#HLMBB Weekly Notebook – February 24

#HLMBB Weekly Notebook – February 24

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INDIANAPOLIS – The Horizon League Basketball Championships begin on Thursday with first-round matchups on campus as seeds 5-8 will host seeds 9-12 with the winners advancing to the quarterfinal round on Tuesday, March 2 at the sites of the top four seeds.

HLMBB NEWS & NOTES
• As the No. 5 seed, Detroit Mercy comes into the championship as one of the hottest teams in the Horizon League as the Titans are 10-2 over their last 12 games. As a team, Detroit Mercy is tops in the Horizon League averaging almost 11 triples per game and shooting 40.4 percent from long range, while also top-3 in scoring offense and field-goal percentage. All-League First Team selection Antoine Davis leads the Titans as he is the League’s top scorer during HL play at 24.5 points per game, hitting just over four 3-pointers per game, and has scored over 20 points in the last 12 contests. Overall he is third in the nation at 23.2 points per game. Bul Kuol earned a third team selection after averaging 16.4 points in League play and Matt Johnson was named Sixth Man of the Year coming off the bench in 12 games in HL play and averaged 8.3 points and shot 46.8 percent from the floor.

• Youngstown State is the No. 6 seed after closing the season winning five out of its final six #HLMBB games to finish HL play 9-11. The Penguins boast All-League Second Team selection Naz Bohannon who finished top-10 in scoring (16.5), field-goal percentage (51.5) and rebounding (8.2) during Horizon League play. YSU also welcomed back Darius Quisenberry to the floor earlier this month after missing a large chunk of the season and is averaging 16.5 points per game over the last six HL contests. In addition, Shemar Rathan-Mayes was selected to the All-Freshman Team and Garrett Covington earned his third All-Defensive Team selection.

• Green Bay enters the Horizon League Basketball Championship as the No. 7 seed finishing the Horizon League season with an 8-12 mark. Amari Davis was selected to the All-Horizon League Second Team after being named Freshman of the Year a season ago and ranks fourth during HL play with 18.0 points and fifth in steals at 1.6. GB also landed Lucas Stieber on the All-Freshman Team. The Phoenix ended the regular season ranked first in blocks at 3.7 and assist/turnover at 1.42.

• Milwaukee claimed the No. 8 seed and the final home game of the first round after winning its regular-season finale at home in double overtime to close the League season 7-10. Te’Jon Lucas earned All-Horizon League Third Team honors ranking second during HL play in assists at 5.8 and top-20 in scoring at 14.4. DeAndre Gholston leads the team and is ninth in scoring in League play with 16.5 points and has posted six 20-point efforts this season.

• IUPUI is the No. 9 seed after ending the season winning four out of its last six games and is led by All-League Second Team honoree Marcus Burk who finished the HL season second in scoring at 22.5 points per game and third in 3-point field goal percentage shooting 42.9 percent. The Jags also boast the leading rebounder in HL play in Elyjah Goss at 11.0 and also Jaylen Minnett who is averaging 16.0 points per game.

• Purdue Fort Wayne heads into the championship as the No. 10 seed and one of the most efficient shooting teams in the country ranking, 11th in the country in both field-goal percentage and 3-point field-goal percentage. Jarred Godfrey earned an All-League Third Team honor after scoring 16.6 points per game during the HL season, shooting 48.5 percent from the field, and grabbing 5.6 boards.

• UIC is the No. 11 seed and is led offensively by Teyvion Kirk averaging 15.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game against HL opponents. The Flames are one of the better defensive teams in the League as they are top-5 in the HL in defensive field-goal percentage, defensive 3-point field-goal percentage and blocks.

• RMU enters the championship as the No. 12 seed with Jon Williams averaging 10.9 points per game and shooting 42.0 percent from 3-point range during League play, while Kam Farris is also hitting triples at a 46.7 percent clip against HL opponents.

RESULTS
DATE GAME RECAP
Friday, Feb. 19 IUPUI 72, Youngstown State 70 Box Score
Northern Kentucky 81, Wright State 75 Box Score
Detroit Mercy 85, RMU 74 Box Score
Oakland 85, Milwaukee 81 Box Score
Purdue Fort Wayne 75, Cleveland State 68 Box Score
UIC 61, Green Bay 58 Box Score
Saturday, Feb. 20 Youngstown State 77, IUPUI 70 Box Score
Cleveland State 67, Purdue Fort Wayne 55 Box Score
Milwaukee 89, Oakland 87 (2OT) Box Score
Detroit Mercy 80, RMU 61 Box Score
Wright State 77, Northern Kentucky 71 Box Score
Green Bay 69, UIC 59 Box Score

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

2021 HORIZON LEAGUE MEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
DATE GAME Time (ET) TV/Live Stream
Thursday, Feb. 25 No. 5 Detroit Mercy vs. No. 12 RMU 7 p.m. ESPN+
No. 6 Youngstown State vs. No. 11 UIC 8 p.m. ESPN+
No. 7 Green Bay vs. No. 10 Purdue Fort Wayne 8 p.m. ESPN+
No. 8 Milwaukee vs. No. 9 IUPUI 8 p.m. ESPN+
Tuesday, March 2 No. 1 Cleveland State vs. Lowest-remaining seed 7 p.m. ESPN+
No. 2 Wright State vs. Second lowest-remaining seed 7 p.m. ESPN+
No. 3 Oakland vs. Second highest-remaining seed 7:30 p.m. ESPN+
No. 4 Northern Kentucky vs. Highest-remaining seed 7 p.m. ESPN+
Monday, March 8 Semifinal No. 1 6:30 p.m. ESPNU
Semifinal No. 2 9:30 p.m. ESPN2
Tuesday, March 9 Championship Game 7 p.m. ESPN or ESPN2