Jan. 10, 2002
Cleveland State pulled even in conference play with an impressive, 71-58 win over Youngstown State. The Vikings (8-7, 2-2 Horizon League) fought back and forth with the Penguins for most of the evening, but a 21-0 run midway through the second half sealed the victory for CSU.
"Two seniors did a tremendous job tonight," said Head Coach Rollie Massimino. "They played within a framework of what we believe in and I'm very proud of them."
Former high school teammates, seniors Jamaal Harris (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights) and Theo Dixon (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights) led the Vikings with 22 and 18 points, respectively. Dixon also had a career high six assists.
The Vikes trailed YSU at the half, 31-28, but came out firing in the second frame. After getting back to a 44-44 tie on a Tahric Gosley (Philadelphia, Penn./Simon Gratz) dunk with 10:52 remaining, CSU exploded for 16 unanswered points. Dixon grabbed a steal and passed it off to Harris for a three-pointer with 10:26 remaining.
With 7:11 left Jerrod Calhoun (Cleveland, Ohio/Villa Angela-St. Joseph) hit his second three-pointer to grab a 10-point lead. On the next possession Dixon threw down a dunk and added a free throw for a 57-44 lead. Harris finished off the run with 5:43 remaining on another three-pointer.
Over the stretch the Vikings held YSU scoreless for 7:17. Overall CSU shot 13-19 (68%) and 5-6 (83%) in the second half.
Stephen Flores led the Penguins with 21 points and seven rebounds, while Doug Underwood added 18.
The Viking's will next be in action on Monday, January 14 when they take on Wright State at the Convocation Center.
