#REACHtheHORIZON Final
Cleveland State vs. Oakland
Tuesday, March 9 | 7:00 p.m.
Indiana Farmers Coliseum | Indianapolis, Indiana
Presented by Cleveland Clinic Sports Medicine
ESPN | Audio | Live Stats
Game Notes
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State men's basketball team continues #REACHtheHORIZON Tournament play with a final matchup against Oakland on Tuesday night. Tuesday's #HLMBB championship appearance is the first time since 2018 and only the fourth time in program history the team has played for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The Vikings knocked off Purdue Fort Wayne (108-104) and Milwaukee (71-65) on their quest for an HL Tournament Title. Both games were come-from-behind victories, led by senior Torrey Patton who's averaging 22.0 points, 13.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game over the tournament.
A WIN ON TUESDAY WOULD…
...send the Vikings to the NCAA Tournament for only the third time in school history. The Green and White are 1-2 in #HLMBB final contests, wining the 2008-09 title, which then included an NCAA Tournament upset over Wake Forest.
THE CLEVELAND STATE/OAKLAND SERIES
Cleveland State comes into Tuesday's contest having won the regular season series against Oakland completing an #HLMBB sweep at the O'rena in February. The Vikes took down the Golden Grizzlies (80-72 and 80-78). The victory over Oakland on Feb. 6 marked the team's first-ever 14-win Horizon League campaign and their most wins in conference play since the 1992-93 squad posted a 15-1 mark in the Mid-Continent Conference.
SURVIVE AND ADVANCE: VIKES MOVE ON...
SEMIFINALS (Milwaukee)...
The Cardiac Cleveland State Vikings notched its second straight come-from-behind win taking down Milwaukee on Monday, March 8 in the league's semifinals contest. Down by 11 points midway through the second half, a trio of Jayson Woodrich three-pointers off the bench, a steal and two-handed slam dunk by Tre Gomillion and made free throws down the stretch sealed the victory for the Vikes.
QUARTERFINALS (Purdue Fort Wayne)...
As part of an unpredictable and wild #HLMBB Championship Quarterfinal round, the Vikings threw the final punch in a back-and-forth triple overtime tilt against Purdue Fort Wayne, winning 108-104 in a historic game for the program. The victory came in Cleveland State's fourth triple OT contest all-time and the first since 2013. It also marked the first 100-plus point effort against a Horizon League opponent since 2000 and only the second time the Vikings have hit the century mark in postseason play (first since 1984) while snapping a two-year drought without a #HLMBB Tournament win. Cleveland State was able to overcome 16 made triples by PFW, the fourth-most by an opponent in a single game in program history.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE TROUBLE
Senior Torrey Patton has notched three straight double-doubles, including two #REACHtheHORIZON 10-plus point and 10-plus rebound outings. The forward leads the team with six double-doubles on the season, with Tre Gomillion joining Patton in the double-double category tallying a 22-point, 13-rebound outing in the quarterfinals. In the #HLMBB Tournament, Patton is averaging 22.0 points, 13.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game.
IRON MEN
While playing career highs in minutes, Torrey Patton and Tre Gomillion became the first pair of Vikings teammates with double-doubles in the same postseason contest since at least 2002. Patton nearly matched his career high with 30 points and Gomillion tallied 22 in his second-highest scoring output of the season. For Patton, it marked the second 30-point game of his career while Gomillion topped the 20-point plateau for second time. Both players grabbed 13 boards, and Patton logged 50 minutes while Gomillion played 54 of 55 possible minutes.
REGULAR SEASON CHAMPS
The Vikings clinched a share of the regular season #HLMBB championship with a 67-55 win over Purdue Fort Wayne on Feb. 20, marking the first time Cleveland State finished atop the league standings since the 2010-11 campaign and the fifth time ever finishing No. 1. Announced after the victory, the Green and White entered the 2021 #REACHtheHORIZON Tournament as the overall top seed. Their 16 regular-season victories set an all-time program record for most wins in any conference/league.
TAKING HOME THE HARDWARE
Several Vikings picked up honors when the Horizon League announced its postseason awards, headlined by head coach Dennis Gates' second consecutive Coach of the Year honor, which made him only the eighth coach in league history and first at Cleveland State to receive the award in back-to-back seasons. Junior Tre Gomillion was tabbed as Defensive Player of the Year while Torrey Patton became the first Viking to receive an All-League First Team nod since 2015. Additionally, both Gomillion and Deante Johnson were selected as members of the All-Defensive Team.
