Cleveland, OH-The Cleveland State men's basketball team picked up a 96-48 victory over Baldwin Wallace in an exhibition contest at the Wolstein Center Thursday night. This marked the second consecutive year the Vikings have opened the season with an exhibition win over BW.
Cleveland State got off to a fast start, jumping out to a 32-12 lead just over halfway through the first half. The lead stretched as high as 50 points in the second half as the Vikings outscored the Yellow Jackets 51-19 in the final 20 minutes. Every available player saw minutes in the contest and 12 players scored at least one point.
Five Vikings finished in double figures led by Tae Williams who led all scorers with 18 points. Williams finished 8-10 from the field in the game and connected on both of his three-point tries.
Jayson Woodrich finished with 17 points, 11 of which came in the first half. He knocked down two three-pointers in a three-possession stretch in the first half on his way to 3-4 shooting from beyond the arc on the night.
Drew Lowder added 14 points on 6-11 shooting from the field. Lowder also added two assists and three steals.
Tristan Enaruna and KJ Debrick each finished with 11 points. Enaruna was an efficient 5-6 from the field and chipped in five rebounds. Debrick, playing in his first game in a Cleveland State uniform, played big inside finishing 4-6 from the field and adding six rebounds. Debrick also recorded two blocks.
Cleveland State dominated inside throughout the evening, outscoring Baldwin Wallace 48-22. The Vikings also held a large advantage in fast break points, finishing with a 21-2 edge in that category.
Cleveland State led for 39 of the game's 40 minutes. CSU took control in the second half thanks to lockdown defense. The Vikings held BW to six points in the first ten minutes of the second half, turning a 45-29 halftime lead into a 73-35 margin with 9:48 remaining in the contest.
Cleveland State will now prepare to open the regular season with a matchup at Duquesne on Monday night. Duquesne finished the 2022-23 season with 20 victories and were picked fourth in the Atlantic 10 Preseason Poll. The Vikings and Dukes will square off at 7 p.m. at Duquesne's UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.
