Cleveland, OH-The Cleveland State men's basketball team held off Northern Kentucky on its home floor Thursday night to punch its ticket to the Horizon League Semifinals for the fifth consecutive season. The no. 2 seed Vikings prevailed 68-63 to improve to 21-11 on the season. Cleveland State will face off with no. 4 seed Youngstown State in the semifinal round on Monday evening in Indianapolis.
The Vikings won despite finishing just 1-for-10 from three-point range in the game. Cleveland State held its own in the paint scoring 42 points to NKU's 24. The Vikings were also a rock solid 19-for-22 from the free throw line and won the turnover battle forcing 15 NKU turnovers.
Dylan Arnett recorded his fifth double-double of the season posting 16 points and 10 rebounds. Arnett shot 50 percent from the floor and tied for the team lead with four assists in the contest. This marks the eighth time Arnett has posted double figures in rebounding this season.
Tevin Smith also netted 16 points on 4-for-9 shooting from the floor. Smith posted four rebounds and was a significant contributor to Cleveland State's success at the free throw line finishing a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe.
Je'Shawn Stevenson tallied nine points,
Isaac Abidde finished with eight and
Chase Robinson added seven points. All but one of the nine players who saw the floor for the Vikings scored at least two points.
With the score tied at two in the early going Cleveland State made the game's first run as the Vikings scored the next eight points over a seven-minute stretch to hold a 10-2 advantage at the 11:13 mark of the first half.
NKU scored the next five points to trim the margin back to three points and the margin remained three with under six minutes to play in the opening half. The Vikings mounted another surge as a 7-0 run over the next two minutes of action pushed the lead to double digits at 27-17 forcing an NKU timeout with 3:46 to play in the half. Stevenson scored all seven points on two layups and a three-pointer, the only triple of the game for the Vikings.
Cleveland State kept its lead going into halftime as Smith sank a pair of free throws with two seconds left on the first half clock to give the Vikings a 33-27 lead going into the locker room.
NKU responded early in the second half trimming the margin to one possession in the opening minutes and working back to a tie at 40 all on a Trey Robinson three-pointer with 14:14 left to play.
Cleveland State countered with its largest run of the game as the Vikings would outscore the Norse 14-1 over the next seven minutes to turn the tie score into a 13-point lead at 54-41 with 7:19 to go. Cleveland State was stout defensively as the Vikings stopped NKU on six straight trips down the floor during the run.
NKU once again fought back down the stretch as the Norse worked back to within single digits in the closing minutes but the Norse could draw no closer than three points the rest of the way. Cleveland State never trailed in the contest and the Vikings converted at the free throw line late to seal the victory.
The win advances Cleveland State to the Horizon League Semifinals against Youngstown State on Monday night in Indianapolis. The winner of Monday's game advances to Tuesday night's Championship Game against the winner of the second semifinal game between Robert Morris and Oakland. More information on how fans can support Cleveland State's trip to Indianapolis will be announced in the coming days.
