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GAME NOTES: The Valparaiso Crusaders head to the Wolstein Center to battle the Cleveland State Vikings for first place in the Horizon League standings.

This will be the 39th meeting in the all-time series. Cleveland State holds a sizeable 28-10 lead in rivalry, but Valpo picked up a 72-66 victory last month. The Crusaders shot 60 percent the field and held the Vikings to 40 percent shooting, but only managed to win by six in the initial encounter this year.

Head coach Bryce Drew has led his alma mater to a 17-8 overall record and a 10-3 mark in league play in his inaugural year at the helm. The Crusaders won their third straight on Saturday as they bested Wright State 63-54 to remain just a half-game back of Cleveland State in the conference race. Valpo shot 65.6 percent from the floor to pick up the victory over the Raiders, as it needed to in order to overcome 24 turnovers. The Crusaders have the second highest scoring offense (71.3), but the second worst scoring defense (67.3) in the Horizon League.

The Crusaders are led by the tandem of Kevin Van Wijk and Ryan Broekhoff. Van Wijk is leading the team and third in the league with a scoring average of 15.1 ppg, while Broekhoff is close behind with 15.0 ppg. Van Wijk went 4-of-5 from the field to net 13 points in the team's win over Wright State. Broekhoff leads the league in rebounds with 8.6 boards per game. Richie Edwards contributed a team-high 16 points and Matt Kenney added 11 in the victory over the Raiders.

Cleveland State's 70-42 victory over Illinois-Chicago on Sunday gave it sole possession of first place in the Horizon League as it is now 20-4 overall and 10-2 in league play. Head coach Gary Waters had to be pleased with his team's recent hot streak as it has won five games, by an average margin of 18.4 ppg. The Vikings were unbelievable on the defensive end against UIC, as they held it to 27.3 percent shooting in the 28-point decision. The solid defensive play is nothing new, however, as Cleveland State is holding opponents to a league best 57.8 ppg.

The Vikings are led by the trio of Trey Harmon, D'Aundray Brown, and Jeremy Montgomery. Harmon is the team's leading scorer with an average of 12.0 ppg and he is riding a streak of eight-straight finishes in double-figures. Brown is chipping in 11.3 ppg and is a playmaker on the defensive end with 2.7 steals per contest. Montgomery contributes 11.0 ppg and a team-high 3.3 assists per outing. Anton Grady is reeling in a team-high 5.6 rpg and had 12 points and 10 rebounds on Sunday in his first career start.

Cleveland State has been playing with a chip on its shoulder since being taken down by Valpo last month. The Vikings have held three straight opponents under 50 points. The Crusaders' disappointing loss to Green Bay at the end of January indicates they are susceptible to losses on the road. Valpo's duo will need to bring its A game to rip first place away from the Vikings.