Evanston, IL-The Cleveland State men's basketball team made its second trip to the Chicagoland area in the opening week of the 2025-26 regular season. The Vikings ran into a hot shooting Northwestern squad in falling 110-63 at the Wildcats' Welsh Ryan Arena. Cleveland State is 1-2 on the season and Northwestern remains unbeaten at 3-0.

Dayan Nessah led the way for the Vikings with 15 points. Nessah has now scored in double figures in each of Cleveland State's first three games. He finished 6-for-9 from the floor and made three of his four free throw attempts.

Josiah Harris finished one rebound shy of his second double-double scoring 13 points and pulling down nine boards. Harris finished 5-for-9 from the field. Harris and Nessah tied for the team lead in assists with three apiece. Jaidon Lipscomb scored nine points, Foster Wonders added eight and Chevalier Emery finished with seven.

Cleveland State held the lead once in the early going as a 4-0 run gave the Vikings a brief 6-5 lead. Nessah scored a layup and Preist Ryan followed with a second-chance bucket.

Northwestern quickly seized control from there jumping out to a double-digit lead and winning 53-28 at halftime. The Wildcats shot 60 percent from the field for the game and 52 percent from three-point range.

Cleveland State returns to action this weekend as the Vikings travel to White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia for two games at the historic Greenbrier Resort as part of the Greenbrier Tip-Off. Cleveland State's first game is Saturday against Kent State.