Courtesy: Vermont Athletic Communications
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Behind a game-high 27 points from the Horizon
League Player of the Year Norris Cole, Cleveland State held on to earn a
63-60 victory over the Vermont men's basketball team in the first round
of the National Invitation Tournament on Tuesday night. Catamount
junior Matt Glass
had a good look at a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have sent the
game into overtime, but it bounced around and just rimmed out. Junior Pat Bergmann led Vermont with a career-high 16 points, as UVM ends the season with a 23-9 record.
Vermont trailed 61-57 after a pair of Cole free throws with 26.2 seconds
remaining. The Cats worked the ball around and sophomore Brendan Bald got trapped on the wing as the clock was winding down, but he split a double team and made a three with five seconds to go.
UVM fouled Cole right away and he made both, giving Vermont the ball
with 4.4 seconds remaining. Having to go the length of the court,
Bergmann inbounded the ball to Glass, who dribbled up the right side and
then cut back to the middle, lifting a shot just behind the 3-point
line. The ball bounced off the rim four times before dropping out and
giving Cleveland State (27-8) the win.
“I thought that was a great college game. I give Cleveland State a lot
of credit, Cole really took over the game in the second half,” said
Vermont head coachMike Lonergan.
“I was really proud of our effort and I wish Cleveland State the best
in their next game. It's unfortunate that the shot didn't drop at the
end, we would have liked to get to overtime, but it wasn't meant to be.”
Playing without leading scorer Evan Fjeld
who missed the contest due to injury, the Catamounts started the game
with an early 6-1 lead and would make five of their first eight
attempts. With Vermont leading 10-8, Cleveland State used an 11-2 spurt
to take a 19-12 lead with 8:22 to go in the half. The Cats responded by
scoring 13 of the next 15 points, as five different players scored to
put the visitors on top 25-21 after a Sandro Carissimo jumper with 2:46 left in the frame.
Vermont would take a 27-25 lead into the break after shooting 50 percent
and holding the Vikings to only 33.3 percent from the floor. The Cats
also dominated the boards with a 22-11 edge, as they were led by
Bergmann and Bald, who each tallied six points apiece.
In a game that featured nine lead changes and 15 ties, neither team led
by more than four in the second half. With the Cats on top 46-44, the
Vikings used a 6-2 run to take a slim 50-48 lead. Bergmann had a tip in
on the other end and Glass hit a jumper that gave UVM the lead back at
52-50 with 5:34 left in the contest. The Catamounts led 57-55 after a
Bergmann layup with 2:54 to go, but the Vikings tallied six straight to
take a 61-57 lead with 26.2 seconds remaining.
Bergmann finished 8-for-10 from the floor and added a career-best eight
rebounds in 16 minutes of play. His 16 points surpassed his previous
best of six, as he entered the contest with 30 points in 28 games played
this season. Freshman Luke Apfeld
just missed out on his first career double-double with 12 points and a
career-high nine rebounds, while Bald added 11 points and a team-best
four assists.
Cole finished 9-for-17 from the floor, while the rest of his team went
only 11-for-35 (31.4 percent). Aaron Pogue was the only other Viking to
reach double figures as he added 11 points and eight rebounds. Cleveland
State advances to the second round of the NIT, where it will play
Charleston later this week.