Feb. 15, 2013
Contact: Greg Murphy
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CLEVELAND, Ohio - Charlie Lee scored 18 points and Bryn Forbes added 11, but Green Bay shot 52-percent in the second half to rally from a nine-point halftime deficit and claim a 66-59 win over Cleveland State on Friday night in the Wolstein Center.
CSU fell to 12-15 overall and 4-9 in the Horizon League, while Green Bay improved to 14-12 overall and 8-5 in the league.
Lee hit four three-pointers and Forbes nailed three as the Vikings hit 9-of-21 for the game. Luda Ndaye added nine points, three rebounds and three blocks off the bench, while Sebastian Douglas and Tim Kamczyc scored nine points each.
Keifer Sykes scored a game-high 23 points for Green Bay, while Greg Mays had a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds.
A Douglas free throw and three-pointer by Lee gave CSU an early 4-0 lead, but Green Bay used a 12-2 run to take its largest lead of the half (12-6) six minutes in. The lead was still five points (17-12) with 12:31 left, but Lee capped an 11-0 run with a three-pointer that gave the Vikings a 23-17 lead with 7:18 to play in the half.
Luda Ndaye sparked the run with four points and also took a charge on the defensive end.
A Greg Mays dunk broke a six-minute scoring drought for the Phoenix and brought them back within four (23-19), but a 9-2 spurt gave CSU its largest lead of the first half (32-21) on a Lee three-pointer with just under three minutes to play.
CSU led at the half, 36-27, holding the Phoenix to an 8-for-23 (.348) effort over the first 20 minutes. Meanwhile, the Vikings shot 13-of-26 (.500), including 5-of-9 from three-point.
Two quick baskets by CSU gave the Vikings their largest lead of the night (40-27) less than a minute into the second half and forced a quick Phoenix timeout. They responded with 15 consecutive points of their own to take a 42-40 lead. A Ndaye jumper stopped CSU's scoring drought at just over nine minutes and tied the contest at 42-42 midway through the half.
Forbes hit another three-pointer to put the Vikings ahead, 45-42, but a Sykes jumper and three-pointer and dunk by Alec Brown gave the Phoenix a 49-45 lead with just over six minutes left. Forbes answered with another three-pointer to pull CSU within one, but a 9-3 Phoenix run was capped by back-to-back three-pointers from Sykes and Brown as Green Bay took a 58-51 lead with 3:09 to play.
CSU got back within one (58-57) with 1:31 to play, but Jordan Fouse tipped in a missed shot and Sykes hit all six of his free throws with under a minute to play to clinch the win.
The Vikings are back in action on Sunday (Feb. 17) when CSU hosts Milwaukee at 2:00 p.m. in the Wolstein Center. The game will be shown locally on Time Warner Sports Channel (channel 311 or 1311HD).
It is also Books & Basketball with fans who bring five children's books receiving $5.00 off a lower bowl ticket.
