Cleveland State shoots 35 percent, falls to Youngstown State at The Q

The Cleveland State Vikings came into their Sunday afternoon game against the Youngstown State Penguins at Quicken Loans Arena having won their last two games. They opened Horizon League play with five straight losses, all against the conference’s upper crust. (Oakland, Detroit, Green Bay, Milwaukee, and Wright State are all in the top six behind 16-4 Valparaiso.)

The Vikings’ wins came over 2-16 Illinois-Chicago and conference newcomers Northern Kentucky. They were games even this green Cleveland State team was expected to win, thus the victories were hardly attention grabbers. But one could argue that their anonymity made them even more important. If CSU can’t knock off a perennial conference doormat and a school that just began Division I play four years ago, then who are they going to beat? This team is unlikely to see the postseason, so they must savor every win they get. Youngstown State offered a chance at three in a row. That’s called a winning streak; it has happened before.

That did not happen. The Vikings tried hard but lost to Youngstown State by 15 points, 70-55, which felt like an appropriate margin. There were promising stretches, brief runs when Cleveland State directed the pace of play, and they built a seven-point lead midway through the second half. Strong shooting by Youngstown State, led by junior Matt Donlan (16 points, all in the first half; 4-of-8 on threes) put the Penguins back on top with four minutes left in the first half. From that point, the Vikings were always chasing the game but unable to control it.

Cleveland State shot 35 percent from the field, an accurate representation of how they played on the offensive end. In the early going, the Vikings were able to get into the lane and make good things happen, even in the half court. Youngstown State gave Cleveland State’s shooters plenty of respect early on, opening room for guards Andre Yates (7 points, 3-of-10 shooting) and Rob Edwards (16 points, 5-of-16) to penetrate, either to score or kick the ball outside. In time the Penguins focused more of their attention on walling off the paint, and they spent much of the game playing a 2-3 zone.

There just isn’t enough productive movement off the ball for CSU. The offense doesn’t have enough flow; it doesn’t sustain rhythm. Too often players catch and hold. Others pass and watch. Cuts and screens off the ball lack the necessary intent to really make a difference. Sets appear too mechanical; the team plays one measure at a time instead of performing a whole song. Sloppiness with the ball makes things even worse, and that was the case Sunday: 15 Viking turnovers turned into 14 Penguin points.

Things were better when CSU attacked in transition or semi-transition, and Demonte Flannigan (18 points on 5-of-8 shooting and 8-of-10 free throws) did well in the post. The problem of not enough shooting remains — Cleveland State shot 5-of-18 from beyond the arc and 18-of-51 overall — and that squeezes out the sort of space that allows for more incisive drives. They had good drive-and-kick moments wherein the likes of Edwards and Yates made smart passes after attracting multiple defenders, but they were fleeting moments. It’s an inconsistent team, which completely makes sense given how it was remade over in the offseason. Still, with 21 games under their collective belt, one would hope things would become more intuitive.

The Vikings have improved, it should be said, on the defensive end. After opening conference play with a gross three-game stretch that saw them allow 87 points per game, they have allowed 70 or less in five straight. It’s been a bit of a smoke and mirrors game. The Vikings don’t have a huge big man or a rangy rim protector, thus they have turned to a grab bag of defenses designed to knock offenses out of their comfort zone. Against Youngstown State they played halfcourt man to man, a trapping fullcourt press, and mixed in some zone looks. They occasionally went small with 6-7 freshman Jibri Blount as the big man and 6-4 walk-on Tim Hasbargen playing forward, and they actually fared alright when doing so. Rotations and recoveries have gotten cleaner, but occasional miscommunication persists.

A 15-point loss to Youngstown State is disappointing. The Vikings’ next game is next Thursday at Valparaiso. That promises to be a much tougher test — perhaps the toughest of the season. A win is frankly unlikely. A strong showing would presumably build confidence. Incremental progress isn’t sexy, but Cleveland State would be well served to focus on it through the season’s remaining month. Sunday was a step back.