#HLMBB Weekly Notebook – February 26

#HLMBB Weekly Notebook – February 26

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INDIANAPOLIS – It is the final week of #HLMBB play with every single seed for the Horizon League Basketball Championships on the line. Wright State and Northern Kentucky battle on Friday on ESPNU with the winner earning the No. 1 seed, while three teams, Green Bay, UIC and Youngstown State are tied at 9-7 and will look to take the No. 3 seed and a bye into the quarterfinals. Milwaukee and Oakland are two games behind that pack and will look secure the final first round home game to be played on Tuesday.

#HLMBB NEWS & NOTES
• Wright State and Northern Kentucky renew their rivalry on national television on Friday with the winner earning the top-seed in the Horizon League Basketball Championship. The Raiders have the top offense during #HLMBB at 82.9 points per game, while NKU is the best scoring defense allowing just 65.4 points per HL contest.

• WSU comes in at No. 14 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 poll with Northern Kentucky receiving votes. With 24 wins this season, the Raiders are tied for the seventh-most wins in the country.

• The Raiders are 14-3 to in #HLMBB play and have been dominant so far this season. In HL play, they rank tops in scoring, rebounding, field-goal percentage and 3-point field goal percentage. Nationally, WSU is fourth in the country in scoring offense with 82.0 points per game and 17th in rebounds per game at 40.0.

• Loudon Love leads the charge for the Raiders as he is averaging a double-double during Horizon League play with 17.7 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. Bill Wampler is right behind Love in terms of points averaging 17.2 per game while also leading the HL with a 47.4 3-point shooting percentage.

• The Norse boast one of the best defenses during HL play as they are tops on scoring defense, second in opponent field goal percentage and third in 3-point field goal percentage defense. They rank 34th in the NCAA in 3-point field goal percentage defense and 35th in steals per game.

• Dantez Walton leads the NKU offense as he has recorded three 20-point performance in HL play in just seven games, missing a large chunk of the season due to injury. Tyler Sharpe is averaging a team-best 14.7 points during #HLMBB play and is fifth in 3-pointers made averaging 2.4 per League contest.

• Green Bay, UIC and Youngstown State are tied at 9-6 in the HL standings and are in a fight to lock up third place in the standings as the No. 3 seed will now earn a first-round bye and a home game in the quarterfinals after Detroit Mercy was ruled ineligible by the NCAA.

• The Phoenix are fifth in the country in scoring offense at 81.8 points per game, as JayQuan McCloud is third during HL play with 18.8 points per game. The Penguins are fourth in the NCAA in offensive rebounds per game with 14.07 as Naz Bohannon is fifth individually in the country with 4.1. UIC is getting done on the defensive end during Horizon League play ranking tops in opponent field goal percentage, 3-point field goal percentage defense and blocks, while ranking second in scoring defense.

• Amari Davis of Green Bay set the record for most #HLMBB Freshman of the Week honors in a season with nine during the 2019-20 campaign. Davis ranks ninth during League play with 16.3 points per game and is fourth in shooting percentage at 48.1 percent from the floor.

• Darius Quisenberry had a game few YSU fans will soon forget as he scored a career-high 41 points to hand Wright State just its third #HLMBB loss of the season. The sophomore sensation 14-for-26 from the floor, including 7-for-11 from long range, and was a perfect 6-for-6 from the line, while grabbing six rebounds.

• Tarkus Ferguson continues to do a little bit of everything for the Flames leading the team in points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals. He is the only Horizon League player to rank top-15 in points and rebounds and top-5 in assists.  

• Preseason Player of the Year Antoine Davis of Detroit Mercy continues to lead the HL in scoring and ranks fifth in the NCAA as he is averaging 23.6 points per game. In addition, he is seventh in the country in free throw percentage (90.9) and top-10 in the country in 3-pointers per game (3.29).

• Milwaukee and Oakland are tied at 7-9 coming into the final weekend and will look to secure the final home game for the first round of the Horizon League Men’s Basketball Championship. Te’Jon Lucas leads the Panthers as ranks top-10 during Horizon League play in scoring, at 16.1 points per game and first in assists at 5.4. The Golden Grizzlies are riding a four-game winning streak behind back-to-back #HLMBB Player of the Week Xavier Hill-Mais who has recorded three-straight double-doubles and five-consecutive 20-plus point performances.

• Cleveland State is just one game behind Milwaukee and Oakland for the sixth seed and a home game in the first round. Algevon Eichelberger and Torrey Patton are both top-20 in points and rebounds during League play, combining for 28.1 points and 11.8 boards.

• IUPUI’s Elyjah Goss leads the HL during League play in rebounding, at 13.6 a game and is fifth in the NCAA. Marcus Burk (23.4) is the top scorer during #HLMBB play and Jaylen Minnett (18.8) is tied as the third-leading scorer.

RESULTS
DATE GAME RECAP
Thursday, Feb. 20 Youngstown State 88, Wright State 70 Box Score
Northern Kentucky 73, Cleveland State 59 Box Score
Friday, Feb. 21 Green Bay 84, Detroit Mercy 67 Box Score
Oakland 75, Milwaukee 68 Box Score
Saturday, Feb. 22 Northern Kentucky 61, Youngstown State 59 Box Score
Wright State 81, Cleveland State 74 Box Score
UIC 77, IUPUI 72 Box Score
Sunday, Feb. 23 Detroit Mercy 79, Milwaukee 73 Box Score
Oakland 92, Green Bay 88 (2OT) Box Score

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
DATE GAME Time (ET) TV/Live Stream
Thursday, Feb. 27 Oakland at IUPUI 7 p.m. ESPN+
Youngstown State at Green Bay 8 p.m. ESPN+
Cleveland State at Milwaukee 8 p.m. ESPN+
Detroit Mercy at UIC 8 p.m. ESPN+
Friday, Feb. 28 Wright State at Northern Kentucky 7 p.m. ESPNU
Saturday, Feb. 29 Detroit Mercy at IUPUI Noon ESPN3
Oakland at UIC 4:12 p.m. ESPN+
Cleveland State at Green Bay 8 p.m. ESPN+
Youngstown State at Milwaukee 8 p.m. ESPN+