The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
CSU advances to Horizon quarterfinals
The regular season was a disappointment for the Cleveland State men’s basketball team.
CSU was 18-13 overall and 11-9 in the Horizon League.
Junior forward Jayson Woodrich and the Vikings, No. 7 seed in the Horizon League Tournament, are hoping to show much better in the the postseason.
They took an essential first step in that direction on March 5 at the Wolstein Center, breezing past No. 10 seed Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis,
85-66, in the tournament’s first round.
Woodrich finished with a game-high 18 points as the Vikings advanced to the quarterfinals on March 7 at Youngstown State.
“Our mindset was we didn’t want to lose and go home,” said Woodrich, a 6-foot-7 product of Beachwood.
The Vikings will hit the road to face No. 2 seed
Youngstown State (22-9, 14-6 Horizon) or No. 3 seed Wisconsin Green Bay (1813, 13-7).
CSU and Youngstown split their regular-season games, each team winning decisively on its home floor. Green Bay prevailed in both games.
Woodrich and company had little trouble getting past the Mastodons (6-26).
Trailing early, 9-3, the Vikings hit their stride and took a 44-29 lead at halftime. They pushed the lead out to as many as 29 points in the second half.
Senior forward Tristan Enaruna, a Horizon League first-team honoree, added 15 points, five rebounds and three steals. He averaged 20.2 points and 6.5 rebounds during the regular season.
Sophomore forward Dylan Arnett and senior guard Tae Williams each chipped in 11 points as CSU notched its third win over IUPUI thi season.
Enaruna said he believes this team can move past the travails of the regular season, win that next game on the road and, perhaps, duplicate its run to last season’s tournament championship game.
“This win will help,” Enaruna said. “It’s all about peaking at the right time.”