Jan. 30, 2010
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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The four-guard lineup appears to be working for Cleveland State as the quartet combined to scored 62 points as Cleveland State won for the sixth time in the last eight games, defeating Youngstown State, 77-69, on Saturday afternoon in the Wolstein Center.
The lineup, which was first put to use in the first meeting with YSU on Jan. 2, helped the Vikings jump out to an early double-figure lead and then lead from wire-to-wire, allowing CSU to improve to 10-12 overall and 6-4 in league play. YSU dropped its fifth straight contest to fall to 8-13 overall and 2-9 in league play.
Norris Cole led the Vikings with 19 points, 17 coming in the second half, while Jeremy Montgomery added 18 and Trey Harmon 14. D'Aundray Brown recorded his second career double-double -- and second in four games -- scoring 11 points and setting career highs with 12 rebounds and six steals.
DeAndre Mays led the Penguins with 27 points, 19 coming in the second half.
"We didn't play the same in the second half as we did in the first and we certainly didn't finish the game as well as we should have," CSU head coach Gary Waters said. "I thought we lost our focus in the second half and we lost our concentration as the game went on.
"We are about to go on one of the most important road trips of the season for us and this game didn't help us get better. Our guys knew we won by 20 points at their place and just assumed that we could coast through and get the win."
After the Vikings led by as many as 17 in the second half (59-42, 6:51), Youngstown State rallied. Down 64-50 with 3:45 left, YSU went on a 10-2 run to pull to within six, 68-62 with 1:28 remaining. The Penguins would not get an opportunity to pull closer as Cole knocked down a trey with 52 seconds left to push the lead to nine.
A trey by Kelvin Bright brought the lead back down to 72-66 with 37 seconds left, but CSU went five-for-six from the line down the stretch to secure the win.
"I think we did a poor job of taking care of the ball down the stretch, but we made up for it with our free throw shooting," Waters said. "We are an 80-percent foul shooting team late in a game so that is why it is important that we not turn the ball over. If we don't, then they have to foul us and that is in our favor."
Youngstown State started the game shooting cold from the field, making just one of its first 16 shots as the Vikings built a 16-4 advantage at the 12:19 mark. CSU would lead by as many as 13 in the opening half before YSU closed to with 21-15 at the 6:16 mark.
The Vikings eventually took a 30-21 lead into the locker room.
The win puts CSU into fifth place in the league standings with a 6-4 record, but only one win behind the trio of Green Bay, Detroit and Wright State, who are tied for second with 7-4 records. The Viking take to the road this week to face UIC (Feb. 4) and Loyola (Feb. 6) on the road, the teams that are currently eighth and 10th in the league right now.
"Right now, , we are tied for second (in the loss column) in the league and we still have four games at home," Waters said. "We are right in the thick of things and that is why this week is so important. I feel better that we are coming off a win, but we didn't play to our full ability tonight and that is something we can't afford to do next week."
