CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State men's basketball team got back in the win column Saturday afternoon, picking up a 72-70 victory over Detroit Mercy. With the win, the Vikings are now 11-4 overall this season and 7-1 in #HLMBB play.
Game Stats
· Four Vikings finished the game with double-digit points, led by D'Moi Hodge with 16. Tre Gomillion and Torrey Patton both finished with 13 points, while Nathanael Jack recorded 12.
· Torrey Patton grabbed a team-high 11 boards, while Deante Johnson and Tre Gomillion both recorded seven rebounds.
· As a team, the Vikings recorded 20 assists on 27 made field goals, including seven from Torrey Patton.
· Cleveland State outrebounded Detroit Mercy 36-30, including 16 offensive boards that led to 17 second chance points.
· The Vikings shot 46-percent from the floor on the game.
Game Notes
· Torrey Patton notched his fifth double-double of the season – and second straight – with 13 points and 11 rebounds against Detroit Mercy.
· Nathanael Jack posted a season-high with his 12 points – with all 12 points coming on three-pointers.
· For the sixth time this season the Vikings recorded 20+ assists, finishing right on the number against the Titans.
· This marked the fifth time out of eight #HLMBB games that the Vikings shot 45-percent or better from the floor.
· The Cleveland State defense forced Detroit Mercy into 16 turnovers, marking the 10th time this season that the Vikings have forced their opponent in 15 or more miscues.
The Game
For the third time over the last four games, the Vikings were able to overcome a halftime deficit, outscoring the Titans by four points during the second half to pull away with the 72-70 victory.
After Detroit Mercy was able to take a 33-31 lead into the halftime break, the Titans went on a 9-2 run over the opening minutes of the second half, putting the score at 42-33 with 17:34 left on the clock.
The Vikings were able to slowly chip away at this lead over the next five minutes, as a trio of baskets from Torrey Patton and Tre Gomillion closed the gap to just one point at the 48-47 mark with just over 12 minutes left to play.
The Titans responded with a 7-2 run that extended their lead back to six points at the 55-49 mark, but a D'Moi Hodge three-pointer at the 8:51 mark stopped the UDM run and closed the gap to three points at 55-52.
Although Detroit Mercy was able to hold the advantage over the next 3:52, a Nathanael Jack three-pointer at the 4:59 mark gave Cleveland State its first lead since the first half at 62-61.
The Vikings followed this up with a Hodge dunk, putting the CSU lead at 64-61, but the Titans once again answered to swing the momentum back in their favor and put the score at 66-64 UDM with 1:41 left to play.
Following a Yahel Hill offensive rebound, Patton was able to tie the score once again with a second chance layup, knotting the two teams at 66-66 with just over one minute left on the clock.
Detroit Mercy was able to draw a foul on the next play, with the Titans converting both free throws to trade leads once again, before a Hill three-pointer out of a timeout gave the Vikings a slim 69-68 lead with 44 seconds remaining.
Just 13 seconds later, the Titans answered to put the score at 70-69 UDM, but a Hodge layup on the ensuing possession once again put the Vikings ahead by one point at 71-70 with just six seconds left on the clock.
The Viking defense was then able to force the Titans into a turnover on their next inbounds play, which then forced UDM to foul, putting Hodge at the free throw line with just two seconds left on the clock, and a one-point advantage.
Hodge would go on to convert one of his two free throws, securing the 72-70 victory for the Vikings.
Up Next
Cleveland State will close out its current homestand next weekend, hosting Youngstown State on Friday, January 21 and Robert Morris on Sunday, January23.
