CLEVELAND (Interstat) — Cleveland State used a dominant second-half performance to overcome a 10-point halftime deficit and defeat Oakland 91-78 in Horizon League men’s basketball Wednesday night at Wolstein Center. The Vikings, trailing 42-32 at the break, outscored the Golden Grizzlies 59-36 after halftime. A decisive 17-for-40 shooting performance from 3-point range powered the comeback. Tre Beard led Cleveland State with 24 points and nine assists. Brody Robinson and Tuburu Naivalurua each scored 22 points for Oakland, which shot just 5 of 21 from beyond the arc. Oakland fell to 14-11 overall. Cleveland State improved to 10-14.

CLEVELAND, Ohio (Interstat) — A dominant second-half offensive explosion, fueled by a career performance from guard Tre Beard, propelled the Cleveland State Vikings to a decisive 91-78 victory over the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in a Horizon League men’s basketball matchup Wednesday night at Wolstein Center. The game, played before an announced crowd of 1,467, was a tale of two halves and a stunning reversal of fortune from the teams’ meeting just under a month prior. On Jan. 9, Oakland cruised to a 97-74 win at home. This time, Cleveland State flipped the script with a 59-point second-half barrage to overcome a 10-point halftime deficit. Oakland, the pregame favorite according to oddsmakers, controlled the opening period through interior dominance. The Golden Grizzlies built a 42-32 lead by halftime, scoring 44 of their total points in the paint for the game. Tuburu Naivalurua, the 6-foot-6 forward from Sydney, Australia, was a primary force early, finishing with 22 points. Fellow frontcourt player Michael Houge of Detroit added 15 points, and guard Brody Robinson of Houston chipped in 22 points and eight assists. The most important part of the game arrived immediately after halftime, as Cleveland State erased Oakland’s double-digit lead with breathtaking speed. The Vikings opened the second half on a 17-3 run, seizing momentum they would never relinquish. The catalyst was Beard, a 5-foot-10 junior from Chillicothe, Ohio. After a quiet first half, Beard ignited, orchestrating the offense and finding his shooting stroke from deep. He finished with a game-high 24 points and dished out nine assists, consistently breaking down Oakland’s defense. Cleveland State’s offensive efficiency in the final 20 minutes was staggering. The Vikings shot 17 for 40 from three-point range for the game, with many of those makes coming during the second-half surge. Their offensive rating of 122.1 points per 100 possessions dwarfed Oakland’s 108.4, illustrating the potency of their attack after the break. While Beard was the engine, he received ample support. Jaidon Lipscomb of Columbus scored 18 points and handed out six assists, while Foster Wonders of Iron Mountain, Michigan, contributed 12 points. Dayan Nessah of Geneva, Switzerland, provided a strong interior presence with 15 points and a game-high five offensive rebounds. The Vikings’ ball security was also key, committing only nine turnovers compared to Oakland’s 13. Oakland, which fell to 14-11 overall, could not counter Cleveland State’s perimeter assault. The Golden Grizzlies shot just 5 of 21 from beyond the arc and saw their paint scoring advantage neutralized by the Vikings’ hot shooting. Warren Marshall of Auburn Hills, Michigan, provided a defensive spark with five blocks, but it was not enough to stem the tide. The victory, which improved Cleveland State to 10-14, was a significant rebound from their lopsided loss to Oakland earlier in the season and marked their third win in four games. According to National Statistical’s ELO system, Oakland had entered with a 63.2 percent probability to win, making the Vikings’ comeback victory an upset. The game’s total points of 169 fell short of the over/under line of 172.5. Oakland will look to regroup when it hosts Youngstown State on Feb. 12. Cleveland State aims to build on this momentum as it travels to face IU Indy on Saturday.

Preview: Oakland Looks to Sweep Season Series at Cleveland State CLEVELAND (Interstat) — The Oakland Golden Grizzlies will aim to continue their recent surge and complete a regular-season sweep when they visit the Cleveland State Vikings in a Horizon League men’s basketball matchup Wednesday afternoon at Wolstein Center. Oakland (14-10) enters on a strong run, having won five of its last six games, including a 76-65 victory over Northern Kentucky last Sunday. The Golden Grizzlies handily won the first meeting this season, routing Cleveland State 97-72 at home on Jan. 9. Cleveland State (9-14) has shown signs of life lately, winning three of its last four contests. The Vikings are coming off a dramatic 90-88 road win at Milwaukee on Sunday, fueled by a standout performance from Dayan Nessah. A key matchup will feature two of the league’s top performers. Oakland is led by forward Michael Houge, who is averaging 16.4 points and 7.4 rebounds over his last five games. He posted 18 points and 12 rebounds in the win over Northern Kentucky and scored 18 in the January rout of Cleveland State. The Vikings counter with the versatile Dayan Nessah, who is averaging 23.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists over his last five outings. He recorded a triple-double with 19 points, 13 rebounds and six assists in the win at Milwaukee and scored 31 points in a victory at Wright State on Jan. 21. Oakland’s offense has been potent during its hot stretch, averaging 84.2 points per game over the last six. Cleveland State will need to improve its defensive effort after allowing 97 points in the first meeting. The Vikings have been more effective offensively in their recent wins, scoring at least 85 points in three of their last four. The Golden Grizzlies currently sit in the upper half of the Horizon League standings, while the Vikings are looking to climb out of the lower tier. A win for Oakland would solidify its position and secure the head-to-head tiebreaker. For Cleveland State, protecting its home court is crucial to building momentum for the final month of conference play. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST Wednesday.