Game 13 - Oakland vs. Cleveland State
Wolstein Center - Cleveland, OH
7:00 p.m.

All-Time vs. Oakland: 13-16

Last Meeting: 3/11/24 74-71 L

Tickets: csuvikings.com

Radio: WTAM 1100 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 continues a stretch of five consecutive home games as the Vikings welcome Oakland to the Wolstein Center for a key conference matchup early in the season. The Vikings sit at .500 overall and in conference play headed into Thursday's game, having won two in a row after defeating Brescia on Saturday. Oakland is 3-6 and also at .500 in league play after splitting its first two games of the conference season.

THE CLEVELAND STATE/OAKLAND SERIES

Thursday's matchup will be 30th all-time meeting between Cleveland State and Oakland. The Golden Grizzlies hold a 16-13 edge in the all-time series. The series is even at 5-5 over the last ten meetings and also even at six apiece in games played in Cleveland. Oakland won two of the three matchups between the two teams last season. Each team won on its home floor in the regular season. Cleveland State won 75-67 at the Wolstein Center on December 28, while Oakland returned the favor with an 83-71 win in Rochester on February 3. The third and most recent meeting came in Indianapolis last March in the Horizon League Tournament Semifinals as the Grizzlies nipped the Vikings 74-71 to advance to the championship game. Oakland went on to win the league title and earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

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.

JE'SHAWN STEVENSON PICKS UP BACK-TO-BACK #HLMBB FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK AWARDS

Je'Shawn Stevenson has posted three consecutive double-figure scoring performances and has earned the Horizon League's Freshman of the Week award the last two weeks. Stevenson poured in a new career high of 20 points at Green Bay to help the Vikings to their first conference victory of the season. In the win over Brescia he shot 50 percent from the field and finished a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line. The two awards are the first for Stevenson in his career and the first two weekly honors for Viking student-athletes this season.

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.

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN GRIZZLIES
Oakland is 3-6 and 1-1 in Horizon League play headed into Thursday night's contest. The Golden Grizzlies won at home over Wright State to open league play before falling on the road at Youngstown State. Most recently OU fell to #20 Michigan State on Tuesday night in non-conference play. Oakland features a new look roster with 11 new faces. DQ Cole is one of the lone returners who saw significant minutes on last year's squad that won the Horizon League regular season and tournament title and knocked off Kentucky in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Cole was named to the All-Horizon League Second Team and the Golden Grizzlies were picked fourth in the league in the preseason.

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.

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 hosts Midway on Sunday for its final non-conference matchup of the season. The game tips off at noon from the Wolstein Center.