Men's Basketball Final Shot: Feb. 20

Men’s Basketball Scoreboard (Feb. 20)
Wright State 50, Cleveland State 41
Milwaukee 64, UIC 53

Just one week of games remains in the Horizon League season, and the final week promises to be full of excitement after Wright State stayed in the running for a bye, while Milwaukee celebrated its seniors with a win on Tuesday night.

Wright State 50, Cleveland State 41
Playing without its top two scorers, Wright State did what it has done in virtually every game this season: defend and scrap. Despite being outrebounded, 20-5, on the offensive glass, the Raiders found a way to get past host Cleveland State, 50-41, at the Wolstein Center.

Wright State (18-9, 9-5 Horizon) stayed in the running for a share of the Horizon League regular season championship and one of the three available byes for the conference tournament. The Raiders are presently tied for third with Green Bay, but own the tie-breaker over the Phoenix courtesy of their sweep of the regular season.

Playing with its two leading scorers, Cole Darling and Reggie Arceneaux, the Raiders slowed the pace beyond its norm and held Cleveland State (13-16, 5-10) to a season-low 26.2-percent shooting on 16-of-61 shooting.

However, with 15:02 to play, it was the Vikings who held the lead after two free throws from Charlie Lee gave CSU a slim 32-31 edge.

Three Wright State free throws were the only points over the next seven minutes and after a Devon Long free throw brought CSU back within one, 34-33, with eight minutes left, the Raiders made their move, outscoring the Vikings, 13-4 over the next five minutes to take a 47-37 lead.

Within the run came five points from A.J. Pacher, with Matt Vest providing the dagger three with 3:27 remaining.

Cleveland State would get no closer than six the rest of the way.

The win was the 50^th career victory for third-year head coach Billy Donlon (50-42).

Vest paced WSU with 12 points while Jerran Young had 11 points along with eight rebounds; Pacher added 10 off the bench.

Charlie Lee led Cleveland State with 12 points while Devon Long had 10. The Vikings were just 16-of-61 on the night, but enjoyed 20 offensive rebounds. However, they led to just eight second chance points.

Milwaukee 64, UIC 53
For a night, Milwaukee was able to wash away what had been a painful season. On Senior Night, the Panthers’ senior class carried the team to a 64-53 win over visiting UIC.

Milwaukee (7-22, 3-12 Horizon) trailed just once in the game, 2-1, pulling away from UIC (15-12, 6-8 Horizon) behind a flurry of three-pointers midway through the second half. Appropriately, two of the three in the game-deciding stretch came from senior Paris Gulley, who led all scorers with 17 points.

A Will Simonton dunk drew UIC within 33-30 with 13:07 to play before Gulley’s first triple, coming in transition in the left corner, pushing Milwaukee’s lead back to six.

The Panthers were content to trade two-point baskets for threes during the stretch, as Gulley connected again at the 12-minute mark to extend the advantage to seven, 39-32.

Again, UIC would come back with a bucket, getting a Josh Crittle dunk, but Milwaukee would swing the ball to Jordan Aaron, who knocked down another three, this one from the top of the arc.

Kyle Kelm would complete the flurry, connecting from the right wing to give the Panthers a 45-34 lead with 9:46 remaining.

UIC would twice close within five points, but the Panthers had an answer on each occasion. After Marc Brown’s three made it a 51-46 game with 3:22 left, Evan Richard drove and was fouled, hitting two free-throws to restore the three-possession edge.

With 2:11 remaining, two Daniel Barnes free throws brought UIC witing 53-48, but Richard was there once more, finding space on the baseline for a jumper. The Flames would come no closer the rest of the way.

On Senior Night, Gulley was the lone Panther in double figures, but classmate Demetrius Harris added nine. Evan Richard finished with six, including a floater at the first-half buzzer, sending Milwaukee into the locker room with a 27-22 edge.

Gary Talton had 13 points, eight rebounds and six assists in the losing effort.

UIC is still sixth in the Horizon League standings, needing a win or Cleveland State loss next week to clinch a first round home game.