Cleveland, OH-The Cleveland State men's basketball team dropped a hard fought 68-60 decision to Youngstown State on Sunday afternoon at the Wolstein Center. The Vikings are now 18-9 overall and 12-4 in the Horizon League. Youngstown State is 18-10 and 12-5 in the league standings. Cleveland State remains in first place with a one-half game lead over YSU and Robert Morris.
The Penguins out-rebounded the Vikings by a 38-32 margin and Cleveland State shot just 3-of-20 from three-point range. The lead changed hands 10 times and the score was tied five times. The game was tight throughout the first half with YSU surging at the start of the second half. Cleveland State trimmed a double-digit deficit down to two in the closing minutes but could not climb all the way back as YSU held on for the road victory.
Dylan Arnett led a trio of Vikings in double figures with 16 points. Arnett shot 70 percent from the field.
Tevin Smith and
Chase Robinson finished with 15 points each. The two combined for 10-for-11 shooting from the free throw line.
Cleveland State got off to a fast start scoring four of the game's first six points. Back-to-back buckets from Arnett and
Tahj Staveskie put the Vikings up 4-2 in the opening minutes.
With the score tied at 7 just over six minutes in, a 5-0 Viking run gave Cleveland State a 12-7 lead. Arnett grabbed an offensive rebound and put-back as part of a first half where he led all scorers with 11 points.
The two teams traded runs back and forth throughout the half with the Penguins surging as the half drew to a close to take a three-point lead to the locker room at 30-27.
The Penguins scored six of the first eight in the second half to take a seven-point lead in the first three minutes of the second half. YSU eventually widened the margin to double figures with a three-pointer at the 13:59 mark and led by as many as 13 midway through the half.
Cleveland State slowly chipped away and with 5:19 to play, the Vikings mounted a run which brought the crowd back to life and made it a one-possession game again. A 6-0 run in just under a minute of game action trimmed the deficit to two with 4:35 remaining.
Despite the late momentum the Vikings could not draw any closer, as YSU scored the game's final six points to secure the victory.
Cleveland State will head on the road next week for a two-game trip to the State of Michigan starting with Detroit Mercy on Friday, February 21.
