Game 12 - Brescia vs. Cleveland State
Woodling Gymnasium - Cleveland, OH
3:00 p.m.

All-Time vs. Brescia: First Meeting

Last Meeting: N/A

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 home for the first of five straight games in Cleveland to close out 2024 and into 2025. The Vikings are back in action after a week-long break for final exams and are coming off a victory over Horizon League foe Green Bay to close the opening league road trip to Wisconsin. Cleveland State hosts Brescia who is 1-5 on the season. The Bearcats make the trip north from Owensboro, Kentucky.

THE CLEVELAND STATE/BRESCIA SERIES

Saturday's matchup will be the first ever meeting between the two schools. Bresscia has three other Division I opponents on its 2024-25 schedule. The Bearcats have already played Evansville and Bellarmine, and will take on Austin Peay next week.

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.

VIKINGS OPEN THANKSGIVING THROWBACK TOURNAMENT WITH WIN OVER NJIT

Cleveland State defeated NJIT in the opening game of the Thanksgiving Throwback Tournament 56-53. The Vikings held off the Highlanders in a game where neither team held a lead greater than nine points. NJIT took the lead late going up six with 4:51 to play before the Vikings clawed back. Tevin Smith scored the game-winning bucket with under 30 seconds to play which gave CSU the lead for good. Smith tallied 13 points and Cole Franklin added 12. Tahj Staveskie chipped in seven points. Smith was named Tournament MVP after scoring in double figures in both games. Staveskie and Franklin each earned All-Tournament Team honors.

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.

CLEVELAND STATE TAKES DOWN BALDWIN WALLACE FOR FIRST WIN OF 2024-25

Cleveland State defeated Baldwin Wallace to earn its first win of 2024-25 as the Vikings defeated the Yellow Jackets 91-53. Cleveland State used a balanced offensive attack which featured five players in double figures led by Dylan Arnett who finished the night with 19 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field. Je'Shawn Stevenson added 18 points and Tevin Smith recorded his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. The Vikings controlled the game throughout, leading by eight at the half before outscoring BW 48-18 in the second half to pull away.

VIKINGS LOCK DOWN LOURDES IN EXHIBITION VICTORY

Cleveland State defeated Lourdes on Wednesday night in its lone exhibition contest 84-49. The Vikings featured a balanced attack offensively with 11 of 12 players who saw action scoring at least two points. Every player who saw the court played double digit minutes. Je'Shawn Stevenson led the way with 18 points on 6-of-9 fom the field in his first collegiate action. Tahj Staveskie added 11 points and Jalin Rice finished with 10. The Vikings held Lourdes to 31 percent shooting and forced 24 turnovers, which resulted in 35 CSU points.
 

SCOUTING THE BEARCATS

Brescia is 1-5 on the season headed into Saturday's contest. The Bearcats hail from Owensboro, Kentucky and compete in the Rivers State Conference in the NAIA. The Bearcats will play four Division I opponents in 2024-25 with games against Evansville and Bellarmine already this season, and another matchup scheduled with Austin Peay coming up. Brescia's lone win of the season thus far came against Williams Baptist in Overtime on November 18.

ARNETT ATTACKING THE OFFENSIVE GLASS

Through the first month of the season, Dylan Arnett has been a force on the offensive glass for the Vikings. Arnett is currently tied for eleventh in the country with 38 total offensive rebounds through the first nine games of the season. Arnett averages 3.6 offensive rebounds per game and leads the team averaging 7.7 total rebounds per contest.

FORMER VIKING STANDOUT DESHON PARKER JOINS COACHING STAFF

After playing his final two seasons in the green and white, Deshon Parker returns to Cleveland in a new role as he begins his first season as an assistant coach. Parker helped the Vikings to a Horizon League regular season title in his first season and was named to the league's All-Defensive Team in his second and final season, which was Coach Robinson's first as head coach. After playing one season of professional basketball overseas in Georgia, Parker begins his coaching career as the youngest full-time assistant coach in Division I.

HOME SWEET HOME

Cleveland State has made a habit of protecting its home court throughout the last two seasons. The Vikings are 3-2 at home to start this season and finished 14-3 at home in the 2023-24 season as well as a 30-8 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.

VIKINGS IN WOODLING GYM

Cleveland State has found a second home inside Woodling Gymnasium over the past two seasons. The Vikings are a combined 3-1 in Woodling playing in two Thanksgiving Tournaments there. Cleveland State called Woodling Gymnasium home for over 20 seasons with the first games played there starting in the 1973-74 season. Woodling Gym served as Clevleand State's home court until the Wolstein Center was built in 1991. Overall the Vikings were a combined 124-21 in Woodling during that time period.

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 heads back into Horizon League play with a Thursday night matchup against the Oakland Golden Grizzlies at the Wolstein Center. Tip off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.