Cleveland, OH-The Cleveland State men's basketball team continued its winning ways at home, as the Vikings picked up a 16th consecutive home victory, downing Oakland 75-67 on Thursday night at the Wolstein Center. Cleveland State improves to 9-5 overall and 2-1 in Horizon League play. Oakland falls to 7-7 and 1-2.
The Vikings led the entire way but were challenged by the Golden Grizzlies throughout. Cleveland State got off to a fast start in the first half, building as much as a 23-point advantage. Oakland punched back in the second half and twice cut the deficit to four in the game's closing stretch, but Cleveland State held on with several key buckets in the final minutes to secure the victory.
Cleveland State showed its depth with four players finishing in double figures. Drew Lowder led the way with 15 points on 50 percent shooting from the floor. He connected on 3-of-6 from three-point range and sank each of his two free throw attempts. Lowder tallied five steals which led all players in the game.
Jayson Woodrich recorded his second consecutive game in double figures, finishing with 14 points. Woodrich led the team with four three-point makes on the night and finished 2-of-2 from the charity stripe.
Tae Williams poured in 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the floor. Williams has scored in double figures in five of the last six games and added eight rebounds which led the team. Tevin Smith was the fourth Viking in double figures, finishing with 11 points off the bench. Smith added seven boards in 22 minutes of game action. He connected on two of his three attempts from long range, both of which were critical makes down the stretch in the second half.
Both teams struggled from the field early in the game. Tristan Enaruna picked up two quick fouls and headed to the bench just over six minutes into the game. The score was tied at 5 with 13:55 remaining in the first half.
Despite the loss of Enaruna, the Vikings found their rhythm offensively and built a double-digit lead over the next five minutes of game action. Cleveland State shot the lights out, both literally and figuratively in the first half. Cleveland State outscored Oakland 16-6 to take a 21-11 lead at the 8:43 mark. The game was halted at that point when the arena lights went out due to a building-wide power surge that reset the arena lighting system. The game resumed following a brief delay once the lights returned to full power.
Cleveland State responded well out of the delay, as the Vikings went on a 9-2 run to force an Oakland timeout at the 5:09 mark of the first half. Cleveland State led 30-13.
The Cleveland State lead grew as large as 23 with a little under four minutes remaining in the first half. The Vikings carried a 41-23 lead into the halftime locker room. Cleveland State shot 46 percent from the floor in the opening half and finished 7-of-15 from three-point range. The Vikings held Oakland to just 21 percent from the floor.
Oakland responded with a quick burst out of the halftime locker room. The Golden Grizzlies went on a 6-0 run to start the second half and force a CSU timeout at the 16:40 mark, with the Vikings ahead 41-29.
Lowder promptly drilled a three-pointer on the ensuing possession for the Vikings, quieting the run for the moment and pushing the Cleveland State lead back to 15. Oakland continued the surge, proceeding to go on a 9-0 run to cut the Viking lead to six at 44-38 with 14:21 remaining.
The two teams traded baskets before Smith drilled back-to-back three-pointers to create some separation once again. The second triple pushed the lead back to 10, it was 53-43 Vikings with 10:17 to go.
Oakland rallied over the next six minutes and twice cut the Viking lead down to four with a little under five minutes remaining. The Vikings did not allow the Golden Grizzlies to draw any closer. With CSU ahead 59-55, Jalin Rice drained a fadeaway three-pointer with 4:23 remaining that gave the Vikings a cushion. Rice followed with a dunk, and an Enaruna and-one at the 2:59 mark doubled the lead to eight, 67-59.
The lead remained at eight as the final buzzer sounded, as the Vikings held firm down the stretch with critical free throws and defensive stops as the clock wound down.
Cleveland State continues Horizon League play this weekend, with a trip to IUPUI up next. The Vikings and Jaguars will meet at 2:00 in Indianapolis on Sunday afternoon.
