Valparaiso, IN-The Cleveland State men's basketball team earned its first win over Valparaiso since the 2014 season on Tuesday night as the Vikings defeated the Beacons 75-67 to improve to 2-2 on the season. It marks the first win in eight tries for the Vikings against Valpo and the first road win of the season for CSU.
 
The Vikings were led by the duo of Tahj Staveskie and Dylan Arnett who each finished with 19 points. Arnett recorded a double-double and filled up the stat sheet finishing with 14 rebounds two assists and three blocks. Arnett was 9-of-12 from the field and 1-2 at the free throw line. Staveskie recorded a season high six assists and was 6-of-13 from the field. He finished 3-for-5 from three-point range including multiple key buckets from outside in the second half to push the Vikings out in front.
 
Tevin Smith finished with 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting. He added an assist and two steals, in addition to three-of-five shooting from the free throw line. Smith's 15 points were a season high.
 
Both teams struggled offensively early in the game. Valparaiso held a narrow lead for most of the first half that was never higher than six points. A Chase Robinson three in the closing seconds trimmed the deficit to three and gave Cleveland State momentum headed into the halftime break.
 
Cleveland State carried that momentum into the second half, tying the score at 37 in the opening minutes. The Vikings took the lead on a Smith layup with 16:33 to go and Staveskie followed with a key three-point make to extend the lead to four headed into the first media timeout.
 
Arnett gave the Vikings a double-digit lead for the first time at the 9:47 mark as he converted a fast break opportunity with a layup from point blank range to make it 57-47 Vikings. Cleveland State maintained the double-digit lead until the game's final minutes as the Vikings held off the Beacons down the stretch. Valparaiso never got closer than seven points the rest of the way.
 
Cleveland State finished at 51 percent shooting from the field for the game and held the edge in points in the paint with 44. The Vikings outscored the Beacons 47-36 in the second half to earn the road victory.
 
Cleveland State returns to the Wolstein Center this weekend to host Eastern Michigan on Saturday afternoon. Tip off between the Vikings and Eagles is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.