CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The Cleveland State University lacrosse team played No. 12/14 Virginia dead even throughout the second half, but the host Cavaliers used a dominant first half to claim a 20-7 victory Tuesday evening on a gorgeous, warm evening at Klöckner Stadium.

It was the fifth game the Vikings have played this season against teams ranked among the top 12 in Inside Lacrosse's most recent national ranking.

The Cavaliers, coming off a win over No. 12 Richmond, boast the second-highest scoring offense in Division I, which they showcased early in the contest.

Nevertheless, Caleb Espinoza made a game-high 16 saves, marking his seventh straight double-digit effort and his second consecutive with at least 15 stops.

The Vikings and Virginia both scored five tallies in the second half while firing 20 shots. Cleveland State was also a perfect 9-for-9 in clears in the second half while committing fewer turnovers than the host Cavaliers.

Nine Vikings had a point in the contest, led by Jake Lewis, who scored twice. He notched his ninth multi-point game and fifth multi-goal effort, both marks which lead the team, while extending his point streak to five games.

Chase Baker, Gideon Brockenbrough, Sherwin Gersten, Stephen Masi and Danny Tesler also scored for Cleveland State. Brockenbrough's strike was one of the highlights of the evening for CSU as he faked out two defenders with some nifty footwork while sprinting toward the cage before firing home.

Jack Frickleton, Tommy Joyce and Nick Wendel also found the scoresheet by tallying assists. It was the first career assist for Joyce.

Isaac Atencio had two caused turnovers and two ground balls while Danny Tesler led the Vikings with five ground balls.

Virginia is the third different team that CSU has faced this season that has won a national title in the past six years.

After not having played a home game since March 4, Cleveland State will play two of its final three contests at home, beginning Saturday, April 15, against Walsh.