GAME #21
Cleveland State (6-14, 2-7) vs. Wright State (12-7, 7-1)
Wednesday, January 21 | 7:00 pm | Nutter Center
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SETTING THE SCENE
Cleveland State will embark on a three-game road swing over the next two weeks, starting with Horizon League frontrunners Wright State at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, January 21, inside the Nutter Center. Heading into the game, the Green and White are 6-14 overall and 2-7 in Horizon League play, while the Raiders are 12-7 on the season and 7-1 in league games.
 
A WIN ON WEDNESDAY WOULD…
Give the Vikings their first road win of the season…Be the first-time the team claimed back-to-back victories…Tilt the last ten matchups in their favor with it currently at 5-5…First win at Wright State since 2024.
 
LAST GAME OUT
Cleveland State upended Youngstown State at home on Saturday afternoon, 80-78, behind a season-and-game-best 26 points from Dayan Nessah. The sophomore was 5-of-9 from the field and 15-of-21 from the charity stripe, tying him for the fourth most made free throws in a single game.
 
As a team, CSU made a season-high 30 free throws on 39 attempts.
 
The Vikings biggest lead in the first half was 28-21 with 2:48 left, but YSU ended the first half on a 7-0 run to go into the break at 28 each. The largest Vikings deficit of the day came at the 14:36 mark of the second half, trailing 46-37.
 
The Green and White chipped away at the lead and tied the game 59-59 at the 7:40 mark. CSU took the lead on a Beard free throw at the 5:35 mark and did not relinquish the lead for the rest of the game.
 
LAST SEASON WITH WRIGHT STATE
These two teams split the season series last year, with each winning on their home courts. The Vikings took the first contest in December, 67-61, before falling in a nationally televised game in February, 82-76.
 
SHOOT-OUT FROM DEEP
This matchup will feature the top two three-point shooting teams in the Horizon League as each squad is 37 percent from long range. Cleveland State is 206-of-552 and led by Tre Beard with 50 made buckets. Wright State is 141-of-378 from deep and led by Solomon Callaghan with 42 made.
 
ABOUT WRIGHT STATE
The Raiders are atop the Horizon League standings, having won seven straight games, and are currently 12-7 overall and 7-1 in the league. Wright State is 7-2 at home this season, with their last home loss occurring against receiving votes, Miami (OH) on December 16 by a score of 83-76.
 
Kellen Pickett has been named the Horizon League Freshman of the Week for three straight weeks and is coming off his second-straight 18-point performance versus Youngstown State on Thursday.
 
Four players averaged double-digit points, led by Michael Cooper at 14.7 points per game. Michael Imariagbe leads the way on the boards, averaging 5.4 per game, while Tj Burch has dished out 61 assists.
 
OVER/UNDER FOR THE WIN
The Vikings are 4-0 this season when shooting better than 50 percent from the field, eclipsing that mark in the most recent game against Youngstown State.
 
BEARD IS BIG FROM DISTANCE
Beard is 46th in the nation and tops in the Horizon League in three-point shooting percentage at 44.2 percent. The senior is second in the league with 50 deep balls and average made at 2.94 per game. He remains 17th in the league in scoring at 13.5 points per game and is 13th in assists per game at 3.06.
 
NESSAH IN THE MOMENT
Nessah's 14.5 points per game rank him 13th in the league. The sophomore has reached double-digits in 15 contests and has reached the 20-point plateau in five games. He is also eighth in the league with 5.95 rebounds per game, reaching double-digits twice.
 
PROTECTING THE PAINT
Pierre-Louis has 22 blocks this season, averaging 1.29 per game, which ranks fourth in the league.
 
UP NEXT
The Vikings will have nine days off before heading out on the yearly Wisconsin trip, starting with Green Bay on Friday, January 30, at 7 p.m.