Dec. 11, 2010
Final Stats
Contact: Brian McCann
HUNTSVILLE, Texas - Trey Harmon scored a season-high 20 points, Norris Cole added 19 and the Vikings made at least 10 three-pointers for the fourth straight game as Cleveland State ran its record to a perfect 12-0 with a 74-62 win over Sam Houston State on Saturday at Johnson Coliseum.
The win makes CSU the first team in the nation to win 12 games this year and matches the third-longest win streak in CSU history. Sam Houston State, which appeared in the NCAA Tournament after winning the Southland Conference last year, drops to 5-3.
"We had a team goal when we talked during the summer that we wanted to be 12-0 when we went to West Virginia," head coach Gary Waters said. "Even though we have had some ups and downs and played so far without D'Aundray Brown, we have been able to achieve that goal.
"Winning today was another case of doing the things on the road that you need to do. We played excellent, aggressive defense against a good offensive team, we shot the ball well, rebounded and for the most part, took care of the ball.
"This team has made its name so far on defense so even though we had a strong game offensively, we will win or lose this year depending on how we play defensively. We came ready to play today and it showed."
Harmon scored 13 of his 20 points in the second half while Cole had 13 of his points in the first half, including a two-for-four effort from three-point. The Viking senior handed out seven assists to help CSU to the 75th victory since he joined the squad four years ago, the eighth highest total in school history.
The game was not in question in the second half but it wasn't until the final two minutes that CSU put the contest away.
Harmon knocked down four three-pointers, including three in a row during a second half burst that allowed the Vikings to open up a double-digit lead. With CSU leading 57-48 (9:54) and the BearKats mounting a physical challenge inside, Harmon went long distance three times to push the lead to 66-52 (6:24) and effectively end the rally as SHSU would come no closer than eight the rest of the way.
The most important of points came from the perimeter as CSU went 10-for-21 from three-point (.476), including a six-for-eight burst at the end of the first half. It marked the fourth straight game that CSU made 10 three-pointers or more.
At the other end of the floor, SHSU made its first two three-pointers of the game but ended up making just four of its 15 attempts (.267).
"We are a good three-point shooting team," Waters said. "When we get open looks like we did tonight, it should not be surprising when we make three or four in a row like today."
With SHSU shooting .462 from the field (24-52), the second-highest figure by a team against CSU this year, the Viking defensive effort took on a different look. BearKat point guard Josten Crow, who went into the contest averaging 15 points a game, was held scoreless and took just two shots because of the effort of Cole on him defensively.
In addition, CSU out-rebounded the bigger BearKats, 37-26, and held them to just seven offensive rebounds and two second chance points.
"I have to give our guys credit because one of our points of emphasis today was rebounding, especially defensively and we did a great job," Waters said. "Every one of our guys was in their battling for rebounds when a shot went up and the results showed."
The Viking bench was a productive one, scoring 22 points in the contest.
Josh McCoy paved the way, scoring 10 points to finish in double figures for the second game in a row. Reserve center Joe Latas added six points and five rebounds while Charlie Woods and Luda Ndaye each made key three-pointers.
The win continues the record-breaking start for the Vikings, who not only broke the previous record of four consecutive wins to start the season, but they tripled it, opening the year with 12 straight victories to receive top 35 mention in both major basketball polls. The 12 straight wins equals the 12-game streak in 1986-87 and now trails the 14 straight wins in both 1985-86 and 1992-93.
The victory also allowed the Vikings to break the school record of 11 wins before January 1st which was set in the 1992-93 season.
After jumping out to an early double-figure lead in winning at Milwaukee last Saturday, the Vikings started this one a little slower.
Sam Houston started quickly, using a pair of treys to take an 8-2 lead (17:26).
The Vikings ran off eight straight, the last coming on a three-pointer by Charlie Woods with 14:41 left to put CSU ahead, 10-8.
The BearKats used their inside game to build an 18-13 advantage (12:12) as Clavell scored two baskets inside.
The lead was short-lived as CSU used a trey from Harmon and a pair of free throws from Latas to tie the game at 18-18 (10:16).
Clavell would answer with a pair of free throws (10:05) before the Vikings would use a Harmon layup and two straight buckets by McCoy, to build a 25-20 lead (7:47).
After Sam Houston closed to within 30-29 with 4:22 left, the Vikings used their long-range shooting to take the lead for good. Cole started the run with a three from the top of the key and the Montgomery followed by sandwiching a pair of treys around a Luda Ndaye triple. When Cole went to the line and made both ends of a one-and-one with 46.5 seconds left, CSU held a 44-31 lead.
Cleveland State shot .500 from three-point in the first half, but it all came at the end as the Vikings were just one-for-six from beyond the arc in the first eight minutes. With that aspect of the game cold, CSU opted to pump-fake the three-point shot and take it to the basket with Harmon and Woods each converting baskets inside.
The Vikings will spend the majority of the next week taking final exams for the fall semester before traveling to Morgantown, West Virginia to take on the Mountaineers on Saturday, December 18 beginning at 2:00 p.m. Cleveland State then returns home for its final home non-conference game of the regular season when CSU hosts South Florida on Tuesday, Dec. 22 at 7:00 p.m. in the Wolstein Center.
