#HLMBB Notebook – Semifinals

March 06

#HLMBB Standings | #HLMBB Statistics | #HLMBB Weekly Notebook
INDIANAPOLIS – The 2022 Keeps Horizon League Men’s Basketball Championship has finally reached Indianapolis as the top-4 seeds will play on Monday in the semifinals from the Indiana Farmers Coliseum with the winners one step closing to claiming this year’s tournament title.

#HLMBB NEWS & NOTES
• Top-seed Cleveland State returns to Indianapolis for the second-straight season as it looks to defend its tournament title from a year ago. The Vikings won its quarterfinal game 83-67 over RMU as All-Horizon League Second Team selection Torrey Patton posted 25 points for the Vikings to go along with six rebounds and four assists. D’Moi Hodge, a first team selection and Defensive Player of Year, finished with 15 points, four assists and three steals, while third teamer Tre Gomillion ended the game with 13 and Broc Finstuen added 10 off the bench. Both teams shot 50 percent or better from the floor, but the difference came in transition as CSU held a 20-4 advantage in fast break points to go along with a 48-34 lead in points in the paint.

• The CSU offense has led the way this season as it was the No. 2 scoring offense during League play at 76.2 points, while leading in assists at 16.9 and field-goal percentage shooting 48.8 percent from the floor. Defensive Player of the Year and All-Horizon League First Team selection D’Moi Hodge leads the offensive charge for the Vikings as he averaged 15.6 points on 49.8 percent shooting during HL play and was No. 1 in steals at 2.4, while All-League second team honoree Torrey Patton is averaged 14.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists vs. HL opponents in the regular season. The Vikings defense is also getting it done as they placed three players on the All-Defensive Team and held HL opponents to just 42.1 percent shooting from the floor, including 31.8 percent from long range, both ranking top-2 during #HLMBB play.

• No. 2 seed Purdue Fort Wayne is the hottest team in the Horizon League as it riding a 10-game winning streak into Indianapolis and claimed a share of the regular season title in just its second year in the League. The Mastodons made it to Indianapolis after a 78-72 win at home over No. 8 seed UIC. Purdue Fort Wayne’s two All-League selections led the way with 20-point performances as first team selection Jarred Godfrey registered 22 points and five rebounds, while third teamer Jalon Pipkins ended the game with 21 points on 10-of-20 shooting. Damian Chong Qui added 14 points for the ‘Dons and Sixth Man of the Year Deonte Billups chipped in seven points and five boards. The Mastodons led by as many as 13 in the second half until UIC went on a run to take a one-point lead with under six minutes to play. Purdue Fort Wayne quickly regained control of the game on a quick 11-2 run to take a 71-63 lead with under two minutes to play to punch its ticket to Indy.

• Led by Coach of the Year Jon Coffman, the Mastodons are the only team during HL play to rank inside the top-4 in both scoring offense and scoring defense. During the month of February, Purdue Fort Wayne went 9-0 and was second in the HL in scoring (78.3), second in field goal percentage (49.7), first in 3-point field goal percentage (42.8) and first in turnover margin (+2.67). Jarred Godfrey earned first team honors as he averaged 15.1 points with over two 3-pointers per game, a 47.7 percent field goal percentage, 4.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game during HL play. All-League third honoree Jalon Pipkins ended #HLMBB play with 13.3 points and 1.6 steals per game, while Deonte Billups was named Sixth Man of the Year averaging 9.1 points off the bench for the ‘Dons and in League play ranked in the top-5 in total 3-pointers made with 45 and top-10 in 3-pointers per game with 2.1.

• No. 3 Northern Kentucky comes into the semifinals of the #HLMBB Championship having won 13 out of its last 15 games after defeating Detroit Mercy in the quarterfinals for the second year in a row. NKU’s All-League second team honoree Marques Warrick scored a game-high 25 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the floor along with seven free throws. Trevon Faulkner tallied 13 points for the Norse and Bryson Langdon added 10, while Freshman of the Year Sam Vinson recorded nine points, five rebounds and five assists. Northern Kentucky’s defense once again stepped up in a big way as it held Detroit Mercy to just 21 points in the first half and ended the game holding the Titans to just 35.7 percent shooting from the floor, including 25.0 percent from distance. NKU is the only team to have reached the semifinals the past three season.

• The Norse hold the top scoring defense in the League at 64.5 points allowed as they rank 14th in the country in steals at 9.1 per game. Northern Kentucky boasts the last two Freshman of the Year as last year’s Freshman of the Year and current all-league second teamer Marques Warrick led the Norse with 17.3 points per game in League play, while the current Freshman of the Year Sam Vinson averaged 12.7 points, 3.1 assists and 1.8 steals per game in HL games.

• No. 4 Wright State heads to Indianapolis for the second time in three seasons after a come-from-behind win at home over No 5 Oakland. The Raiders trailed by as many as 14 points in the second half before they went on a 20-0 run to take a 55-48 lead with 7:32 remaining in the game. WSU shot 51.6 percent in the second half and held Oakland to just 30.8 percent shooting over the final 20 minutes of play. All-League First Team selection Tanner Holden led all scorers with 27 points and posted a double-double for WSU on 13-of-17 shooting from the free throw line and grabbed 10 rebounds. Grant Basile, an All-League Second Team honoree, also registered a double-double for the Raiders with 18 points and 11 boards, while Trey Calvin scored 16 points and Andrew Welage added 11 points with three 3-pointers.

• The Raiders continues to play well offensively as they were the No. 1 scoring offense during Horizon League play at 76.9 points per game as they shot 48.5 percent from the field. WSU boasted two players in the top-5 in scoring during HL play as All-Horizon League First Team selection Tanner Holden averaged 19.7 points, while Grant Basile finished with 18.6 points along with 8.2 boards per game. Overall this season, Holden is third in the HL in scoring at 20.1 points per game, good for 19th nationally, thanks to leading the country in free throws with 186.

RECENT RESULTS

DATE	GAME	RECAP
Thursday, March 3	No. 4 Wright State 75, No. 5 Oakland 63	Box Score
	No. 3 Northern Kentucky 77, No. 6 Detroit Mercy 59	Box Score
	No. 2 Purdue Fort Wayne 78, No. 8 UIC 72	Box Score
	No. 1 Cleveland State 83, No. 10 RMU 67	Box Score
Tuesday, March 1	No. 6 Detroit Mercy 79, No. 11 Green Bay 62	Box Score
	No. 10 RMU 77, No. 7 Youngstown State 73	Box Score
	No. 5 Oakland 69, No. 12 IUPUI 58	Box Score
	No. 8 UIC 80, No. 9 Milwaukee 69	Box Score

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Monday, March 7
No. 1 Cleveland State vs. No. 4 Wright State, 7 p.m. ET (ESPNU)
No. 2 Purdue Fort Wayne vs. No. 3 Northern Kentucky, 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)

Tuesday, March 8
#HLMBB Championship , 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)