CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cleveland State used a late barrage of three-pointers to pull within three points, but Toledo held on for a 59-54 victory over the Vikings on Wednesday night in the Wolstein Center.
Both teams are now 3-4 this season.
Trey Lewis led the Vikings with a game-high 21 points, four rebounds and three assists, while Marlin Mason finished with eight points, six rebounds and four blocked shots.
Charlie Lee, making his season debut, added nine points, six rebounds and four assists off the bench and Anton Grady chipped in seven points and five boards.
J.D. Weatherspoon led three Toledo players in double figures with 16 points.
Trailing by nine points (52-43) with one minute to play, CSU used a Grady dunk, and three-pointers from Lee, Lewis and Mason to pull within 57-54 with 11 seconds left.
However, Jonathan Williams hit a pair of free throws with nine seconds left to push the lead back to five and with just three team fouls, the Rockets were able to foul CSU before the Vikings could get a shot off.
The Rockets led at halftime, 28-15, as CSU shot just 6-of-29 from the field over the opening 20 minutes. The lead grew to 18 points early in the second half before CSU trimmed its deficit to 11 (37-26) on a Mason layup.
But the Rockets once again had an answer, scoring seven straight points as the lead grew back to 18 points (44-26) with 13:14 to play.
The lead stayed double figures until CSU's late three-pointers.
The Vikings are back in action on Sunday (Dec. 7) when CSU hosts Western Illinois at 1:00 p.m. in the Wolstein Center. It will be a doubleheader with the CSU women hosting Kent State at 3:30 p.m.
All fans who bring a toy to donate to Toys For Tots will receive $3.00 off the price of a game ticket.
