CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cleveland State returned from a nine-day layoff and snapped a two-game skid with a 66-55 victory over Western Carolina on Monday night at the Wolstein Center. 

CSU improved to 5-5 this year, while the Catamounts fell to 5-7. WCU was playing its fifth game in the state of Ohio this year.

Sebastian Douglas led the Vikings with a career-high tying 16 points, hitting all six of his shots from the field and 4-of-5 at the free throw line. Douglas added three rebounds. 

Anton Grady scored 13 points, while Trey Lewis finished with 11 points, six rebounds and a pair of steals. Bryn Forbes was the fourth CSU player in double figures with 11 points and Jon Harris added nine points and six rebounds off the bench.

CSU played one of its best games on the defensive end, tying the season-low for points allowed and holding the Catamounts to .365 (19-52) shooting from the field. The Viking defense also forced an opponent season-high 18 turnovers.

The Vikings led by two points at the half, but WCU opened the first four minutes of the second stanza by scoring 12 of the first 16 points to assume a 42-38 lead.

But that's when the Vikings took over, scoring 11 straight points to take a 49-42 lead with 12:15 to go. CSU held the Catamounts to just two field goals and two free throws over a 13 minute stretch, opening up an 11 point lead (60-49) with just over three minutes to play. 

WCU opened its largest lead of the first half (22-14) 11 minutes in, but seven straight points by CSU brought the Vikings within one point (22-21) with six minutes to play in the half.

A Jon Harris three-pointer broke the fifth tie of the first half and gave CSU a 30-27 lead, but Sumler answered with three free throws on the other end to knot the contest for the sixth time in the first half with just over a minute to play. 

A Douglas steal and layup with five seconds left gave the Vikings a 32-30 halftime lead.

The Vikings are back in action on Wednesday (Dec. 18) when CSU hosts Notre Dame (OH) at 7:00 p.m. at the Wolstein Center. 

GAME NOTES

• Tonight's game was the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
• CSU was coming off a nine-day layoff after final exams last week.
• The Vikings had not played since a 73-61 loss to Akron on Dec. 7.
• Western Carolina had not played in 12 days, since a 76-68 setback at Coastal Carolina on Dec. 4.
• Tonight's game was the fifth time WCU played a game in the state of Ohio this year.
• Sebastian Douglas tied his career-high with 16 points, making all six of his field goals.
• WCU scored just 55 points tonight, tied for the least amount given up by the Vikings this year (Ball State, 11/30/13).
• CSU's bench outscored the Catamounts, 31-10.