Cleveland State, Loyola, Detroit Pick Up Saturday Triumphs

After the home teams picked up the first two games on Saturday, Detroit salvaged the road slate for the visiting teams, keeping the Titans in the race for a bye in the Horizon League Tournament.

In the Horizon League Game of the Week, Cleveland State (18-3, 7-2 Horizon) clamped down on Wright State (13-8, 6-3 Horizon), holding the Raiders to 26.8 percent shooting en route to a 65-46 victory.  The Vikings jumped out to a 9-2 lead and never looked back, preventing Wright State from leading at any point in the game.

Jeremy Montgomery had the hot hand for CSU, leading all players with 17 points.  Norris Cole flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 14 points, 10 rebound and six assists.  Vaughn Duggins was the lone Raider in double figures, posting 14 points on 3-of-9 shooting.

In its lone game of the week, Loyola (12-8, 3-6 Horizon) built a 20-point lead and held on down the stretch for a 68-59 win over Windy City rival UIC (5-14, 0-8 Horizon).  Geoff McCammon scored a game-high 19 points off the bench for the Ramblers, continuing his push to be the Horizon League Sixth Man of the Year.

Robo Kreps brought the Flames back, but free throws from Ben Averkamp and Courtney Stanley sealed the game for the Ramblers.  Kreps led UIC with 19 points, while Paul Carter recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.  Stanley's 13 points were a season-high, while Averkamp added 12.

Chris Blake led Detroit (11-10, 5-4 Horizon) to a split of its Ohio road trip, scoring a career-best 20 points in a 73-69 win over Youngstown State (1-8, 7-11 Horizon) at the Beeghly Center.  Early, it was the Titan offense that got going, running up 18 points in the first 5:12 to mount a 10-point cushion.  The margin would be the largest of the night, as the Penguins fought back to close to a one-point deficit at the half.

Eli Holman nearly picked up his double-double of 11 points and 16 boards in the first half, finishing with nine points and nine boards in the first 20 minutes of play.

However, Youngstown State scored the first eight points of the second half to open a seven-point lead.  The Titans recorded eight consecutive points to reassume control of the game.  Remaining a one-possession contest the rest of the way, Blake and Ray McCallum hit free throws to open a four-point Detroit advatange with 43.5 ticks left.

Kendrick Perry knocked down a three to bring YSU within a point with under 20 seconds left, but after Nick Minnerath split free throws, Blake Allen's three to tie was off the mark, giving Blake the chance to provide the game's final margin.