Jan. 23, 2005
Contact: Brian McCann
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- Omari Westley scored 21 of his game-high 28 points and Viking freshman Mike Redell and Steve Gansey made crucial three-pointers down the stretch as Cleveland State upended Youngstown State, 78-77, to end CSU's 24-game road losing streak in conference games.
The victory was Cleveland State's first league road win since claiming a 58-48 decision at Youngstown State on Feb. 14, 2002.
Redell added 16 points for CSU with Gansey chipping in with 10 and Frashon McGee a career-high nine points. Brian Radakovich led Youngstown State with 19 points with Quin Humphrey adding 17 and Khari McQueen 15.
The game was nip-and-tuck the entire night, featuring six ties and 16 lead changes, the last coming with Gansey connected on a trey with 1:50 left to put CSU ahead, 75-72. After Radakovich made one of two free throws, Redell made a three-pointer with 1:08 left to give the Vikings a 78-73 lead, their largest of the night.
Humphrey's basket with 50 seconds left pulled the Penguins to within 78-75. A Viking turnover with 19 seconds left gave YSU a chance to tie, but the Penguins went inside instead with Derrick Harris scoring with seven seconds left to trim the margin to 78-77.
The Vikings were able to inbound and McGee fed a long pass ahead to Gansey that went deflected off YSU and out of bounds with two tenths of a second left. The CSU inbound went to Westley to run out the clock.
"This was a character statement tonight," head coach Mike Garland said. "When the game got tought down the stretch our players, and especially Mike Redell and Steve Gansey, really stepped up and made the big plays. I was a good sign of things ahead."
"Omari continues to play some of his best basketball. He did a tremendous job tonight of taking advantage of what Youngstown State was doing defensively against him. If they defended him straight up, he took the ball to the basket. If they doubled him, then he kicked the ball back out.
Westley was nine-of-11 from the field enroute to his third 20-point game of the conference season.
Although Westley's dominated offensively, it was the play of Redell that proved to be the difference as the freshman set career highs for points (16) and assists (8). With sophomore Victor Morris sidelined with a knee injury, Redell played a career-high 39 minutes, going six-of-eight from the field and three-of-four from three-point while committing just one turnover.
"I have said time and time again that Mike is going to be a solid player for us for the next four years and he showed it tonight," Garland said. "He did a great job of running our offense and controlling the tempo of the game. He was a difference maker tonight."
Cleveland State rebounded from a 42-percent shooting effort in the first half to make 18 of its 28 second half field goals (.643) to shoot .537 from the field for the game (29-54). Youngstown Sate shot better than 50-percent in each half, making 30-of-56 field goals in the game (.536).
The game featured nine lead changes in the first 10 minutes of the first half. CSU scored the first four points of the game for its biggest lead of the half.
Youngstown State pulled ahead, 18-17 with 10:12 left on a three-pointer by Zach Silverman and eventually led by as many as seven (30-23, 4:57) before taking a 38-35 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Westley scored five points as part of an 8-2 Viking run to open the second half to give CSU a 43-40 advantage with 17:33 left.
More ties and lead changes followed with the Penguins breaking a 51-51 tie with a 12-4 run to build a 63-55 lead with 8:00 left.
Westley would bring the Vikings back, scoring seven points during a 9-2 spurt that allowed CSU to close to 67-66 with 4:43 left. Youngstown State would hold off the Vikings until the 2:21 mark when Redell took a pass from Westley and buried a three-pointer from the top of the key to tie the game at 72-72.
The win allowed Cleveland State to improve toi 5-10 on the year and 2-5 in league play. Youngstown State dropped to 3-15 overall and 1-7 in league play.
The Vikings, who have played nine of their last 10 games on the road, return to the Wolstein Center to start a four-game home stand on Thursday night (Jan. 27) against Butler.
