Nov. 13, 2010
Final Stats | Quotes | Notes
By: Robert Ivory
CLEVELAND, Ohio- Good shooting and well taken free throws made all the difference as Cleveland State men's basketball team outlasted Iona 78-68 Saturday night at the Wolstein Center.
"Those are frustrating games," head coach Gary Waters said. "Iona really had a good flow going tonight. I got to give our kids credit, we really focused on the free throw line and we also worked on our rebounding."
Norris Cole continued his dominant week, leading the Viking with 25 points, five rebounds, five assist, and four steals.
Cleveland State was aided by their ability to hit the free throws as they went 22-23 from the line and shot 48.1% from the field on the night. The team also outrebounded Iona 38-27.
The win moves CSU to 2-0 with their second win at the 2010 Wolrd Vision Classic and Iona drops to 0-2.
The Vikings opened the night defensively sound, as they had Iona scrambling for a basket. After the Gaels scored their first basket and lead 3-0, they missed their next eleven shots. CSU outscored Iona 12-4 as the Gaels did not hit a basket for over six and a half minutes.
Iona shot just 28.6% from the floor in the half, but nine Viking first half fouls turned into nine Gale points from the charity stripe, going nine of 12.
Cole took the game over in the last half of the period and seemed to do it all for Cleveland State.
He helped the Vikings get out to a four-point lead (23-19) on an impressive three-point play. Cole stole the ball, broke down the court, then had to wiggle his way in between three Iona defenders in the paint, making the layup and drawing the foul.
"Anytime you have confidence and you work hard something good is going to come out of it," Cole said.
The basket was part of Cole's seven point run, as he outscored Iona 7-2 over a 2:15 stretch.
Trevon Harmon added to the Viking scoring as he had his first ever double-double (16 points and a career and team high 10 rebounds) as he had 11 of his 16 points in the opening stanza. Other than his three pointer (17:43) and his two free throw (1:25), the guard scored the rest of six points of the half in the paint.
"I have been a scorer all my life," Harmon said. "We just have to make sure that we work hard and so what coach asks. I have been taking the challenge and set the guards up."
As they did the night before, the Viking defense stood up right before the half. Harmon hit a layup with 22 seconds left to make it a 34-25 lead. On the other end of the court, Iona held possession but the ball got away from them and their final shot was an off balanced three that had no chance of going in.
Cole showed his talent and why he was preseason first team All-Horizon League scoring 14 in the second half. He controlled the Vikings, especially making plays when he needed to.
With 12:33 left in the ball game Cole controled the ball, crossed midcourt and made a move on his man. Cole pivoted wrong and looked to tweak something in his foot as he winced in pain. He was ok as he passed the ball off, only to get the ball back, drive to the basket, stop and hit a pretty jumper.
"A player has to play," Cole said. "(The ankle) wasn't broke. The guards have to be poised and have to make plays for the team."
Aaron Pogue gave the Vikings another good night of work as he gave the team 30 minutes and contributed 11 points.
"It's the first time that Pogue has had 30 minutes in a year and I am delighted about that," Waters said.
Cole and Harmon played 39 minutes each and Pogue had his 30 minutes.
"We did not want that to happen, but I think the game dictated that," Waters said. "Their game plan was to spread us, drive us, and control the tempo, they did a great job of that. I thought our guys were pretty poise in handling that and when you can do that, you have a chance to be successful."
Luda Ndaye came off the bench and gave the Vikings the spark they needed late in the game.
Ndaye, off the bench for Pogue, and within two minutes had six points as he scored three straight buckets for the Vikings and put the Vikings up 11 with 4:13 to go. His six was part of 17 Viking points off the bench.
"He can do that (shoot the ball) easily," Waters said.
Iona was very much in the game as the smaller lineup was able to score 36 in the paint on the night and was never more than 11 points out, late in the game.
A Mike Glover layup brought the Gaels to six with 1:16 left in the game, but four straight free throws from Norris Cole put the game away.
Glover led the game with 28 points.
The trio of Cole, Harmon, and Pogue have made the core of CSU a tough one.
"Experience plays a part," Cole said. "With (the time played together) you pick up experience that you can't get at practice. As a guard, you have to stay poised no matter what happens. We don't get frustrated, we stay poised
The Vikings will face local rivals Kent State Sunday (Nov. 14) evening at 6:00 p.m. at the Wolstein Center. The winner will be crowned champion of the 2010 World Vision Classic Tournament .
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