Nov. 26, 2006

Box Score

Contact: Brian McCann

NEWARK, Del. - J'Nathan Bullock scored 17 points, including six during a decisive 8-0 run late in the second half as Cleveland State won its third straight game, claiming a 59-53 decision over Delaware on Sunday (Nov. 26) afternoon in UD's Carpenter Center.

Victor Morris scored 15 points, 12 of which came in the first half.  Brian Johnson led three Blue Hen scorers in double figures with 13 points with Herb Courtney and Calvin Cannon adding 12 points each.

A bucket by Johnson at the 11:57 mark gave the Blue Hens a 41-40 lead, but it would not last as CSU ran off eight straight points to open its largest lead of the game, 48-41 with 8:15 left.

Bullock keyed the run, scoring six of the eight points, including a putback following four CSU missed shots inside that ended the run.

Bullock added a game-high 11 rebounds for his fourth career double-double.

The victory extended Cleveland State's win streak to three games, equaling the longest win streak since the Vikings claimed seven straight games midway through the 2000-01 campaign.  CSU improved to 2-0 all-time against Delaware, earning the first win last season in a BracketBuster Saturday match-up.

"Winning is a process," head coach Gary Waters said. "We need to win games like we did today in order to learn how to be successful. We won because we made our free throws and defended down the stretch. It was that simple."

Cleveland State struggled a little bit shooting, making 20-of-50 from the field (.400), but made up for it by limiting Delaware to just .345 shooting (19-55), including a two-for-13 effort from behind the arc.

The game was ultimately decided at the foul line as the Vikings made 16 of their 17 free throw attempts (.941) while Delaware could manage just .565 shooting (13-23).

"We work really hard on keeping our concentration and focus and it shows on days like today," Waters said. "We've done a total turnaround from the foul line since last year."

The first half was a struggle for the Vikings as CSU went scoreless for the first 5:30 of the contest, allowing the Blue Hens to build a 7-0 advantage.

After missing its first five field goals and turning the ball over four times early, CSU finally got on the board when Bullock converted a three-point play in the lane to pull the Vikings to within 7-3.

The lead would balloon back to seven points on several occasions, the last coming when Raphael Madera converted a pair of free throws with 10:13 left to give Delaware an 18-11 advantage.

CSU stormed right back, going on a 9-0 run over the next 2:02 to take its first lead, 20-18 with 8:11 left.

Raheem Moss started the run with a foul line jumper and Joe Davis scored in the lane on the next possession.  Morris scored the next five, making a steal and going coast-to-coast for the layup on one possession and canning a long three-pointer on the next.

Delaware answered back with baskets by Courtney and Johnson to regain the lead at 22-20 but a pair of Breyohn Watson free throws with 5:23 remaining evened the score at 24-24.

A Morris three-pointer with 3:08 left gave the Vikings a 27-24 lead, but Calvin Cannon scored inside and Herb Courtney made a pair of free throws to put the Blue Hens ahead, 28-27 with 38 seconds left. 

Delaware appeared to be headed to the locker room with a one-point lead, but Morris went coast-to-coast with an inbounds pass into the CSU backcourt, laying it off the glass as time expired to put the Vikings ahead, 29-28.

The Vikings stormed out of the gates in the second half, scored seven of the first nine points to open a 36-30 lead with 18:42 left. 

Bullock scored the first four on a pair of free throws and a basket in the lane and Morris closed the spurt with a three-pointer from the side.

Delaware countered with baskets from Johnson and Cannon, the last coming with 5:26 left to pull the Blue Hens to within 50-46.

Watson scored the next five points for CSU, the last three coming on three free throws after he was fouled on a three-point attempt, giving the Vikings 53-46 lead with 4:57 left.

Delaware answered with three straight free throws and a three-pointer from Cannon with 2:28 left to close to within 53-52.

Tatham pushed the lead to 55-52 when he put back a missed Bullock shot with 1:36 left.  It was Tatham's second offensive rebound of the possession.

The Vikings return home to host Kent State, the team that Viking head coach Gary Waters brought to national prominence as head coach from 1996-2001.  CSU takes on the Golden Flashes on Wednesday (Nov. 29) beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Wolstein Center.