GREEN BAY, Wisc. – Cleveland State (8-14, 4-7) used the long ball to topple Green Bay (12-11, 7-5), 89-82, on Friday evening. The Vikings tied the program record for three-pointers with 16 as the Green and White have now won three straight games.
The Vikings shot 51 percent from the field for the game and were a blazing 65 percent in the second half. The team shot 16-of-29 from beyond the arc and was 6-of-8 in the final half of play.
Five players finished in double figures, led by
Dayan Nessah with 18 points as the sophomore finished a rebound shy of his second straight double-double. His nine boards were a game-high.
Jaidon Lipscomb poured in 17 points and tied for a game-best two steals.
Chevalier Emery and
Josiah Harris each finished with 15 points off the bench.
Tre Beard tallied 13 points to round out the double-digit scorers.
The battle on the glass went in favor of Cleveland State, 32-26. The Green and White finished with 20 assists and got 39 points from its bench.
The Vikings scored the first five points of the game before the Phoenix accounted for the next nine to lead 9-5 at the first media timeout. A Beard three-pointer was the only points of the game over the next four minutes as Cleveland State trailed by one at the 11:57 mark.
A pair of Lipscomb three-pointers sandwiched a Phoenix bucket as the Green and White went back on top, 14-11, with 10:38 remaining in the first half. Cleveland State found themselves trailing 17-16 when Beard and Lipscomb connected from beyond the arc to reclaim a 22-17 advantage with 8:06 showing.
Green Bay closed to within a possession, but a 7-2 Vikings spurt extended the margin to 29-21 with 3:53 to go. Following a layup by the home team, Cleveland State ran off ten consecutive points to take its largest lead of the half, 39-23, with 52 ticks to go.
The Vikings went on to take a 39-27 advantage into the break behind ten three-pointers.
The Phoenix clawed to within a possession, 49-46, forcing a Cleveland State timeout with 13:12 left in the second half. Out of the stoppage,
Foster Wonders drained a three-pointer, and Harris converted a pair of free throws to lead by six.
After a GB long ball, the Vikings sprang a 9-2 run to make it a double-digit lead again, 63-53, with 6:52 to go in the contest. Green Bay got as close as two, 70-68, with 3:58 remaining in the game. The Vikings responded right back with a 9-3 run to regain an eight-point lead with 1:11 left in the game.
Cleveland State kept a firm grip on the lead in the final minute to win its third straight game, 89-82.
The Vikings complete the second part of the Wisconsin trip on Sunday, February 1, at Milwaukee with a start time of 3 p.m.
