CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State men's basketball team picked up its first win of the New Year Wednesday evening, earning its second straight victory over Purdue Fort Wayne with a 65-58 decision. With the win, the Vikings improve to 8-3 overall this year and 4-0 in Horizon League play.
Game Stats
· Tre Gomillion led the Viking offense with 21 points, while Jayson Woodrich added 12 points and Torrey Patton chipped in 11 points.
· Tre Gomillion finished the game shooting 8-for-8 from the field, including 3-for-3 from behind-the-arc.
· Torrey Patton grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds, while Tre Gomillion and D'Moi Hodge each grabbed seven boards.
· D'Moi Hodge tallied a team-high four assists on the game, while Tre Gomillion and Torrey Patton both added three assists.
· The Viking defense forced Purdue Fort Wayne into 19 turnovers on the night.
Game Notes
· Torrey Patton notched his second straight double-double – and third of the season – with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
· Tre Gomillion tallied his first 20-point game of the year with 21 points against the Mastodons.
· With Wednesday's victory, the Vikings are 4-0 to start #HLMBB play for the second straight season.
· The Vikings have now won eight straight games inside the Wolstein Center.
· Wednesday's game against Purdue Fort Wayne marked the second straight matchup against the Mastodons for the Vikings, as the two teams met last week after rescheduling due to COVID-19 implications.
The Game
Cleveland State was able to take a 29-26 lead into the halftime break, thanks in large part to an 11-point effort from Tre Gomillion who was 4-for-4 from the floor, including 3-for-3 from behind-the-arc, through the first 20 minutes of action.
Over the first few minutes of the second half the Vikings were able to extend their lead, as a Torrey Patton three-pointer and Deshon Parker layup at the 16:51 mark put the Vikings up 36-31. This lead wouldn't last long though, as Purdue Fort Wayne worked its way back into the contest and eventually gained a 41-38 advantage with just under 13 minutes left in the frame.
The Vikings then responded with a 9-2 run of their own, regaining a 47-43 lead on a Gomillion dunk off of a Torrey Patton defensive rebound with 7:56 left on the clock.
Cleveland State was able to hold onto its lead over the next few minutes then, as the Viking defense held Purdue Fort Wayne without a field goal for over a seven-minute stretch, as a Patton layup put the Vikings up 53-49 with 4:35 left to play.
Although the Mastodons were able to trim the lead to just two points at the 53-51 mark, six straight points from the Vikings put Cleveland State back in control as a Parker layup put the score at 58-51 with 1:50 left on the clock.
The Vikings were then able to hold a comfortable lead throughout the remainder of the contest, coming away with the 65-58 victory to remain undefeated in #HLMBB play.
Up Next
Cleveland State will hit the road for a pair of #HLMBB contests this weekend, traveling to Robert Morris on Friday, January 7 and Youngstown State on Sunday, January 9.
