Chicago, IL-In a game that had just about everything you could ask for in a season opener, the Cleveland State men's basketball team put up a valiant effort in a hostile environment in falling 91-88 to Loyola in the first game of the season for both teams. The Vikings, with a brand new roster playing together for the first time under new head coach Rob Summers, battled to the final buzzer with the host Ramblers, picked fifth in the Atlantic 10 preseason poll.

Cleveland State had four players finish in double figures with Dayan Nessah leading all scorers with 25 points. Nessah finished 8-for-13 from the floor and hit several key shots down the stretch to keep the Vikings in the game. He finished a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line. Nessah pulled down 11 rebounds for his first collegiate double-double. The point and rebound totals are both career highs.

Josiah Harris also notched a career best finishing with 20 points. Harris netted eight total field goal attempts and converted each of his two free throw attempts. He pulled down six rebounds and added two assists.

Tre Beard finished with 13 points and Kamari Jones chipped in 12. Beard was an efficient 3-for-5 from the floor and finished 5-for-7 from the charity stripe. He and Jaidon Lipscomb co-led the team with five assists apiece. Jones got hot from the three-point line as he finished a perfect 3-for-3 from long range as well as from the free throw line.

Cleveland State took control early. The Vikings quieted the hostile crowd of 2,581 thanks to timely early shooting. A Harris triple at the 18:18 mark gave Cleveland State its first lead and the Vikings stretched the lead as high as seven points in the game's opening minutes. A Nessah fast break layup at the 16:19 mark gave the Vikings a 14-7 advantage.

Loyola responded with an 11-0 run to take a four-point lead just under six minutes in as both teams showed their offensive muscle in the early going. The game stayed tight with neither team holding a lead of more than five points for the rest of the first half. Two Nessah free throws with under a minute to play gave Cleveland State a narrow 51-50 edge going into the halftime locker room.

Both teams shot the ball well in the opening half with the Vikings finishing at 47 percent from the field to barely edge out the host Ramblers who finished at 46 percent. The two teams combined for 15 three-pointers in the opening 20 minutes.

Loyola seized control early in the second half, winning the first five minutes and change 16-8 to take a 66-59 lead into the first media timeout. The Ramblers would stretch the lead to double digits at the halfway point as the hosts held a 75-65 lead with 10:16 to play.

Trailing 80-70 with 6:54 remaining, the new-look Vikings staged a comeback. A Harris turnaround jumper with 5:43 to play made it a six-point game. Two Preist Ryan free throws cut the deficit to four with five minutes remaining, and Beard followed with a pull-up triple right in front of CSU's bench that trimmed the margin to a single point with 4:10 remaining. On the next possession, a Nessah layup completed an 11-0 Cleveland State run that vaulted the Vikings back in front with 3:33 to play leading 81-80.

That set the stage for a frantic final sequence where both teams had chances to emerge with the victory. The two teams traded baskets and the score was deadlocked at 84 with one minute to play. Two Beard free throws put the Vikings in front 86-84 with 43 seconds to play.

Loyola missed a layup on the ensuing possession, and the rebound was deflected out of play to Cleveland State with 33 seconds to go. The Ramblers' full court pressure forced a Cleveland State turnover, leading to Deywilk Tavarez converting a free throw and getting fouled with 18 seconds to go. The four-point play put Loyola up 88-86.

Cleveland State once again turned to Nessah with time winding down, and the sophomore broke to the basket and laid the ball on the rim, leading to a goaltending call that was upheld after video review. The basket counted and tied the game at 88 with 10 seconds to play.

The Ramblers then had the game's final possession, and after a missed three-pointer went out of play, Tevarez nailed yet another three-pointer as the final buzzer sounded for the game-winning points.

Despite the result, the Vikings decisively won the battle on the boards 47-30, including 18 offensive rebounds leading to 16 second-chance points. Cleveland State finished with 18 assists on 28 total made field goals.
The Vikings return to Cleveland to host Capital University in the home opener on Thursday night at the Wolstein Center. The game tips off at 7:00 p.m. and schedule posters will be available to all fans while supplies last.