CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State men's basketball team returned to action for the first time in 17 days Thursday evening, picking up a 90-81 victory over Purdue Fort Wayne to improve to 7-3 overall this year and 3-0 in Horizon League play.

Game Stats
· Five Vikings finished the game with double-figures, led by Torrey Patton with 21. Tre Gomillion and D'Moi Hodge both added 19 points, while Broc Finstuen chipped in 15 and Deante Johnson tallied 10.
· Torrey Patton led the Vikings on the boards, grabbing 10 rebounds, while Broc Finstuen added seven.
· As a team, the Vikings recorded 16 assists on the night, including eight from Torrey Patton.
· Cleveland State shot 53-percent from the field, including a .577 clip during the second half.
· The Viking defense forced Purdue Fort Wayne into 16 turnovers, turning these miscues into 21 points.
· Cleveland State held a 28-2 advantage in fast break points on the night, while they also held a 42-20 edge in points in the paint.

Game Notes
· Torrey Patton notched his second double-double of the season with 21 points and 10 rebounds, while he was just shy of a triple-double after also adding eight assists.
· Tre Gomillion tallied a season-high with his 19 points against Purdue Fort Wayne.
· Thursday marked the fifth straight game that Cleveland State has shot 50-percent or better from the field.
· With 16 assists on the night, the Vikings have now tallied 10+ assists in every game this season.
· The Vikings have now won seven straight games inside the Wolstein Center.
· Thursday's game against Purdue Fort Wayne was a last minute addition to the schedule, after COVID-19 implications caused rescheduling among Horizon League teams.

The Game
After trailing by four at the halftime break at 42-38, Tre Gomillion got the Vikings on the board first during the second half, closing the gap to 42-40 with a layup just 18 seconds into the frame, before Deante Johnson tied the contest at 42-42 less than a minute later.

After trading baskets over the next few plays, Cleveland State was able to rattle off five straight points on a pair of layups from Broc Finstuen and Torrey Patton and a Deshon Parker free throw, gaining a slight two-point lead at 49-47 with 16:00 minutes left to play.

The Vikings were then able to extend their lead over the next few minutes with four made free throws from Gomillion and Johnson, gaining a 53-49 advantage, before a Purdue Fort Wayne run tied the game once again at 53-53 at the 13:18 mark.

Although the Mastodons were able to gain a slight lead over the next few possessions, a pair of three-pointers from Finstuen and D'Moi Hodge brought the Vikings back into the contest, tying the score at 61-61 with just over 11 minutes left to play.

Purdue Fort Wayne was once again able to distance itself over the next few plays, gaining a 73-67 advantage at the 6:19 mark, but an 18-4 Cleveland State run put the momentum back in Cleveland State's favor, as the Vikings gained an 86-77 lead late in the game.

Cleveland State capped off this run with 16 straight points, including a Patton three-pointer from deep to put the score at 84-77, before a Gomillion dunk off a full-court inbounds pass out of a timeout gave the Vikings an 86-77 lead with just 55 seconds left in regulation.

The Vikings were then able to close out the game with a handful of free throws from Patton and Johnson, to clinch the 90-81 victory to remain perfect in #HLMBB play.

Up Next
Cleveland State is scheduled to return to action on Wednesday, January 5, when the Vikings will once again host Purdue Fort Wayne.