GAME 26
RMU (11-14 / 6-8 #HLMBB) @ Cleveland State (14-11 / 9-5 #HLMBB)
Friday, February 10, 2023 • 7:00 p.m.
Wolstein Center (13,610) • Cleveland, Ohio

TV: ESPN+ w/ Al Pawlowski (pxp) & Jensen Lewis (color)
Radio: RMU Athletics Gameday App w/ Chris Shovlin (pxp)
Twitter: @RMUMBasketball • Instagram: RMUMBasketball
 
Opening Tip
 
- The RMU men's basketball team heads out on the road for a two-game swing, beginning Friday with a 7:00 p.m. tip against Cleveland State at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Ohio.
 
- The Colonials wrapped up a four-game homestand in their last outing, dropping an 82-67 decision to Wright State (2/4/23) at the UPMC Events Center. Junior guard Enoch Cheeks paced RMU with 21 points and also recorded four rebounds, two assists and three steals.
 
- Fifth-year forward Kahliel Spear recorded his third consecutive double-double and 10th of the 2022-23 campaign with 11 points and 11 rebounds against the Raiders, while freshman forward Stephaun Walker finished with 10 points and five rebounds. The Colonials concluded their four-game homestand at the UPMC Events Center with a 2-2 (.500) record.
 
- During its four-game homestand, fifth-year forward Kahliel Spear paced the Colonials, averaging 20.8 points and 9.0 rebounds while shooting 61.5 percent (32-for-52) from the field. Spear sits fourth overall this season in the Horizon League in field goal percentage at 52 percent (153-for-294).
 
- The Colonials had a three-game surge snapped by falling to Northern Kentucky (2/2/23), 62-52, to open February. The Norse closed the game on a 17-2 run to earn the win as RMU tied a season high with 19 turnovers. The Colonials also finished with 19 turnovers in a 71-66 triumph @ Central Michigan (12/7/22).
 
- Junior guard Enoch Cheeks led RMU against NKU with 20 points and also finished with eight rebounds and three steals. Fifth-year forward Kahliel Spear, meanwhile, notched 17 points and 10 rebounds. Cheeks (16.5 ppg) and Spear (15.8 ppg) rank seventh and 10th, respectively, in the Horizon League in scoring.
 
- Behind a career-high 30 points and 11 rebounds from fifth-year forward Kahliel Spear, the Colonials closed out January with a 68-63 victory over Oakland (1/29/23). Spear shot 11-for-16 from the field in the victory, including 3-for-4 from beyond the arc, and was a perfect 5-for-5 at the free-throw line.
 
- Thanks to a dunk to open the scoring in the second half against the Golden Grizzlies, fifth-year forward Kahliel Spear eclipsed the 1,000-point plateau as a member of the Colonials, becoming the 15th student-athlete in program history to eclipse career totals of both 1,000 points and 500 rebounds. He also became the 26th member of the RMU 1,000-Point Club.
 
- The Colonials will conclude their two-game road trip after taking on the Vikings Saturday, Feb. 12, with a 1:00 p.m. tip @ Purdue Fort Wayne. RMU returns to the UPMC Events Center to close out the home portion of its 2022-23 regular season with a three-game homestand after its tilt with the Mastodons.

CLEVELAND STATE LINKS
- Game Notes (PDF)
- Audio
- Video
- Live Stats
- RMU Athletics Gameday App
 
The All-Time Series (Cleveland State) – RMU and Cleveland State tip for the 20th time Friday, with the Vikings owning a 12-7 (.632) edge in the all-time series. CSU has won six consecutive games over the Colonials. The Vikings earned a 63-54 win over RMU in the opening game of the 2022-23 season series. In that contest junior guard Enoch Cheeks led the Colonials with 19 points while also registering three rebounds and a pair of assists. The last victory for RMU over Cleveland State came at the Charles L. Sewall Center (11/20/12), a 71-62 victory that was part of the 2012 NIT Season Tip-Off. The Colonials were led by forward Mike McFadden and guard Velton Jones with 15 points each.
 
Wright State Notes – The Raiders earned a split in the 2022-23 season series with the victory at the UPMC Events Center and improved to 7-1 (.875) all-time against RMU ... Wright State established season highs by an opponent in field goals (35) and attempts (67), a success rate of 52.2 percent ... The Colonials also finished with 67 attempts from the floor, converting 27 (40.3%) ... RMU dipped to 7-7 (.500) under RMU Pat Gallagher Head Coach Andrew Toole when tied with an opponent in field goal attempts ... Wright State posted a 45-35 advantage in rebounding, while the Colonials notched a 15-14 edge in offensive caroms ... Sophomore forward Trey James set a career high with five boards, including four offensive rebounds.
 
Fantastic Four – Thanks to averaging a team-high 20.8 points during RMU's four-game homestand, fifth-year forward Kahliel Spear has now stretched his streak for consecutive double-figure scoring games to nine. During that stretch, Spear has produced averages of 20.0 points and 9.1 rebounds while shooting 57.6 percent (68-for-118) from the floor. Meanwhile, junior guard Enoch Cheeks closed out the four-game homestand for the Colonials by averaging 20.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals against Northern Kentucky (2/2/23) and Wright State (2/4/23). Cheeks finished the homestand by averaging 14.5 points, 3.5 assists and 2.5 steals while shooting 45.1 percent (23-for-51). 
 
Double Vision – Fifth-year forward Kahliel Spear recorded his third consecutive and 10th double-double of the 2022-23 season against Wright State (2/4/23) to conclude a four-game homestand at the UPMC Events Center, finishing with 11 points and 11 rebounds. The double-double was also the 19th of his career with the Colonials, which ranks second all-time in program history. The only student-athlete in program history to post at least 20 double-doubles over the course of his career is former forward A.J. Jackson (2003-08), who finished with 25.
 
Defense Wins Championships – The numbers bear out that following in the footsteps of defending is victories. Over the last 16 years, RMU owns a record of 217-66 (.767) when holding opponents under 70 points since the beginning of the 2007-08 season. Despite a 65-52 setback to Northern Kentucky (2/2/23) at the UPMC Events Center, the Colonials own a mark of 166-59 (.738) under 13th-year RMU Pat Gallagher Head Coach Andrew Toole when turning the trick. Overall in the last 16 years, RMU has held its opponent to under 70 points 54 percent (282-of-522) of the time. 

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