Feb. 3, 2011
Final Stats | Quotes | Notes
Video has no source Url in width="640" height="385">
Video has no source Url in width="640" height="385">
By: Robert Ivory
CLEVELAND, Ohio- Coming down to the wire in an intense and energy-filled game, it was a sophomore that stole the show, as Norris Cole and Jeremy Montgomery had monster nights.
The Cleveland State Vikings never trailed in the battle for first place of the Horizon League, as the Vikings beat Valparaiso 76-65 Thursday night at the Wolstein Center.
"The game did not go the way I planned, but at the end it did," head coach Gary Waters said. "We did not play a very hard game in my estimation. We played hard and we played tough, but we did not execute the way we should execute."
"There were outstanding performances from individuals. I thought some guys came off the bench and really lifted us. I thought it was a true team effort."
Jeremy Montgomery had a career high 26-point night and Norris Cole's double-double (25-points, 11 rebounds) led the Vikings to a game-and-a-half lead over the Crusaders.
"I was just trying to lock down my defender and I don't think I really did that tonight," Montgomery said. "On the offensive end, I think I helped my team out. I played off what my point guard fed me and just gave my team a good lift."
Those two had great nights, but the show was stolen by sophomore Charlie Woods, who only went 1-5 from the field, but collected six rebounds and had five monster blocks. His basket was a jam that helped the Vikings keep their league lead.
The Vikings kept the best shooting team in the league to just 37.7% on the night.
The Vikings remain in pole position in the Horizon League with a league record of 10-2 (21-3 overall).
Charlie Woods made an unbelievable dunk after a Cole shot bounced around the rim. Woods flew in nowhere to slam home the bucket, one of his three offensive rebounds, and got the electric Viking crowd on its feet.
"I had an open lane," Woods said. "I knew I had to go in there and see what I could do."
CSU looked to have the game in hand with a 61-51 lead and the time winding down.
But then Valpo answered.
The Crusaders went on a quick 9-2 run, ending with a Howard Little layup.
Little's basket brought Valpo within three (63-30) with 3:31 left in the game. From that point on, it was all CSU, as the Vikings knocked down nine free throws in the final three minutes to ice the game.
Norris Cole was instrumental in the closing minutes, as he hit a jumper from the left side to make it 65-60. After he grabbed a rebound, he ran the length of the floor, had to make his way around 6'6 Australian Ryan Breokhoff and made a tough layup with 2:15.
That basket gave CSU the comfortable lead with 2:15 remaining, the breathing room in the game and in the league standings.
The Viking shortfall came as they turned the ball over 13 times.
Norris Cole led the high-energy crowd off with a quick jumper in the paint after the ball was kicked around after the tip and CSU took the lead.
"I thought we started off well," Cole said. "We were on an emotional high and once the game settled down, we held their top scorers to double digits."
After the Crusaders hit their first bucket Montgomery hit two consecutive threes from the left side for the Vikings and the quick-paced game favored the Vikes as they led 8-2 in the first three minutes.
To that point, CSU had turned two early Valpo turnovers into five points.
The Crusaders were able to match the Viking intensity after that and ran off to seven straight points in a two-minutes span, until Pogue got an pass under the basket and slammed home the bucket and the 12-9 CSU lead at the 14:18 mark.
Cole hit a nothing but net after CSU got a nice block under the basket on the previous possession and CSU again ran out to a 15-9 lead.
Cleveland State, with the lead, seemed to control the flow of the night as they disrupted the best field goal shooting team in the league to just 33.3% (12:00 minute mark). Even when the Crusaders got to the line, they were from uneasy shots that the Vikings forced.
In his first seven shots, Cole had 11 points, hitting 4-7 from the field (1-1 from three), and grabbed two rebounds.
After Matt Kenney hit three free-throws, CSU and out to a 7-2 run and led 22-14 at the 10-minute mark.
CSU then had to look to its bench, as Charlie Woods, Josh McCoy, and Luda Ndaye all got time as Cole, Pogue, and Kamczyc all got a quick breather on the bench.
With the three on the bench, CSU was still able to hold a nine-point lead.
With Cole on the floor, he continued to weave his magic, as he drove to the lane, jumped, stopped his motion in mid air and hit a floater to give CSU a 29-18 lead with 5:25 to play.
The Viking offense ran well, but it was again the story of the defense, as Valpo went scoreless over a span of 5:38 (8:55-3:27).
Valpo quickly got back in it, as Cameron Witt hit back-to-back buckets, aiding the Crusaders in a 12-2 run over the last 3:27 and tied the ballgame up at 30-30 with 26 seconds in the half.
Kamczyc got to the free throw line after Trey Harmon hit him under the basket and was fouled by KevinVan Wijk. He hit the first, but missed the second and Vikes led 31-30 at the half.
"What it looked like to me was they turned the game into an offensive game," Waters said. "They averaged 42 points at the half, and I knew we had to hold them off that."
Although he only scored three points (0-5), Harmon was involved by collecting 12 rebounds.
After the momentum was clearly in the Vikings corner, Valpo was able to hold the Vikings without a basket in the last 5:25 of the half.
Although Valpo struggle shooting in the first half, they did hi their last 5-5 shots in the last 3:29 to tighten the game, ending 12-29 (41.4%) as CSU shot 43.5 % (10-23).
The Vikings also aided the comeback, as they gave the ball up eight times in the half and
Kamcyzc started the Vikings in the second, hitting his first basket and three of the night, to give CSU the 34-30 lead. Shortly after a Valpo bucket, Trey Harmon entered his first point, a shot from the free throw line and 35-32 lead.
Cole took a Valpo pass ran the length of the floor and gave a no-look pass to Montgomery, which Montgomery hit the layup.
CSU took the 39-32 lead as Valpo called for a time out.
Cole did put his imprint on the next few minutes, as his hustle helped him collect a couple of rebounds, made some efficient passes, and did hit a few from the line.
Pogue even did his best, missing a shot underneath, then getting the put back to fall, celebrating with several fist pumps. His basket took CSU to a 45-34 lead at the 15:00 mark.
That was the first double-digit lead that CSU had since a Cole jumper with 5:25 to play in the first half.
Significantly, Aaron Pogue collected his fourth foul in the firs eight minutes and Joe Latas and Ndaye had to play valuable minutes down the stretch.
Valpo again closed the gap within a basket with 10 minutes to go as CSU failed to score in over four and a half minutes (14:07-9:30).
A Montgomery three from the left hand side gave the Vikes a five-point advantage at 52-47. Cole drove the lane, hit the shot and for points 16 and 17 and gave CSU a seven point lead.
It was again the junior that hit a three from on top of the arc, as his three was the Vikes lead 59-49
That's when Woods' dunk changed the end of the game.
"I'm not overly pleased with the way we played tonight because we've got another game coming up on Saturday. If we play on Saturday the way we played tonight, we're going to be in trouble."
The schedule does not get any easier, as the reigning Horizon League champion Butler Bulldogs come to the Wolstein Center on Saturday (Feb. 5) for a noon tipoff. The game will also be aired on either ESPN or ESPN2.
