Feb. 26, 2011
Final Stats | Quotes | Notes
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By: Robert Ivory
CLEVELAND, Ohio-It was no doubt that Cleveland State senior Norris Cole would shine on `Senior Day' at the Wolstein Center on Saturday afternoon, as the Vikings finished the year Champions of the Horizon League. Cole's double-double effort helped the Vikings hold off the Green Bay Phoenix 64-57 in the last regular season game of the 2010-2011 schedule.
"Horizon League Champions, that's what we are," head coach Gary Waters said. "We had to fight to win a game because sometimes it's not that easy. That team is a pretty good team, we just hit them quick."
"It's not the last game for Norris (Cole), but it's the end of the conference. You know how good he has been in this conference and how much he's meant to this program. You need certain people to put your program on the map and Norris is a front-runner in that for us."
The Horizon League's leader in points, assists, and steals per game ended the day with his 36th career double-double, scoring 22 points, 10 rebounds, and ended with five assists, and a steal.
"There was a lot of emotion," Cole said. "I wanted my teammates to know that it wasn't about me and it was a team effort. As you saw, in the first half, everybody contributed and that's why we jumped on them."
Junior Aaron Pogue contributed with an inspired second half, collecting eight points in the half and finished with a total of 12 and collected three boards.
"We wanted to go to Aaron and we want to constantly go to Aaron," Waters said.
With the win, CSU finishes 13-5 in the league, tied with Milwaukee and Butler as Champions. The Vikings will host UIC Tuesday night at the Wolstein Center, starting at 7:00 p.m. All other Horizon League Championship game will take place at U.S. Cellular Arena in Milwaukee.
Due to tie-breakers, the Vikings will be seeded third in the Horizon League tournament, which starts on Tuesday at the Wolstein Center.
Leading by as much as 15 in the second half, Green Bay came back and made it interesting, using a 14-4 run to thier advantage.
With the game at 53-51 with three minutes to play, Green Bay's Daniel Turner missed a pair of free throws, which would have tied the game. Down the other end of the court, Tim Kamczyc hit a three from the right side on a pass from Jeremy Montgomery to give CSU a 56-51 advantage.
Pogue fouled out on the next play and this time Alec Brown made hit his pair of free throws.
"I have to get him to eliminate the unnecessary fouls," Waters said. "I feel bad for the kid, the officials look right at him."
The clutch Cole hit a jumper of his own on the left wing and a crucial Joe Latas rebound helped the Vikes retain their lead five-point lead. After a pair of Green Bay free throws, CSU held the ball, and Cole found Kanczyc.
Kamczyc missed the shot, but a Jeremy Montgomery offensive rebound reset the shot clock, then Cole hit two free throws helping the Vikes. Daniel Turner hit a jumper for the Phoenix, but Cole answered with a layup of his own with 12 seconds and iced the game for the Vikes.
CSU ends the regular season at 24-7 and 13-5 in league play.
The big man, Pogue, started the day off in fine fashion, hitting a long jumper from the top of the key and CSU took the 2-0 lead, then scored under the basket again and had scored CSU's first four points.
The Vikings shot lights out to start the game, hitting their first six of eight, including two of four from beyond the arc, coming from Cole and Montgomery. With that shooting, CSU built a 14-4 lead at the 17:43 mark.
Montgomery would finish with seven points and four assists.
Green Bay had to settle with outside shots, and hit only one of their first seven, which came under the basket. After Green Bay's bucket by Rahmon Fletcher at the 17:43 mark, the Phoenix did not score another basket until the 7:25 mark and even that was after Fletcher's shot was rejected on the fast break, but Steve Baker as there to put the miss back in.
Tim Kamczyc hit a big three for the Vikings and CSU was cruising 19-4, their biggest lead of the half, with 12:32 left to play.
`Senior' Joe Latas saw significant time in the half, playing thirteen minutes scoring four points, collecting three rebounds, hitting a pair of free throws, grabbing a steal and recording a block under the basket.
"I thought Joe played a good game and gave us quality minutes," Water said.
Cole led the Viking offense, as he drove to the hole and made a nice right-handed layup, to stretch the Viking lead to 21-6. At the 6:42 mark, the senior had seven points, five rebounds, and four assists.
The Viking defense worked well, too, forcing five turnovers, and held the edge on rebounds throughout the first half. Again, the Phoenix were forced to take bad shots, and did not hit a three pointer in the first half until the 2:45 mark of the half.
Green Bay turned the ball over 10 times on the night and were not helped by shooting just 19% from the field in the opening stanza.
On the other hand, CSU continued their shooting, as they hovered above the 40% mark in the half and finished the half going 11-28 (39.3%).
CSU's bench saw significant work, as they went 1-6 from the field, but contributed with nine rebounds, both the Viking blocks, and a pair of steals in the half.
Green Bay's Seth Evans hit a three from the right side and Phoenix snuck back into the game, making it 23-15 with two and a half minutes to play.
Trevon Harmon answered down the floor for his first basket of the night and CSU led 26-15 with under two minutes to go. He would finish with 11 points.
Latas hit a highlight-reel right handed hook in the middle of the lane for his first basket and CSU retained their 11-point lead with 1:30 to play. He then picked the ball off after the Phoenix were looking to score closing the half.
CSU could not score to end the half, but controlled the game with a 28-17 lead going into the break. Cole led the Vikings in points (seven), rebounds (five), and assists (four).
Cole held the league's fifth-highest scorer Fletcher (16.2 ppg), to just four points (1-4 from the floor) at the half.
Fletcher hit a shot to start the half and the Phoenix started with a 7-0 run to get within four at 28-24 (17:53).
CSU answered with a 6-0 run of their own, with Pogue getting a pair of baskets in the paint and a pair of Harmon free throws and CSU once again led by eight.
Montgomery found Pogue under the basket, Pogue dunked it home and CSU seemed to have the momentum on their side, pulling out to an eight point lead after a Montgomery left-handed layup. Eventually, the Vikes pulled out to a 44-31 point lead after a pair of Cole free-throws
Cole would then head to the bench for some much needed rest, with 11 points and eight boards.
Cole finished the regular season moving past Franklin Edwards in points (664) and is now in second place on the season scoring total with 668 points this year.
Pogue seemed to have an inspired second half, as he pulled down offensive boards and made some nice passes in the lane to the cutting guards. He scored seven of his eleven points and had both of his assists in the second frame
"That's important balance in our offense," Cole said of Pogue's play. "When Aaron is playing well, it loosens up the game for everybody. He's a winner and knows how to win. When he plays big, our team plays big."
He did collect his third foul at the 9:30 mark, but Waters elected for him to remain on the floor as the Vikings held the Phoenix at arm's length, leading by ten.
After being down by fifteen, the Phoenix were able to cut the lead down by going on a 14-4 run after CSU led by 15 (at the 10:32 mark).
Green Bay's Daniel Turner hit a three from up top to get Green Bay within five at 52-47 (5:58). They then got it to a two-point game after four free throws and trailed 53-51 with 4:05 to play.
The Phoenix shot 50% (13-26) in the second half and finished shooting 36.2%.
That's when the Vikings closed the game out.
"Our kids were resilient down the end and executed to win a game," Waters said. "We now have to prepare for four wins."
