All-Time vs. Northern Kentucky: 9-11

Last Meeting: 2/22/24 75-73 L

Tickets: csuvikings.com

Radio: WTAM 1100 AM

Play-By-Play: Al Pawlowski, Ed Daugherty

TV: ESPN+

Play-By-Play: Al Pawlowski, Ed Daugherty

SETTING THE SCENE

The Cleveland State Men's Basketball team returns to the Wolstein Center to host Northern Kentucky on Wednesday night. The Vikings have won eight straight games including six in a row in league play and sit atop the Horizon League standings. Cleveland State's streak is tied for the fourth-longest active streak in the nation. NKU is 4-3 in league play and an even 9-9 overall. The Norse are in fifth place in the league standings headed into Wednesday's action. 

THE CLEVELAND STATE/NKU SERIES

Wednesday's game is the 21st all-time meeting between Cleveland State and Northern Kentucky. The Norse hold a slim 11-9 advantage in the all-time series. The two teams have been notorious for playing close games in the recent past, as each of the last five matchups between the two teams the last two seasons has come down to one possession. The two teams split the two meetings last season with each winning on its home floor. Cleveland State won in Overtime at the Wolstein Center on January 7 and NKU claimed a 75-73 win in the most recent meeting on February 22. The Norse also edged the Vikings in the Horizon League Tournament Championship Game in 2023 in another game that came down to the final possession. 

VIKINGS WIN EIGHTH IN A ROW AT YOUNGSTOWN STATE

In a game that featured the top two teams in the Horizon League standings, Cleveland State emerged with a key road victory at Youngstown State, 80-72. The Vikings took over sole possession of first place in the league with the win. CSU led by six at halftime and by as many as 16 midway through the second half. YSU mounted a late charge and moved within a point in the closing minutes before a huge three-point shot from Tahj Staveskie pushed the lead back to four and allowed the Vikings to hold on. Staveskie led a group of five players in double figures with a game-high 21 points. 

VIKINGS WIN SEVENTH STRAIGHT AT ROBERT MORRIS

Cleveland State won its seventh consecutive game as the Vikings defeated Robert Morris 80-69 to improve to 5-1 in league play. Cleveland State got balanced scoring once again as five players finished in double figures, led by Dylan Arnett's 16 points. The Vikings trailed by a point after a back and forth first half before breaking the game open in the second half. A 14-0 run midway through the period pushed the lead to double digits and put the game out of reach. Tevin Smith recorded his second double-double finishing with 11 points and 10 rebounds. 

RED HOT VIKINGS WIN SIXTH STRAIGHT, DEFEAT IU INDY

Cleveland State won its sixth consecutive game as the Vikings held off a scrappy IU Indianapolis team 67-61 at the Wolstein Center. Tahj Staveskie tied a season high with 20 points on 50 percent shooting from the field. The Vikings prevailed thanks to a 28-16 edge in the paint and converting IU Indy turnovers into points. The Vikings forced 14 turnovers and converted them into 25 total points. 

CLEVELAND STATE WINS FIFTH STRAIGHT, DOWNS WRIGHT STATE

Cleveland State won its fifth game in a row and its third consecutive in league play with a 78-64 decision over Wright State at the Wolstein Center. The Vikings shot 49 percent from the floor and 50 percent from three-point range in the win. Cleveland State continued its unselfish play of late, finishing with 17 assists against just eight turnovers. This marks the fourth straight game that the Vikings have finished with single-digit turnovers. Chase Robinson led a quartet of players who finished in double figures with a new season high of 16 points. 

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. 

STEVENSON EARNS FOURTH STRAIGHT #HLMBB FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK

Je'Shawn Stevenson continued his strong play throughout the start of the season last week and earned his fourth straight Horizon League Freshman of the Week award. Stevenson has scored in double figures in five of the last six games and seven overall this season. He tallied 12 points in Sunday's win against Wright State, finishing 4-of-5 from the floor and 3-of-4 from the free throw line. 
 

SCOUTING THE NORSE

Northern Kentucky is 9-9 and 4-3 in Horizon League play coming into Wednesday's game. The Norse have dropped their last two league games coming in, falling on the road at Youngstown State and at home to Oakland on Saturday after winning four of their first five in conference play. The Norse are led by Trey Robinson and Sam Vinson, who were each named first-team all-conference in the preseason. Robinson is averaging 15.6 points per game and Vinson is averaging 11.6. Darrin Horn is in his sixth season as the head coach. Horn holds a 6-5 record against Cleveland State in his career at NKU. 

SMITH NAMED #HLMBB PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Tevin Smith joined Je'Shawn Stevenson in the weekly award category as the two combined to sweep the Horizon League's weekly awards on Monday, December 23. 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.  

INSIDE THE WIN STREAK

Cleveland State has won eight consecutive games and has done so thanks to strong play on the defensive end of the floor. The winning streak currently stands as tied for the fourth-longest in the country. Only Iowa State, Duke and Michigan State have longer active win streaks. Cleveland State is allowing just 62.4 points per game during the streak and has held opponents to 39 percent shooting. CSU is out-rebounding opponents by a +5.5 margin during the streak and sports a 2.3 assist-to-turnover ratio, averaging over 19 assists against just 8 turnovers per game. 

VIKINGS IN THE HORIZON LEAGUE RANKINGS

Through the early going of conference play, Cleveland State is well represented at the top of the Horizon League rankings in several team and individual categories. As a team, the Vikings lead the league in three-point percentage at 43.5 percent coming into Wednesday's game, and are second in field goal percentage at 47.7 percent. The Vikings also lead the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.7) and are second in turnover margin (+4.86). Individually, Tahj Staveskie leads the league in three-point percentage at a blistering 49 percent. Ebrima Dibba leads the league in assist-to-turnover ratio with a stellar 6.2 margin, and is second in assists per game at 5.3. 

HOME SWEET HOME

Cleveland State has made a habit of protecting its home court throughout the last two seasons. The Vikings are 8-2 at home to start this season and finished 14-3 at home in the 2023-24 season as well as a 35-8 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.  

UP NEXT

Cleveland State heads back on the road to take on IU Indianapolis. The Vikings and Jaguars will meet for the second time in 15 days on Sunday afternoon in Indianapolis. The game is scheduled for a 2:00 p.m. tip.