Posted: Dec 22, 2016
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Cleveland State dropped its final non-league game of the season, 88-61, at Belmont on Thursday night. Anthony Wright and Rob Edwards both scored 14 points to lead the Vikings.
CSU finishes the non-league season at 4-8, while Belmont improved to 6-4.
STAT LEADERS
- Wright scored a career-high 14 points, hitting 5-of-7 from the field. He added a career-high seven rebounds with two assists and a steal.
- Edwards finished with 14 points, going 7-of-8 from the free throw line.
- Demonte Flannigan posted 11 points and three rebounds.
- Tim Hasbargen scored six points, while Kasheem Thomas tallied five points and five rebounds.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Vikings started out quickly, scoring the first six points of the game, but back-to-back three-pointers from Amanze Egekeze knotted the contest at 6-6.
- Belmont would open up a six point lead (17-11) at the 10:41 mark of the first half, but the Vikings rallied with an 11-4 run to take a 22-21 advantage on a pair of free throws from Edwards with 6:08 on the clock.
- Belmont answered with a 19-11 run to take a 40-33 lead on a Taylor Barnette three-pointer with 34 seconds left, but Wright's putback just before the halftime buzzer cut the Bruin lead to 40-35.
- The Bruins used the strong second half shooting effort to build a quick 50-40 lead three minutes in.
- Two free throws and a three-pointer from Thomas brought CSU within five points (50-45), but Belmont used a large run to take control of the game.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Tonight was the second meeting between the two teams. CSU defeated Belmont, 67-65, in the Wolstein Center last season.
- Belmont held a 35-30 advantage on the boards and assisted on 20 of its 30 field goals.
- The Bruins shot .607 (17-28) from the floor in the second half and finished 30-of-53 (.566) for the game, including 14-of-30 (.467) from three-point.
- CSU hit 15-of-19 (.789) at the free throw line and is 30-of-35 at the line over the last two games.
UP NEXT
- The Vikings open Horizon League play next Thursday (Dec. 29) when CSU hosts defending League champion Green Bay at 7:00 pm at the Wolstein Center.
- CSU will also host Milwaukee on Saturday (Dec. 31) at 3:30 pm in the Wolstein Center. It will be a doubleheader with the Viking women hosting Youngstown State at 1:00 pm.