MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin – The Vikings only led for 8.0 seconds in the second half on Thursday night (Feb. 27), but that was all that was needed as Cleveland State left UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena with the victory, 70-68.
QUICK HITS
- Three Vikings scored in double figures tonight: Eichelberger (20), Hill (15) and Patton (15)
- Cleveland State outscored Milwaukee in points in the paint (30-26) and bench points (11-8)
- The Vikes swept six steals, two more than the Panthers (6-4)
- In tonight's game, Cleveland State attempted 16 free throws, marking the 30th-straight game the Vikings have attempted 10-or-more from the charity stripe
- Algevon Eichelberger poured in a team-high 20 points on 8-13 (.615) shooting from the floor, to go along with three rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal in 27.4 minutes of action
- Tonight's game marked the 18th consecutive game Eichelberger has scored 10-plus and the sixth game this season he's notched at least 20 points
- Torrey Patton finished tonight's Horizon League tilt with 15 points, six rebounds, three assists and one steal in 37.6 minutes
- Over his last three games, the Dayton, Ohio product is averaging 16.3 points and 7.3 rebounds
- Jaalam Hill tallied a season-high 15 points on 7-10 (.700) shooting, five rebounds and one steal in 27.4 minutes of play
GAME RECAP:
The first 10 minutes of tonight's contest was all Cleveland State. The Vikings opened up a six-point, 22-16, lead off of a Jaalam Hill layup with 8:52 left to play in the half.
Milwaukee responded by going on an 18-6 run, taking a 34-28 lead at the 3:41 mark of the first half.
The Panthers opened up a double-digit, 42-32, advantage with 41.6 seconds left to play in the half. Al Eichelberger buried a three-pointer as time was expiring, bringing the Vikings to within seven points, 42-35, after 20 minutes of action.
With 9:30 left to play in the second half, Deante Johnson converted a three-point play, bringing the Vikings to within two points, 56-54. Tre Gomillion tied the game, 56-56, off of a pair of free throws at the 8:48 mark of the half.
Neither team scored from the 6:28 mark all the way until 3:26 when Darius Roy hit a pair of free throws.
With 24 seconds left and down by one point, 68-67, the Vikings had the ball. Patton, once again, found the ball in his hands as time was winding down. Now with only 8.0 seconds on the clock, Patton buried the game-winning three-pointer, putting the Vikings up 70-68.
UP NEXT:
The Vikings will finish their 2019-20 regular season campaign on Saturday, Feb. 29 at Green Bay. Following Saturday's contest, Cleveland State will play in the opening round of the Horizon League Tournament on Tuesday. Location is still to be determined.