Horizon League Teams Open Weekend 4-1

INDIANAPOLIS -- Horizon League teams opened a 15-game, three day stretch with a 4-1 mark on Friday night, as Youngstown State, Valparaiso, Loyola and Cleveland State all picked up victories in their season openers.

Beginning an opening stretch in which they play four of five games at the Beeghly Center, Youngstown State used seven three-pointers in the second half to hold off Samford, 64-61.  Two newcomers - DuShawn Brooks and Devont Maymon - led the Penguins with 20 and 15 points, respectively.  Senior Vytas Sulskis, one of two returners to the Youngstown State roster, posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

In a back-and-forth affair, the Penguins had to dodge a Bulldog three-pointer at the horn to pull out the win.

Opening the Nick Kladis Classic, Loyola pulled away in the second half for a 73-57 win over Eastern Kentucky.  The Ramblers put four players into double figures, led by Terrance Hill's 21, which were just two off his career high.  Walt Gibler, the 2010 Horizon League Sixth Man of the Year, started for Loyola, contributing 17 points and nine boards, while Ben Averkamp added 15 points and Jordan Hicks chipped in with 10 off the bench.

Loyola's defense held Eastern Kentucky to 34-percent shooting for the game.

Also hosting a season-opening tournament, Cleveland State used 24 points from Preseason All-Horizon League First Team selection Norris Cole to get past Bryant, 71-57, in the first game of the World Vision Classic.  Cole went past 1,200 points in his Viking career, while Trevon Harmon returned to the Cleveland State lineup after missing the preseason with a knee injury to add 17 points.  Aaron Pogue added nine points while leading the Vikings with six rebounds.

On Homer Drew Court, Valparaiso breezed past IU-Northwest, 111-64.  Opening the game on a 14-0 run, four Valparaiso starters finished the game in double figures, led by Brandon Wood, who had 20 points in 20 minutes.  Ryan Broekhoff filled the stat sheet with 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting, adding six rebounds and three blocks.  Howard Little had 17 points, while Cory Johnson matched the output while going 8-for-9 from the floor.

The League's lone loss on Friday came in Portland, where Milwaukee's offense never quite clicked in an 80-60 loss to Portland in the first game of the AIA Classic.  In his first game since suffering a back injury that kept him out of last season, Tone Boyle led the Panthers with 13 points, while Anthony Hill added 11.

Six Horizon League games are on tap for Saturday, including the season openers for Butler (hosting Marian University), Green Bay (hosting Minnesota-Duluth) and Detroit (at New Mexico).