Posted: Dec 23, 2017
VIDEO: Highlights | Postgame Press Conference
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cleveland State fell to Toledo, 77-62, in its final non-league home game on the season on Saturday afternoon at the Wolstein Center.
Playing for the third time in the last five days, the Vikings fell to 3-9, while Toledo improved to 7-5 thanks to a hot shooting second half.
STAT LEADERS
- Tyree Appleby led the Vikings with 15 points, while adding two rebounds and two steals.
- Stefan Kenic scored 13 points with three rebounds.
- Dontel Highsmith came off the bench and finished with 12 points, hitting 5-of-7 from the field.
- Kenny Carpenter scored nine points with four rebounds, two assists and a steal.
- Anthony Wright led CSU with six rebounds, adding five points and three assists.
COACH SPEAK
- "This was a very competitive game up to the stage in the second half when we struggled to make shots and they hit shots, especially some tough three's. That turned a one or two possession game into a four or five possession game"
– Head Coach Dennis Felton
FIRST HALF RECAP
- The first half was tightly contested throughout as neither team led by more than four points.
- The Vikings built a 22-18 lead at the 8:54 mark on a Kenic jumper, but Toledo responded with eight straight points to take a 26-22 lead four minutes later.
- A three-pointer by Jaelan Sanford with 1:09 to play gave the Rockets another four point lead (32-28), but Carpenter answered with a driving layup to cut the Rockets lead to two points (32-30) at the half.
- There were two ties and nine lead changes in the first half.
SECOND HALF RECAP
- Two free throws by Kasheem Thomas gave the Vikings a 46-45 lead with 11 minutes to play.
- However, the Rockets answered with a 16-4 run over the next six minutes to open up a 61-50 lead with just under six minutes to play.
- The Rockets finished the second half 17-of-24 from the field, including 7-of-11 from three-point.
KEY STATS
- The Vikings were playing for the third time in the last five days after road games at Niagara on Tuesday and at 20th-ranked Cincinnati on Thursday night.
- The Vikings out-scored Toledo in transition, 11-0.
- The Rockets held a 38-26 advantage on the glass.
- CSU committed just 10 turnovers and forced Toledo into 15 miscues.
- The game featured seven ties and 15 lead changes.
UP NEXT
- The Vikings are out of action until Thursday (Dec. 29) when CSU travels to No. 2 ranked Michigan State for a 6:00 pm game.
- The game will be broadcast on AM 1420 and AM 1440, as well as the B1G Network.
- CSU will then open Horizon League play on Jan. 1 when the Vikings host Youngstown State at 1:00 pm in the Wolstein Center.