Men’s Basketball Scoreboard (Dec. 8)
UIC 64, #rv/rv Colorado State 55
Wright State 92, VMI 59
Youngstown State 71, Hiram 44
Detroit 102, Rochester (Mich.) College 67
No. 19/17 Michigan State 73, Loyola 61
No. 18/20 New Mexico 65, Valparaiso 52
No. 25/24 North Carolina State 80, Cleveland State 63
UIC knocked off a Colorado State team receiving votes in national polling, while Wright State, Detroit and Youngstown State all collected wins on Saturday. Loyola, Valparaiso and Cleveland State all hung tough with nationally-ranked competition in defeats.
UIC 64, #rv/rv Colorado State 55
Despite on off-shooting game, Gary Talton powered UIC to a 64-55 victory over #rv/rv Colorado State at the UIC Pavilion.
UIC (8-1) improved to 8-1 for the first time since the 1997-98 season. The Flames held the Rams to just a 33.3 percent output from the field, and forced CSU into 15 turnovers.
The majority of Talton's scoring output came from the free throw line, where he was a perfect 12-for-12, including 6-of-6 effort in the final 4:23. Joining Talton in double figures was Daniel Barnes (14), Marc Brown (12) and Josh Crittle (10). Colorado State was led by Greg Smith, who poured in 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting. Leading scorer Colton Iverson was held to just eight points and eight rebounds.
Colorado State threw the first punch, jumping out to a 6-0 lead through the opening 2:40. But the Flames fought back to claim a 9-8 lead after Crittle converted a pair of deep jumpers. The Rams answered with six-straight points, and extended their lead to 15-9 at the 11:57 mark.
Crittle picked up his second foul at the 6:09 mark of the first half with Colorado State leading by five, 19-14, but Will Simonton stepped up to the challenge. He blocked two shots on one possession alone, spearheading a defensive sequence that saw the Flames limit CSU to just one field goal in the final 7:42.
UIC went on a 7-0 run during the stretch, taking a 21-19 lead into the locker room at halftime. The Flames limited CSU to just 25.8 percent shooting in the opening frame, and forced seven turnovers.
CSU opened up a 31-25 lead just over four minutes into the second half, but Brown converted a pair of field goals to keep the Flames within 31-27 at the first media break of the frame.
With Crittle sitting with three fouls, Colorado State took advantage, building a 37-29 lead with 12:43 left. But at the under-12 media, the Flames trailed by just five, 37-32 thanks to a transition three by Barnes.
Colorado State head coach Larry Eustachy was whistled for a technical foul with 11:07 remaining after Smith was called for a charge. The Flames took advantage by stringing together an 8-1 run to take a 42-40 lead - the spurt was bolstered by two more threes by Barnes. Daniel Bejarano hit a three from the wing with 8:30 left, and the Rams re-claimed the lead, 43-42.
UIC took the lead for good, 47-46, with 5:12 to play, after Simonton converted a left-handed runner. He was fouled on UIC's next possession, and buried both freebies to push the Flames' lead to three points, 49-46. UIC finished the game off from the charity stripe, going 11-for-12 in the final 4:23. Talton hit a three-pointer with 2:12 remaining to give UIC a two-possession lead, 55-50. Crittle's conventional three-point play with 35 seconds left gave the Flames a comfortable 62-53 lead.
Wright State 92, VMI 59
Entering Saturday, Wright State played at an adjusted tempo of 63.0, 319th in the nation. Meanwhile, visiting VMI had an adjusted tempo of 75.0, the second-best in the country. As the saying goes, something had to give. At the Nutter Center, it was Wright State controlling play, racing past VMI, 92-59.
Wright State (6-3) shot 52.4 percent in the game, holding the visiting Keydets to a 35.4 percent mark.
Reggie Arceneaux played one of his most complete games of his young career, leading the way with a career-high 22 points and seven assists. Miles Dixon added 15, while Matt Vest chipped in 11.
Traditionally one of the slowest teams in the country, the Raiders beat VMI at its own game, playing at a fast pace and tallying 1.22 points per offensive possession. Meanwhile, Wright State’s defense stifled VMI, holding the Keydets to 0.82 points per possession.
Wright State trailed early, 16-6, before taking its first lead, 24-23, with 7:04 to play in the first half. The Raiders would close the half on an 8-0 run to take a 38-28 lead into the half.
The Raiders never led by less than seven points in the second half, salting away the game midway through the half after a 21-7 burst put Wright State up, 63-42, with 11:50 remaining.
Wright State would lead by as many as 35 points, outscoring VMI, 54-31, in the game’s final 20 minutes.
Youngstown State 71, Hiram 44
Youngstown State used a strong second half to earn a 71-44 victory over Hiram at the Covelli Centre in downtown Youngstown.
Youngstown State (5-4) won in its first off-campus home game in the city of Youngstown since February 1972.
A crowd of 1,576 saw Hiram hang tough with the Penguins in the first half. Neither team could find their shooting touch in the building's first collegiate game. However, the Penguins outscored the Terriers 40-23 in the second half to pull away for their third straight victory.
Damian Eargle led all scorers with 20 points on 6-of-8 shooting, and he finished 7-of-9 from the free-throw line. Included in his six field goals was the first-ever made 3-pointer of his career, which came in the second half. Also in the second half, Eargle blocked the 300th shot of his collegiate career combining his season at UNC-Greensboro and three at Youngstown State.
Kendrick Perry and Shawm Amiker added 12 points apiece, with Amiker's coming on 4-for-4 shooting from the field and 4-for-6 from the free-throw line. Perry added a game-high seven assists.
YSU never trailed in the contest and opened the game by scoring 15 of the first 17 points. Hiram had just two points 6:37 into the contest. The Penguins' lead ballooned to 22-6 at the the 10-minute mark on a 3-pointer by Blake Allen.
Leading 26-11, YSU went scoreless for 4:23 while the Terriers eventually cut the deficit to 29-21 with 1:38 left in the half on a 3-pointer by Josh Edmundson.
At halftime, YSU led 31-21. The Penguins shot 29.6 percent while Hiram hit at just a 25.8 percent clip. The Guins used a 13-of-16 performance at the free-throw line to take a 10-point lead into the locker room.
After Hiram scored the first two points of the second half, YSU scored eight straight points and led by at least 13 the rest of the contest. Eargle's 3-pointer at the 9:55 mark capped a 23-7 run for the Penguins to start the half. YSU led by as many as 28 on four occasions.
The Penguins shot 53.1 percent in the second half and 42.4 percent for the game. Hiram, which outrebounded YSU 42-41, shot less than 27 percent in both halves and 26.2 percent for the game. Edmondson and Aaron Stefanov finished with eight points apiece.
Detroit 102, Rochester (Mich.) College 67
Ten Titans scored as Detroit cruised past Rochester, 102-67, at Calihan Hall. The win extended the Titans home winning streak to 12-straight games.
Detroit (4-4) was able to use its bench liberally, which chipped in 36 points on the afternoon.
Anton Willson scored a career-high 14, while Evan Bruinsma and P.J. Boutte each scored seven. Jermaine Lippert and Gabriel Dos Santos each scored four points off the bench, while Ugochukwu Njoku grabbed a career-high eight rebounds in just 10 minutes of action.
Detroit took an early lead before the Warriors responded with a 7-0 run to take a 9-7 lead with 14:41 left in the 1st half. However, the Titans responded with a 19-4 run over the next four minutes to build a 26-13 lead.
Rochester answered back with an 8-2 run to trim the lead to 28-21 with 6:47 left, but that was as close as the game would get as Detroit closed the have with a 25-8 run to take a 53-29 lead into the locker room. Ray McCallum led Detroit with 13 points on 4-for-6 shooting, including 4-for-4 from the charity stripe, while Jason Calliste pitched in 10 points and Howard added eight.
McCallum led Detroit with a game-high 24 points hitting 8-of-10 from the field, including 7-of-8 from the free throw line, while Calliste joined Wilson with 14. Nick Minnerath and Juwan Howard, Jr. also reached double figures with 11 points each. Minnerath also had a team-high nine rebounds, while Doug Anderson handed out a career-high seven assists.
Detroit won the battle on the boards, 37-29, and forced 20 Rochester turnovers, which resulted in 26 points. Detroit also shot a season-high 54.8 percent from the field, including 48.1 percent from downtown, while Rochester shot 45.5 percent.
No. 19/17 Michigan State 73, Loyola 61
Ben Averkamp scored a game-high 25 points and Loyola went toe-to-toe with No. 19/17 Michigan State, but the host Spartans rallied from a halftime deficit to earn a 73-61 victory at the Breslin Center.
Loyola (6-3) led 43-41 in the second half, but three straight three-pointers by Gary Harris pushed the Michigan State lead to 52-41 and proved to be the turning point in the game.
Michigan State staked claim to a 22-12 lead with 7:57 left in the first half, but Christian Thomas’ dunkignited an 18-3 Loyola run over the next 5:27 that gave the Ramblers a 30-25 lead late in the period. Helping to key that spurt was three three-pointers, including consecutive triples by Devon Turk and Cully Payne
That surge and some solid long-range shooting (5-for-9) helped the Ramblers take a 32-30 lead into the locker room at the half and gave the Rambler faithful hope for the program’s first win over a ranked opponent since 2009.
The teams traded leads early in the second half, and a three by Averkamp, one of his four triples on the afternoon, put Loyola on top, 36-35. However, a bucket by Harris just seven seconds later gave the Spartans the lead for good and the rookie’s barrage of threes nearly four minutes later gave Michigan State control of the game.
Loyola proved it had plenty of fight left in it, however, and a basket by Jeff White and consecutive three-pointers from Averkamp closed the gap to three points, but that was as close as the Ramblers would get the remainder of the way.
Known as one of the better rebounding teams in the nation, Michigan State owned just a two-board edge for the game (33-31), and the Ramblers held a 13-8 advantage on the offensive glass. After holding the Spartans to 41 percent (9 for 22) shooting in the first half, Loyola saw MSU knock down 13 of 23 (57 percent) of its attempts, including 5 of 7 from long distance, in the second half.
Averkamp led Loyola with 25 points and eight rebounds, while Turk came off the bench to produce double-digit points (10) for the second straight outing. Payne chipped in nine points and seven assists, while committing just one turnover.
Harris scored a team-high 20 points to lead Michigan State.
No. 18/20 New Mexico 65, Valparaiso 52
Ryan Broekhoff had a game-high 24 points, but Valparaiso could not overcome New Mexico’s stifling defense in a 65-52 loss at The Pit.
Valparaiso (6-3) shot 18-for-37 from the floor, but committed 23 turnovers and committed 23 personal fouls to hinder its efforts. The Crusaders outshot New Mexico, 49 percent to 43 percent and hit 8-of-18 three-pointers, but was undone by its turnovers.
Broekhoff was the lone Crusader in double figures, as no other player had more than seven.
The Crusaders trailed at the half, 29-25, but New Mexico pulled away with an 8-0 run early in the second half to open a 41-30 lead. Valpo would get no closer than seven points the rest of the way.
No. 25/24 North Carolina State 80, Cleveland State 63
No. 25/24 North Carolina State had five players in double figures and shot 55-percent from the field to claim an 80-63 victory over Cleveland State at Reynolds Coliseum.
Cleveland State (6-3) seemingly found itself in foul trouble from the tip, negating its strong start. The Vikings started strong, using seven points from Lee to take a quick 11-8 lead less than four minutes in. Charlie Lee hit a three-pointer with just under 16 minutes to play in the half, but an illegal screen on CSU wiped out the bucket.
From there, a 12-2 run by N.C. State allowed them to take a 20-13 lead at the 12:53 mark and they would not trail the rest of the afternoon.
The loss dropped CSU to 6-3 this year, while the Wolfpack improved to 6-2.
Lee paced the Vikings with 15 points and three assists, while Devon Long just missed his first career double-double, finishing with 12 points and nine rebounds in his second career start. Tim Kamczyc scored 10 points, while Marlin Mason added nine.
Richard Howell led N.C. State with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while C.J. Leslie added 19 points and eight rebounds. T.J. Warren scored 16 points off the bench, while Rodney Purvis (11) and Lorenzo Brown (10) also reached double figures.
The lead would swell to as many as 17 points (43-26) with 2:24 to play, but back-to-back three-pointers by Kamczyc and Forbes brought CSU back within 11 points (43-32) with just over a minute to play. However, two baskets by Warren to end the half gave N.C. State a 47-32 lead at the intermission.
CSU would cut its deficit to 10 points (57-47) on a three-pointer by Lee with 14 minutes to play, but could not get the lead back under double digits as N.C. State would answer every run.
The Vikings were done in by 18 turnovers which led to 17 points for N.C. State. CSU did outrebound the Wolfpack, 31-28.
