Feb. 28, 2006
Contact: Brian McCann
DETROIT, Mich. - Cleveland State dug too big of a hole to open the game, going the first eight minutes without a point as Detroit raced past the Vikings, 92-58, in the opening round of the Horizon League Championship in Detroit.
J'Nathan Bullock led CSU with 18 points while Carlos English and Raheem Moss added 11 points each.
Chuck Bailey was one of five Detroit starters in double figures with 13 points and 16 rebounds. Ben Green paced the Titans with 15 points, Jon Goode added 14 ad Torvoris Baker and Brandon Cotton had 10 points each.
"I am disappointed. This is not what CSU Basketball is supposed to be all about," head coach Mike Garland said. "This it the time of the year that we played all season to get to and it is unfortunate to come all this way and turn in a performance like tonight.
"Detroit came out in the first 10 minutes and really set the tone, especially on the glass," Garland added. "Detroit came out and played very physically, and it took us awhile to match it."
The game was decided in the first 10 minutes of the game when the Vikings came out cold, missing their first eight field goal attempts as Detroit built a 13-0 lead with 12:08 to play.
CSU did not score until the 11:43 mark when J'Nathan Bullock, who was 11-of-14 from the foul line, made a pair of free throws.
The first 10 minutes of the second half was equally as disappointing for the Vikings as the Titans outscored CSU, 29-8 to turn an 11-point halftime lead into a blowout.
The Detroit lead would grow to as many as 43 (92-49 with 2:09 left) before the Vikings closed the game with a 9-0 run.
Led by Bailey's 16 rebounds, the Titans dominated the boards, out-rebounding CSU 28-7 in the second half to own a 40-19 edge for the game. Bailey's rebounding total was one more than all 13 Vikings had combined.
One consolation for CSU was that the Vikings finished the year with one of their strongest free throw shooting performance of the year, making 20-of-24 from the stripe (.833). Bullock, who shot just .511 from the stripe in the first 22 games, finished the year by making 36 of his 47 free throws over the last six games (.766).
The Vikings found themselves behind early as the Titans dominated the first half. After the initial Titan surge, CSU could come no closer than eight points in the first half, reaching that mark five times with each Viking surge being answered by either a Titan mini-run or a Detroit three-pointer.
Carlos English pulled CSU to within 15-6 (10:33) on a basket in the lane, but Detroit's Jon Goode answered with a trey.
The Titans would build the lead to as many as 17 (25-8, 8:39) before the Vikings ran off eight straight points, including a three-pointer and two free throws by Moss to bring the CSU to within 25-16 with 6:12 left.
Brandon Cotton answered for Detroit with a driving layup and a three-pointer as part of a 7-0 Titan run that rebuilt the lead to 32-16 with 3:54 left.
Cleveland State came right back as Luke Murphy, Frashon McGee and Bullock all scored baskets in the lane with Bullock completing a three-point play that trimmed the Titan lead to 32-23 with 2:29 left.
The lead was still nine when Ben Green gave Detroit a 40-28 lead on a three-pointer with 46 seconds left and Bullock closed the first half scoring by making one of two free throws with 28 seconds left as CSU trailed, 40-29 at the break.
The Vikings end the year with a 10-18 mark while Detroit improves to 16-15, advancing to the second round of the league tournament. The Titans will face the winner of the Wright State-UIC game on Friday night (March 3).
