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Cleveland State Men’s Basketball Downs Defiance in Regular Season Home Opener

Cleveland State Men’s Basketball Downs Defiance in Regular Season Home Opener

Cleveland, OH-The Cleveland State men's basketball team took care of business on its home floor Wednesday night, earning the first win of the 2023-24 season with a 102-41 margin over Defiance at the Wolstein Center.

The Vikings had a balanced offensive attack as six players finished in double figures and all but one of the 12 players who saw minutes found the score sheet. Cleveland State led the entire way and suffocated the Yellow Jackets on the defensive end by forcing 32 Defiance turnovers.

Ramar Pryor led the way with a career-high 14 points. Pryor was efficient, logging just under 14 minutes of playing time. He finished 4-6 from the field and connected on 6-8 from the free throw line. Pryor was also a force on the defensive end, registering a career-high six steals.

Jayson Woodrich continued his strong play to start the season, finishing with 13 points. Woodrich was a sizzling 4-5 from beyond the three-point arc and accounted for four of the six Cleveland State three-pointers on the night.

Tae Williams and Jalin Rice each finished with 11 points. Williams finished 5-8 from the floor and registered a second consecutive double-digit scoring game. Rice finished in double figures for the first time in his Viking career, as he finished 4-6 from the floor and 3-4 from the charity stripe.

KJ Debrick and Tristan Enaruna each finished with 10 points. Dylan Arnett was close behind with nine, setting a new career best. Dok Muordar scored his first points in a Cleveland State uniform, adding two buckets late which ignited the CSU bench in the game's closing minutes.

The Vikings wasted no time in taking control of the game, scoring 10 of the first 12 points to open up a 10-2 advantage less than three minutes into the contest. The lead ballooned to 20 on a Tevin Smith dunk with 7:12 remaining in the first half, as Cleveland State led 32-12.

The Vikings carried a 48-21 lead into the halftime locker room. In the second half the Vikings clamped down defensively. Cleveland State went on a 24-0 run, keeping the Yellow Jackets' offense out of pocket without a field goal for over eight minutes. The run pushed the CSU lead to 92-34 with just over four minutes to play.

Cleveland State improves to 1-1 on the season and returns to the Wolstein Center floor on Saturday for the annual Homecoming game in collaboration with the CSU Alumni Association. The Vikings play host to the Ohio Bobcats with tip off scheduled for 6:00 p.m.