QUICK HITS
- Jaalam Hill scored a career-high 26 points topping his previous career-best of 19 against Milwaukee
- Cleveland State posted its first road win of the season and handed Northern Kentucky its first home loss of the season
- Cleveland State broke the school record for three-pointers in a season with nine three-pointers, which upped its season total to 295
- Cleveland State shot 57.1 percent from the floor in the second half
GAME RECAP
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. -- Junior Jaalam Hill scored a career-high 26 points and also added 12 rebounds leading Cleveland State to an 83-77 Horizon League victory over Northern Kentucky on Saturday in BB&T Arena.
Hill was brilliant in the second half as he scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds in leading the Vikings to their first road win of the season.
Cleveland State, whcih improved to 9-21 overall and 4-13 in the Horizon League, handed Northern Kentucky its first home loss of the season as the Norse entered the game with a perfect 16-0 record at BB&T Arena.
The Vikings, who held a slim 36-34 lead at intermission, shot 57.1 percent from the floor in the second half and held NKU to 42.4 percent shooting.
Cleveland State also got 15 points and eight assists from Tyree Appleby and 15 points from Rashad Williams. Seth Millner added eight points and seven rebounds, while Deante Johnson finished with six points and seven boards.
Northern Kentucky broke a 13-13 deadlock in the first period with a 9-2 run to take a 22-15 lead with 11:59 to play in the first half.
A layup by Drew McDonald pushed the Norse lead to 27-19 with 7:03 to play in the first half before the Vikings rallied.
Millner jump started the comeback with a three-pointer and a pair of baskets by Algevon Eichelberger capped the Vikings 9-1 run which tied the game at 28-28 with 4:25 to play in the first half.
Millner put the Vikings in front with a pair of free throws, but McDonald answered with two free throws to tie the score at 34-34 with 1:13 to play before halftime.
Johnson gave CSU a 36-34 lead at halftime with a jumper with 13 seconds to play in the first half.
Four free throws by McDonald and a jumper from Trevon Faulkner regained the lead for the Norse at 47-41 with 16:09 to play.
The Vikings still trailed by six before Appleby and Dontel Highsmith connected on back-to-back three-pointers to tie the game at 49-49 with 14:14 to play in the game.
Cleveland State used a 7-0 run, which included four points from Hill, to take a 56-51 lead at the 10:46 mark of the second half.
NKU answered with a 7-0 run to regain the lead, but the Vikings took the lead for good when Williams drilled a three-pointer with 8:49 to play in the game.
Cleveland State used a 14-2 run to take control of the game.
Johnson hammered home a dunk, and following a basket by NKU, Hill connected on a jumper and drained a three-pointer giving the Vikings a 70-60 lead with 6:13 to play in the contest.
The Vikings took their largest lead of the game at 75-63 on a three-pointer by Williams with 3:20 to play in the second half.
The Norse climbed to within four points of the lead with 11 seconds to play, but Williams converted a pair of free throws to seal the victory.
Cleveland State will conclude the 2018-19 season on Saturday (March 2) at Youngstown State.
