YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Demonte Flannigan scored a career-high 30 points, including a pair of free throws with 4.3 seconds left, to lift Cleveland State to a 64-59 victory over Youngstown State on Saturday night at the Beeghly Center.
Flannigan, who bettered his old career-high of 25 points against Detroit last Thursday, became the first CSU player to reach 30 points since Trey Lewis scored 32 in a win over Mount Vernon Nazarene in December of 2014.
Flannigan hit 10-of-13 from the floor, including his lone three-point attempt, and all nine of his free throws. He added five rebounds.
Jibri Blount scored eight points with three rebounds, while Rob Edwards added seven points. Terrell Hales and Jeron Rogers grabbed four rebounds apiece, while Kenny Carpenter finished with four points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Cameron Morse led YSU with 18 points.
CSU started out strong, racing out to a 20-9 lead 12 minutes into the game and took a 32-21 lead at the half behind 16 points from Flannigan.
The Penguins used an 11-2 run over the first four minutes of the second half to slice the CSU lead to two points (34-32), but back-to-back three-pointers from Andre Yates and Flannigan pushed the lead back to eight points (40-32) at the 14:50 mark.
Flannigan's three was from 30-feet on the left wing as the shot clock expired.
The Vikings lead would reach as many as 12 points (46-34) midway through the second half, but the Penguins hung around by hitting 11 free throws over a seven minute span. A Francisco Santiago jumper with 1:17 left – YSU's first field goal in almost eight minutes – brought the Penguins within six (61-55). After the teams traded free throws, Matt Donlon banked in a three-pointer with five seconds left, but Flannigan iced the game on the other end, hitting both ends of a one-and-one.
CSU shot .460 (23-50) from the field and held the Penguins to just 19-of-53 (.358).
The Vikings return to action on Tuesday (Feb. 16) when CSU hosts Valparaiso at 7:00 pm. It will be the fourth of five games at Quicken Loans Arena this year for the Vikings.