LeBron James, in town for the Cavaliers’ game against the Detroit Pistons Tuesday, was in attendance as the Cleveland State Vikings took on the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in Rochester, Michigan Monday night. The young Vikings would have done well to play like LeBron’s Cavaliers as they looked to win their fourth straight game and sweep the season series with Oakland.
The good news is that the Vikings did play a bit like the Cavaliers. The bad news is they resembled the Cavs of the season’s first week more than the last one.
Foul trouble put CSU (12-10, 6-2 Horizon League) behind the eight-ball early, and their comeback attempt fell short as they lost to the Oakland Golden Grizzlies (9-12, 3-3) 59-56 at the O’rena. The defeat snaps a three-game winning streak for the Vikings.
CSU’s next game is at home Saturday at 2 p.m. against the Green Bay Phoenix, who are in first place in the conference at 6-1 and 17-4 overall.
Kahlil Felder, Jalen Hayes, and Corey Petros scored 45 for the Grizz, with Felder and Hayes combining to shoot 18-of-23 from the free throw line. Kaza Keane and Anton Grady filled the stat sheet to capacity for CSU: Keane scored 16 to go with 6 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals, while Grady logged 12 points, 10 rebounds, 5 steals, 4 assists, and 3 blocks. Trey Lewis and Charlie Lee struggled for the Vikings, totaling 11 points and 8 turnovers.
Oakland shot 21-of-28 from the line for the game, while Cleveland State was just 6-of-7.
As was the case in the teams’ first meeting in Cleveland, this one came down to the final possessions. A Grady layup gave CSU a 56-55 lead, but Felder came right back with a runner to put Oakland on top 57-56 with 33 seconds left. After a Trey Lewis drive into contact (somehow, egregiously, regrettably) yielded no whistle, Felder hit two free throws to make it a three-point game with 16 seconds to play. Lewis’ leaning triple try bounced off of the iron, and the Grizz held on for the victory.
Oakland improved to 8-3 at home, while Cleveland State’s road record dropped to 4-8. The loss knocks CSU down to second place in the conference, where they are tied with Valparaiso at 6-2.
The Vikings went into the intermission trailing 33-22, and it could have been much worse than that. Vinny Zollo, starting in place of the ill Marlin Mason,1 picked up two quick fouls, and Anton Grady followed suit shortly thereafter. Both were taken out, leaving a thin Viking frontcourt a bit thinner. Demonte Flannigan and Aaron Scales were forced into service off the bench, and they faced the unenviable task of containing Petros, Oakland’s 6-foot-10, 255-pound center.
Petros leveraged his size advantage into 10 points and 5 rebounds in the first half, but it wasn’t just the big man hurting CSU. Felder, a 5-foot-9 guard, scored 9 points in the game’s first 20 minutes and added 3 rebounds and 3 assists. His penetration punctured the Viking defense and led to open looks all over the court for Oakland.
Cleveland State struggled to score without Grady. Trey Lewis scored exactly zero points in the first period, his third straight scoreless half against the Golden Grizzlies, and just 5 on the evening. As in the teams’ first matchup, 6-foot-6 Dante Williams stuck to Lewis like cellophane to a melted Twix. Williams totaled four steals—all in the first half—and Lewis wore a wary expression throughout.
I blame DJones for CSU's loss MT @GoldenGrizzlies: If you don't think Oakland is fun to watch, just ask @KingJames pic.twitter.com/cW5VNrCu7r
— Will Gibson (@wjcgibson) January 27, 2015
The halftime buzzer was a welcome sound for the Vikings, who finished the half on a 3-minute-37-second scoring drought. CSU committed nine fouls and nine turnovers in the first half. They shot a respectable 42 percent in the first half, but the fouls and fumbles ensured a tough climb back.
The Vikes sharpened their horns at halftime and came out of the tunnel ready to play. They scored the first 9 points of the second period, with Vinny Zollo notching a quick 7. The CSU defense set the tone, forcing a shot clock violation and shutting out Oakland for the half’s first four minutes.
Kaza Keane was the quiet hero of the resurgence, as his passes unlocked the Oakland defense and freed up Vikes for scores. Keane had seen his minutes drop with the ascendance of freshman guard Terrell Hales, but with Hales and Andre Yates hobbled by ankle injuries, the Illinois State transfer and Canadian national maximized his court time. He passed up open jumpers time and again, preferring to dive into the teeth of the defense, either to mine open cavities for his teammates or finish at the rim himself. His 16 points and 6 assists were both season highs.
Grady made up for his first half truancy with a productive second half, scoring 8 of his 12 points after the intermission. His presence also helped neutralized Petros, who managed just 4 points and 4 rebounds in the second period. Grady’s arms seemed to stretch from sideline to sideline as he stole 4 balls and blocked 3 more after halftime.
Oakland parried and returned the punches, holding Cleveland State scoreless for two minutes as they extended their lead to 48-41. The Golden Grizz only made six field goals in the second half, instead doing most of their damage from the charity stripe. Hayes scored 9 and Felder 7 in the second half for the Golden Grizz, who sank 13-of-18 second half free throws.
Keane and Grady combined for 10 points in the final 9 minutes to pull CSU back into the contest, but the Vikings were unable to overcome the free throw disparity and their early self-inflicted wounds.
It is a disappointing loss for the Vikings, who have now won six of their last eight, all in conference. They have nine games left to play, with much of the season’s story yet to be written. They have come a long way since the season opener, but have farther to go if they intend to taste the postseason.
That’s not a bad spot to be in for a Cleveland basketball team. LeBron himself could tell the Vikings something about that.
- Mason was in the hospital last week with flu-like symptoms and underwent a spinal tap to test for meningitis. He has been cleared to play and could return Saturday.
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