Vikings Welcome In Panthers For A Saturday Afternoon Clash

***Preview provided by Cleveland State***

GAME #16
Milwaukee (8-8, 1-2 HL) at Cleveland State (4-11, 1-1 HL)

Saturday, January 6, 2018 | 3:30 pm
Cleveland, Ohio | Wolstein Center
Live Stats | ESPN3 | AM 1420

PDF GAME NOTES
Milwaukee at Cleveland State

GAME PREVIEW:
•     Cleveland State concludes its three-game homestand to open Horizon League play when the Vikings host Milwaukee on Saturday (Jan. 6) at 3:30 pm in the Wolstein Center.
•    The Vikings are 4-11 overall and 1-1 in League play after an 80-79 win over Green Bay on Thursday night.
•    Milwaukee is 8-8 overall (1-2 HL) and is coming off a 72-63 setback at Youngstown State on Thursday night.
•    Saturday’s game will be broadcast on AM 1220, AM 1420 and AM 1440, as well as ESPN3.
•    Al Pawlowski and Pat Vuyancih will provide the call.
•    Saturday is a Family Value Weekend with $1 hot dogs, and a FREE KidZone. The first 1,000 fans will recieve a Viking knit hat.
•    Tickets are available by phone or text at 216-687-4848, in-person at the Wolstein Center Box Office or online at www.csuvikings.com.
   
THE MILWAUKEE SERIES:
•     Milwaukee leads the all-time series with CSU, 26-20.
•     The teams split two games last year with each team winning on its own home court.
•    The Panthers have won three of the last four in the series, while the teams have split the last 10 meetings.
•    CSU is 14-9 all-time against Milwaukee in Cleveland.
   
GAME 15: @CSU 80, GREEN BAY 79 (1/4/18):
• Four players scored in double figures as Cleveland State earned its first Horizon League win of the season on Thursday.
• Kenny Carpenter scored 20 points and added six rebounds.
• Bobby Word posted his first career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while also reaching 1,000 career points.
• Tyree Appleby finished with 14 points and six assists, while Stefan Kenic had 11 points and five rebounds.

CARDIAC VIKINGS:
•    The Vikings have played in six one possession games this year, posting a 2-4 mark in those games.
•    Both of CSU’s League games have come down to the final possession as the Vikings fell to Youngstown State (80-77) and defeated Green Bay (80-79).
•    CSU played in three straight one poessession games from Nov. 20 through Nov. 29.
•    CSU fell at ECU, 72-69 (Nov. 20), lost at home to Central Conn., 74-73, (Nov. 24), and topped Arkansas State, 75-72 (Nov. 29).
•    It was the first time CSU played three straight one poessession games since the 1999-2000 season when CSU fell at St. Bonaventure, 71-69, (12/30/99), and won at Loyola, 70-68 (1/6/00) and at UIC, 91-89 (1/8/00).
•    The Vikings also had a one possession games at Niagara (L, 79-77 on Dec. 19).

WORD REACHES 1,000 CAREER POINTS:
•    With his 11 point effort vs. Green Bay on Thursday night (Jan. 4), Bobby Word reached 1,000 career points.
•     Word scored487 points during his two seasons at Oral Roberts and has 516 points during his CSU career.
•     He is averaging 21.3 points over the last three games.

… AND NOTCHES FIRST CAREER DOUBLE-DOUBLE:
•    Bobby Word notched his first career double-double in Thursday’s win vs. Green Bay.
• Word scored 14 points and added a career-high 10 rebounds. His old career-high was seven rebounds.

WORD UP!:
•     Senior Bobby Word has started all 47 games of his CSU career.
•    He is 20th in the League in scoring this year (11.4), while ranking fifth in the League in three pointers (2.3).
•    Word scored a career-high 26 points – hitting a career-best seven threes – at Michigan State (Dec. 29).
•    He followed that up with a 24 point effort vs. Youngstown State (Jan. 1), which included nine points in the final 49 seconds. His three-pointer with nine seconds left tied the game at 77-77 before the Penguins won it with a buzzer beater.
•    Word scored a team-high 19 points in a win over Notre Dame College (Dec. 10). He also made 5-of-6 from three-point for 15 points vs. Central Connecticut (Nov. 24).
•    Word is the top returning scorer from last year’s team (11.1).

CARPENTER GOING TO WORK:
•     Senior Kenny Carpenter is enjoying his best season to date.
•    He ranks 13th in the Horizon League in scoring (13.3) and rebounding (5.5), while adding 2.5 assists.
•    Carpenter is also eighth in field goal percentage (.497).
•    He has two, 20-point games this year and has scored in double figures 11 times.
•    Carpenter scored a career-high 26 points against Coppin State (Nov. 17), bettering his old career-high of 24 points set at UIC as a sophomore.
•    He scored 24 points in the first half vs. Coppin State and finished the game 10-of-17 from the field, including 6-of-11 from three-point.
•    The six three-pointers are tied for the fourth most in a game in program history and the 17th time a CSU player made six three’s.
•    He became the first CSU player to make six threes since Charlie Lee hit six at Oakland on Feb. 6, 2014.

… AND DOUBLES UP TWICE:
•     Kenny Carpenter has posted two double-doubles this year, the first two of his career.
•    Carpenter recorded his first career double-double with 11 points and a career-high 12 boards in the season opener at Akron (Nov. 11).
•    He posted a career-high 26 points and 11 rebounds against Coppin State (Nov. 17).
•    Carpenter is one of eight players in the Horizon League who has multiple double-doubles this year.

CLAYBORNE RETURNS TO LINEUP:
•     After missing seven games with a knee injury, Evan Clayborne returned to the lineup on Thursday night vs. Green Bay (Jan. 4).
•     Clayborne came off the bench and played 10 minutes, finishing with four points, one rebound and three blocked shots.

HAIRSTON EARNS FIRST CAREER START:
•     Jamarcus Hariston earned his first career start at CSU in Thursday’s game vs. Green Bay. He totaled two points, four rebounds and two steals in 26 minutes.
•    Hairston tallied seven points and set career-highs in rebounds (6) and assists (3) against Youngstown State (Jan. 1).
•    He scored a career-high 17 points at Niagara (Dec. 19), hitting 7-of-9 from the field, adding five boards and two assists in a career-high 31 minutes.
•    Hairston’s old career-high was 13 points set in the season opener against Kent State last year.

APPLEBY APPEALING:
•     Tyree Appleby is averaging 11.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.5 steals in his first season of college basketball.
•    He ranks fifth in the League in steals, seventh in assists and is 21st in scoring – the second highest scoring freshman in the League.
•    He is a two-time Horizon League Freshman of the Week, earning the award in back-to-back weeks (Dec. 4 & Dec. 10).
•    Appleby earned the first award after averaging 10.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals vs. Arkansas State and at Kent State, shooting .562 (9-16) from the floor.
•    Appleby picked up his second straight honor after averaging 18.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 3.5 steals, while shooting .800 (12-15) from the field, including 5-of-6 (.833) from three-point at Western Michigan and vs. Notre Dame College.
•    Appleby scored a career-high 24 points at Western Michigan (Dec. 6), hitting 8-of-10 from the field, including 4-of-5 from three-point and all four free throws, while adding three rebounds, three assists and three steals.
•    It was the most points by a CSU freshman since Rob Edwards scored 26 points at Detroit Mercy on Jan. 4, 2016.

THE WRIGHT STUFF:
•     Anthony Wright recorded his first career double-double on Dec. 2 at Kent State.
•    Wright scored a career-high 21 points, hitting 8-of-11 from the field, including a career-best four three’s (in six attempts). He also had a career-high tying 11 rebounds.
•    Wright is averaging 8.2 points and ranks ninth in the League with 6.1 rebounds.
•    Wright is shooting .806 (25-31) at free throw line and has made his last 11 free throws.
•    After coming off the bench in the first two games, Wright has drawn a starting assignment in the last 14 contests.

THE FELTON FILE:
•     First-year head coach Dennis Felton earned his first victory at CSU with an 80-56 win over Coppin State (Nov. 17).
•     Felton, who made his CSU regular season debut on Nov. 11 at Akron, was named the 15th head coach in CSU history on March 24.
•    Felton, a coaching veteran with more than 30 years of experience, is in his 12th season as a head coach, having spent five years at Western Kentucky (1998-03) and five-plus seasons at Georgia (2003-09).
•    During his time on the sidelines Felton has amassed 188 victories, won seven conference championships and led six of his teams to the postseason, including four NCAA berths.

DOUBLE UP:
•     Saturday’s game will be the second of three doubleheaders at home with the CSU men’s and women’s teams.
•    The first doubleheader was on Thursday (Jan. 4) when the women’s squad fell to IUPUI and the mean defeated Green Bay. The final home doubleheader of the yaer is  Jan. 20 when the women’s team hosts Youngstown State and the men’s squad plays UIC.
•    The programs will also play two true road doubleheaders with both teams playing at Northern Kentucky on Jan. 15 and concluding the regular season with a doubleheader at Youngstown State on Feb. 24.

VIKINGS TIE THREE POINT MARK WITH 14 MAKES:
•     The Vikings have tied the single game school record with 14 made three-pointers two times this year.
•    CSU was 14-of-32 from three-point against Coppin State (Nov. 17) and went 14-of-39 from long distance against Notre Dame College (Dec. 10).
•    The Vikings have hit 14 three’s in a game six times in school history.

FOR THREE:
•    CSU has hit a three-pointer in a school record 612 consecutive games.
•    The Vikings have hit at least three three’s in 161 straight contests, extending the streak with five threes vs. Green Bay on Thursday.
•    The last time CSU failed to make a three-pointer was Feb. 21, 1998, when the Vikings were 0-for-8 in a 60-57 win over Detroit.

UP NEXT:
•    The Vikings hit the road for two games next week.
•    CSU will play at Detroit Mercy on Thursday (Jan. 10) at 7:00 pm and at Oakland on Friday (Jan. 12) at 7:00 pm.