QUICK HITS:
- Cleveland State, now a perfect 5-0 in Horizon League play, is off to its best start in league play since the 2007-08 season.
- The team's fifth-straight win also marks the program's longest winning streak since winning seven consecutive games during the 2013-14 campaign.
- The Vikings dished out a season-high tying 20 assists in Friday's win, which is the second time this season Cleveland State has notched 20 assists in a single game.
- The Green and White held advantages in points in the paint (32-28) and second chance points (13-7).
- For the third-straight contest, Cleveland State had three players score 10-or-more points: D'Moi Hodge (17), Torrey Patton (14) and Craig Beaudion (12).
- Hodge poured in a team-high 17 points on 6-12 (.500) shooting from the floor, in addition to three rebounds, one assist and one steal in 30.2 minutes of action.
- Friday's contest marked the fourth consecutive game the junior tallied double digit points, including five of the last six games, as well as the sixth game this season he swiped at least one steal.
- Craig Beaudion swiped a career-high tying three steals, to go along with 12 points on a 5-6 (.833) clip from the field, three rebounds and three assists in 26.9 minutes.
- Torrey Patton grabbed a team-high nine rebounds, including four offensive, to go along with 14 points and three assists in 28.3 minutes of play.
- Friday's match is Patton's fifth-straight contest pouring in 10-plus points. Over those five games, the senior is averaging 15.2 points.
- Deante Johnson rejected two shots in Friday's Horizon League win, marking the seventh game this season he has recorded at least one block.
- Algevon Eichelberger contributed five rebounds, two steals, two assists and two points in 10.1 minutes as a reserve.
RECAP:
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana – The Cleveland State Vikings kicked off 2021 with their fifth-straight Horizon League victory Friday evening with a 65-62 win at IUPUI. The win marks the team's best start in league contests since the 2007-08 season, as well as the program's longest winning streak since winning seven straight games in the 2013-14 campaign.
After Jaylen Minnett gave IUPUI an early 3-0 lead, the Vikings responded by scoring nine unanswered points, capped off by a Craig Beaudion corner jump shot. As the opening half was winding down, junior D'Moi Hodge grabbed a defensive rebound and went coast-to-coast, scoring a layup with only 0:01 left on the clock.
At the intermission of Friday's contest, the Vikings held a slim, one-point, 37-36, advantage.
The first half of Friday's tilt saw 15 lead changes, with the Vikings largest lead being a six-point, 12-6, lead at the 15:32 mark of the first half.
Down, 48-47, with 10:17 left to play in regulation, Craig Beaudion knocked down a three-pointer to give the Vikes a 50-48 advantage.
The Jaguars held a three-point, 60-57, lead with 3:49 on the clock. Algevon Eichelberger sunk a pair of free throws to give Cleveland State a slight, 61-60, advantage with 1:53 left to play in the second half. Torrey Patton buried a triple, assisted by Craig Beaudion, giving the Vikes a four-point, 64-60, lead with just over one-minute left to play.
Cleveland State was able to hold onto its lead, taking a 65-62 win in the first game of its two-game series.
PRESS CONFERENCE:
UP NEXT: Cleveland State and IUPUI will face off for game two of its two-game series on Saturday, Jan. 2, with tipoff set for 5 p.m. Fans can watch live on ESPN+ or listen on the radio at 1420-WHK, 102.5 FM or www.whkradio.com
#GoVikes
