GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Cleveland State (11-20, 7-11 HL) #7 Seed | Tuesday, March 3 - 7 PM | Athletics Center O'Rena | Rochester, MI | Horizon League Championship #6 vs #7 - Round One | Full Bracket
COVERAGE BROADCAST
ESPN+ | TALENT: Neal Ruhl (PxP) and Dan Waterstradt (Analyst) | RADIO: WDFN-AM (1130), iHeart Radio app | TALENT: Brad Golder (PxP)
ROCHESTER, Michigan - Oakland University men's basketball opens play in the Horizon League Championship at the O'Rena on Tuesday, March 3, against Cleveland State. Tipoff set for 7 pm on ESPN+.
The Golden Grizzlies enter the week as the No. 6 seed in the bracket. Oakland is 3-6 in the Horizon League Championship since joining the league and 17-15 all-time in Division I league tournaments. The Golden Grizzlies are 14-8 all-time as the higher seed in conference tournaments.
Last time Oakland and CSU met up in postseason play was March 5, 2018, in the semifinals at Little Caesars Arena. Cleveland State won the low-scoring contest, 44-43. It was a season low in points and shooting percentage - 25 percent from the floor - for the Black and Gold.
The Golden Grizzlies have claimed both matchups with the Vikings this season, most recently earning a five-point victory at the O'Rena on February 13. Sophomore guard Rashad Williams led Oakland past his former team with 28 points - 15 coming from five three-point field goals.
Williams leads the Golden Grizzlies with 56 made triples this season. He has made five or more three's in six of 13 games this season.
Senior forward Xavier Hill-Mais was recently named All-League First Team. He ranked inside the top-five in five different statistical categories, including leading the conference in field goal percentage - 51.9 percent. The Greensboro, North Carolina, native is the only player in the league to rank top five in both points and rebounds per game - fifth in scoring at 16.71 ppg, fourth in rebounding at 8.16 rpg.
Freshman guard Blake Lampman also earned yearly honors from the league, earning a spot on the league's All-Freshman Team. He leads all freshmen in the Horizon League in made three-point field goals and ranks seventh all-time in league history for made triples by a freshman. Lampman has knocked down three or more three-pointers in 10 games this season and put together a stretch of eight games with at least one made three. He led all Oakland freshmen in minutes, playing 751 - 24.2 per game.
Cleveland State has dropped three of its past four - beating Milwaukee 70-68 on February 27. The Vikings are led by Algevon Eichelberger. The junior out of Saginaw is averaging a team-high 14.4 ppg and 6.5 rpg. Eichelberger was recently named to the All-League Third Team. First-year head Coach Dennis Gates split the conference's coach of the year plaudit with Wright State's Scott Nagy.
Inside the Series
Overall: Oakland, 10-8
At Home: 5-3
At CSU: 5-4
At Neutral: 0-1
Current Streak: Oakland, 4
This Season: W, 68-55, Wolstein Center, Jan. 11 | W, 79-74, O'Rena, Feb. 13
Series Note: Last home loss to CSU came on Jan. 16, 2017
Notes
- Oakland's scoring with Williams versus without is a difference of 9.5 ppg. Oakland's eight-game streak of at least 70 points came to a close on February 27 in a 71-68 loss at IUPUI.
- The last time Oakland did not convert a shot from behind the arc was on Jan. 30, 1988 vs. Wayne State University. The Golden Grizzlies have hit a three-ball in 1,001-consecutive games, which is the fifth-longest streak in the NCAA.
- Oakland is 3-6 in the Horizon League Championship since joining the league and 17-15 all-time in Division I league tournaments. The Golden Grizzlies are 14-8 all-time as the higher seed in the conference tournament.
- Xavier Hill-Mais was named to the All-League First Team for the second-straight season.
- Blake Lampman was named to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team.
- With the win at UIC last time out, Oakland avoids its first 20-loss season since 2013-14. Since the Golden Grizzlies' started playing basketball as the Pioneers in 1967-68, Oakland has had four 20 loss seasons - only one under head coach Greg Kampe.
- Rashad Williams ranks second in Cleveland State single-season history with 91 made three-pointers last season. In 13 games as a Golden Grizzly, Williams has a team-high 56 made three-point field goals.
- Oakland closed out the regular season winning five of its last six games.
