdf
WRIGHT STATE NOTES
https://csuvikings.com/documents/2024/12/28/GameNotes_ClevelandState1.pdf
Game 15 – Wright State vs. Cleveland State
Wolstein Center – Cleveland, OH
3:00 p.m.
All-Time vs. Wright State: 39-45
Last Meeting: 1/25/24 107-99 L (OT)
Tickets: csuvikings.com
Radio: Fox Sports 1350 AM
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 returns to the Wolstein Center following a short holiday break to host Wright State as Horizon League play resumes for good. The Vikings defeated Midway last Sunday to close the non-conference portion of the 2024-25 schedule. Cleveland State finished 6-5 in non-conference play including 5-2 in home games. The Vikings have won four in a row including the last two in league play. Wright State is 7-7 overall and 1-2 in Horizon League play. The Raiders have dropped two in a row prior to the holiday break.
THE CLEVELAND STATE/WRIGHT STATE SERIES
Sunday’s game will be 85th all-time meeting between Cleveland State and Wright State. The Vikings and Raiders have split the last four meetings, with each team going 2-0 in the last two seasons. Cleveland State won both games in 2022-23 and Wright State won both meetings last season. Wright State won the most recent postseason matchup between the two teams, defeating CSU in the semifinals of the 2022 Horizon League Tournament in Indianapolis.
CLEVELAND STATE ROLLS TO VICTORY OVER MIDWAY
Cleveland State won its fourth straight game with a runaway win over Midway to close the non-conference portion of the 2024-25 schedule. The Vikings defeated the Eagles 116-60 behind seven double-figure scoring performances. Je’Shawn Stevenson set a new career best with 23 points to lead the way and Dylan Arnett added 18 on 9-11 from the field. Cleveland State finished with a new season high in assists with 28 and committed just seven turnovers, the third consecutive game that the Vikings have limited turnovers to single digits.
VIKINGS DOWN OAKLAND FOR THIRD STRAIGHT WIN
Cleveland State took care of Oakland on Thursday night with a 92-75 win to improve to 2-1 in league play. The Vikings committed a program record low three turnovers and balanced that with 21 assists on 34 made field goals. Tevin Smith had a career night finishing with 37 points on 63 percent shooting from the field. Tahj Staveskie added 20 points including a career best six made three-point field goals and Chase Robinson set a new season high with 14 points. Cleveland State led the entire second half in rolling to the double-digit win.
VIKINGS CRUISE PAST BRESCIA IN NON-LEAGUE ACTION
Cleveland State downed Brescia this past weekend inside Woodling Gymnasium, cruising to a 103-37 win. The Vikings yielded just 11 points after halftime and held the Bearcats scoreless for the game’s final ten minutes. The win is the second largest margin of victory in program history and the Vikings also set a new program high with 15 made three-pointers in the win. Je’Shawn Stevenson led a group of five players in double figures with 17 points. Reece Robinson finished with his first collegiate double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds.
SMITH AND STEVENSON EARN #HLMBB WEEKLY AWARDS
Tevin Smith and Je’Shawn Stevenson swept the Horizon League’s weekly awards on Monday, December 23 as both players had strong performances in Cleveland State’s victories the previous week. Smith took home the Player of the Week award after averaging 24 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. Smith scored a career-high 37 points in the win over Oakland, the most scored in a game by a Horizon League student-athlete up to that point this season. He finished a perfect 11-for-11 from the free throw line for the week. Stevenson earned Freshman of the Week honors for the third week in a row after another strong week of play. He averaged 11.5 points per game and scored a season-high 23 against Midway. Stevenson was also perfect from the free throw line, finishing 5-for-5.
CLEVELAND STATE SPLITS CONFERENCE-OPENING ROAD TRIP IN WISCONSIN
Cleveland State split last week’s road trip in Wisconsin to open Horizon League play. The Vikings fell at Milwaukee on Thursday before rebounding with a 22-point win at Green Bay on Saturday. The game against Milwaukee was much closer than the final margin indicated, with the Vikings trailing by just two points with under three minutes to play before a 10-0 Panther run to close the game. In the Green Bay game, Cleveland State set a new season best for three-point field goals made in a game with 10 and Je’Shawn Stevenson recorded a career-high 20 points. Cleveland State out-rebounded Green Bay and recorded 47 points from its bench, the second highest total of the season.
SCOUTING THE RAIDERS
Wright State is 7-7 and 1-2 in Horizon League play coming in to Sunday’s contest. The Raiders narrowly fell at Oakland in the league opener by two points but rebounded with a win over Detroit Mercy two days later. WSU fell to Youngstown State in its third league contest last week and dropped a non-league game to Eastern Michigan in its most recent contest. The Raiders were picked fifth in the league preseason poll. Brandon Noel and Alex Huibregtse highlight the returners from last year’s squad, Noel was named the preseason Player of the Year and Huibregtse was named to the all-league second team. Clint Sargent is in his first season as head coach after being promoted from associate head coach in the offseason.
VIKINGS DEFEAT EASTERN MICHIGAN FOR SECOND STRAIGHT WIN
Cleveland State defeated Eastern Michigan on Saturday to improve to 3-2 on the year with a 71-63 win over the Eagles. The Vikings shot 51 percent from the field and had four players in double figures in a balanced offensive attack. Tevin Smith led the way with a career best 24 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field and 8-of-11 from the free throw line. The game was close throughout with neither team holding a lead of more than nine points the entire way. Ultimately it was a 9-0 Cleveland State run in the closing minutes that sealed the victory.
VIKINGS EARN FIRST ROAD WIN AT VALPARAISO
Cleveland State defeated Valparaiso on the road Tuesday night for its first road victory of the 2024-25 season. The Vikings trailed at halftime before a second half surge propelled them to a 75-67 victory. Dylan Arnett recorded his first double-double of the season finishing with 19 points and 14 rebounds along with three blocked shots. Tahj Staveskie had 19 points including 60 percent shooting from three-point range. Staveskie provided an offensive spark with two key three-point makes in the second half to give the Vikings a lead they would not relinquish. Tevin Smith added 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field.
HOME SWEET HOME
Cleveland State has made a habit of protecting its home court throughout the last two seasons. The Vikings are 6-2 at home to start this season and finished 14-3 at home in the 2023-24 season as well as a 33-8 overall record in Cleveland in the Daniyal Robinson era. Cleveland State outscored opponents by over 10 points per game in home contests in the 2023-24 season.
20 WIN CAMPAIGN FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW
Cleveland State has amassed 20-plus wins for three straight seasons. The Vikings have also made four straight postseason appearances, which is a program record. Cleveland State appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2021, the NIT in 2022 and the CBI in 2023 and 2024. Daniyal Robinson is the most successful two-year head coach in program history, becoming the first coach to win 20 games in his first two years in charge in the history of the program. Robinson has amassed 42 total victories over his first two seasons.
VOICE OF THE VIKINGS ENTERS 20TH SEASON
Veteran broadcaster Al Pawlowski begins his 20th season as the play-by-play voice of Cleveland State men’s basketball this season. Pawlowski has held many roles throughout his career in the Cleveland media market, he currently serves as a part time sports anchor at WKYC Channel 3 as well as the pre-and post-game host of “Guardians Live” throughout the baseball season. Pawlowski has won six Emmy Awards for his work on the pre-and post-game show and is the second-longest tenured current voice in the Horizon League. Wright State’s Chris Collins is the lone broadcaster in the league who has served in his role longer.
UP NEXT
Cleveland State closes out its five-game home stretch with a matchup against IU Indy to ring in the New Year on Saturday, January 4. The game tips off at 3:00 p.m.
COURTESY CLEVELAND STATE ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
