Beginning the week, 3.5 games separated first and eighth place. Closing the week, 3.5 games separate first and fourth place. As March draws near, there is a little bit of separation happening at the top
of the Horizon League, but as has been apparent every week in this league, that separation doesn’t mean anything until the standings are final. Below is an updated look at the standings and a recap of the week.
Horizon League standings
1. Wright State (10-2)
2. Oakland (10-3)
3. Purdue Fort Wayne (8-4)
4. Green Bay (7-6)
5. Detroit Mercy (6-6)
6. Northern Kentucky (6-7)
Robert Morris (6-7)
8. Cleveland State (5-7)
9. Milwaukee (5-8)
10. Youngstown State (4-8)
11. IU Indianapolis (2-11)
Horizon League Teams of the week
Oakland opened the week with a tall task, taking on Purdue Fort Wayne–which had won five-straight games–on the road. To add to the challenge, it was the first game forward Isaac Garrett missed after suffering an ankle injury. Greg Kampe’s team has shown plenty of times this season it can win a shootout, but Wednesday’s defensive effort in the 74-65 win against the Mastodons, which have a backcourt that can score with any in the league, was extremely impressive. The Golden Grizzlies went just seven deep, but had balanced production with four scorers in double figures, including double-doubles from Michael Houge and Brett White. For Purdue Fort Wayne, the league’s leading scorer, Corey Hadnot II scored 22 points, but Oakland stifled DeAndre Craig Jr. and Mikale Stephenson, holding Hadnot’s backcourt running mates to just a combined 18 points on 7-for-29 shooting from the field. To close the week, the Golden Grizzlies returned home for a Sunday-afternoon tilt with Northern Kentucky. The game got off to a slow start, with the Norse leading 30-29 at the break, but thanks to a 21-point, six-assist effort from Robinson and a 18-point, 12-rebound double-double from Houge, Oakland controlled the second half to earn a 76-65 victory.
In the depths of winter in Wisconsin, Cleveland State had a red-hot week to earn two wins. On Friday night, defense was optional at the Resch Center in Green Bay, as both teams got hot from three, making for an entertaining, fast-paced contest. Behind 16 made 3-pointers on 55% shooting from deep, the Vikings downed Green Bay 89-82. Nine players in the game scored in double figures, and while Preston Ruedinger led all scorers with 23 for the Phoenix, it was Dayan Nessah-led Cleveland State which got the win. He had 18, followed by Jaidon Lipscomb with 17 and Chevalier Emery and Josiah Harris each scoring 15 off the bench. On Sunday, it was more of the same for the Vikings in Milwaukee. Lipscomb played well once again with a team-high 21 points, Nessah had another all-around game with 19 points, 13 rebounds and six assists, and Chevalier Emery continued to add scoring punch off the bench with 17. The end of the game was controversial after a Josh-Dixon game-tying three was waved off, but you never apologize for road wins in league play. Up next for Cleveland State is an opportunity to host Oakland.
Notable Results
The league leaders, like Cleveland State, went to Wisconsin and returned home with two victories. In Friday’s 76-69 win in Milwaukee, three starters scored in double-figures for Wright State, along with Michael Cooper off the bench. Cooper, as he continues to ramp up from his return from injury, played just 17 minutes, but it’s always a good sign when a team can pick up a road win despite limited minutes from its leading scorer. On Sunday, the Raiders jumped out of Green Bay early, building a double-digit halftime lead, and holding on for an 83-75 win. Freshman Kellen Pickett took advantage of a smaller Green Bay frontcourt, scoring 21 points. Cooper played 27 in Sunday’s contest, which is an encouraging sign for the freshman looking to get back to full strength. Oakland remains right on Wright State’s tail, but stacking wins helped create some separation from the field.
A breakout, 28-point game for the freshman Tyler Spratt helped Detroit Mercy grab a quality, 90-77 victory at home over Northern Kentucky. It was an absolute battle of the backcourts as the Titans got back to .500 in the league as Orlando Lovejoy aided Spratt with 24 of his own, and for the Norse, Donovan Oday had 33 alongside Dan Gherezgher’s 20, but it wasn’t enough. In what appeared to be a bit of a trap game with the game at Oakland looming on Sunday for Northern Kentucky, trap-game things happened as the Norse once again struggled defensively, ultimately resulting in a loss. Now, sitting below .500 in league play, Northern Kentucky remains tied for the most overall wins in the league and is capable of competing with anyone, but has just a month to figure things out if it wants to get back near the top when it matters.
While the whole operation at Green Bay is a major improvement from a season ago, the Phoenix has hit a major bump in the road. After an 0-2 week, it has now lost four of its last five games, but remains in fourth place in the league. The defense has been too hit-or-miss for Doug Gottlieb’s team to take down some of the league’s contenders, but the door remains open. In its final seven games, Green Bay will play five games against teams currently below it in the standings. In the final month, the Phoenix will have a chance to show what it’s made of, whether that is getting back on track and playing to its full capability or continuing to slide.
After missing out on a huge win over Oakland at home, Purdue Fort Wayne had a nice response as it took down the defending champions, 83-71 on Saturday. Corey Hadnot II’s player of the year case is as strong as any right now and he added another 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists to that cause. DeAndre Craig Jr. had 19 points on 7-for-9 shooting in a bounce-back effort for him individually, and despite another tough shooting game, Mikale Stevenson added 12 points and four steals. Looking for its first NCAA Tournament appearance, Purdue Fort Wayne is absolutely a team that could win the league and earn the auto-bid.
