CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland State came out to start the second half with a purpose then pulled away for a 90-73 victory over Detroit Mercy in a Horizon League men's basketball game Thursday night in the Wolstein Center.
The Vikings finished with five players in double figures, led by Rob Edwards with 24 points, Bobby Word with 17, Kasheem Thomas with 15, Anthony Wright with 11 and Demonte Flannigan with 10. Corey Allen paced the Titans with 24 points.
- Game summary
- Horizon League standings
Trailing, 43-33, moments into the second half, Cleveland State went on a 19-0 run that was extended to 29-2 using midcourt steals and baseline 3-pointers to put the Titans on their heels.
"Defense the first five minutes,'' Word said of the halftime message.
"It just wasn't said like that,'' coach Gary Waters said. "I was pretty blunt in the lockerroom."
The Vikings then nursed that 62-45 lead to a victory, scoring their season high in points. The victory snapped a three-game losing streak and lifted CSU (7-16, 3-8) out of the Horizon League cellar, into a tie with the Titans (5-18, 3-8), and holding the tie-breaker.
Detroit took a 40-33 halftime lead thanks to 8-of-13 shooting from the free throw line and 4-for-11 on 3-pointers. The Vikings stayed within range by causing seven turnovers and getting some balanced scoring from the starting lineup and off the bench.
By the numbers: It's not hard to see where Cleveland State's troubles are this season. They are last in the league in scoring averaging at 66.8 points a game. CSU is also last in field goal percentage, shooting 41.1 percent on the year, including last in 3-point shooting, making just 31.0 percent a game.
On deck: The Vikings have a quick turnaround on Saturday at 2 p.m. against the Oakland Grizzlies, but the game will be at home. CSU upset Oakland earlier this season, 76-65. The Vikings will go on the road after that for games at Valparaiso and Illinois-Chicago, but end the season playing three of their final four games at home.
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