MIAMI — Some 23 years later, Cleveland State still has a knack for first-round shockers in the NCAA Tournament.
The Vikings raced to an early 17-point lead Friday night and stunned one-time top-ranked Wake Forest 84-69. The win was reminiscent of Cleveland State’s only other appearance in the tournament in 1986, when it upset Indiana and Bob Knight in the opening round.
The Vikings (26-10) were seeded 14th then; they’re 13th in the Midwest region this year.
“We understand what the ’86 team did was important for our school,” said Norris Cole, who led Cleveland State with 22 points. “But now it’s time for a new chapter.”
Fourth-seeded Wake Forest (24-7) lost in its first tournament game since 2005. The Demon Deacons won their first 16 games and were No. 1 for a week in January, but they lost their final two games of the season.
Sputtering offense plagued the Demon Deacons, as it did when they were beaten by Maryland last week in the ACC Tournament. They committed 18 turnovers to six by the Vikings.
Demon Deacons season scoring leader Jeff Teague was shut out for the first 13 minutes, scored just two points in the first half and finished with 10, half of his average. James Johnson’s trio of 3-pointers kept Wake Forest in the game in the first half, and he finished with 22 points. Al-Farouq Aminu scored 17.
J’Nathan Bullock scored 21 points for Cleveland State, and Cedric Jackson had 19 points and eight assists.
Against Wake Forest, Cleveland State had a size disadvantage but found ways to compensate. The section with fans from Ohio erupted in the second half when the 6-foot-3 Jackson dunked after catching an alley-oop inbounds pass from Cole.
“We believed from the start of the game that we could play with this team,” Cole said.
A three-point play by the Demon Deacons’ David Weaver made it 55-49 with 11 minutes left, but they could get no closer. Cole sank a basket, then hit a breakaway layup following a turnover to put the Vikings up 66-51, and the margin climbed to 73-54 with 3 1/2 minutes left.
The Vikings made the NCAA field only because they won the Horizon League Tournament for the first time. It’s their first postseason berth of any kind since playing in the NIT in 1988.
Siena’s Moore strikes twice to lift saints
DAYTON, Ohio — Siena strikes again.
Ronald Moore hit a 3-pointer with 3.9 seconds left in the second overtime — from the identical spot he made one at the end of the first OT — as the Saints (27-7) beat eighth-seeded Ohio State 74-72 on Friday night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Evan Turner missed a leaner from 15 feet that would forced a third OT for the Buckeyes (22-11), who blew an 11-point lead in the second half of regulation.
Siena came into the tournament with a higher profile for a small school after shocking Vanderbilt in the first round last March.
Siena pulled it off despite playing much more like sinners than Saints.
Siena committed 22 turnovers and made just 6-of-23 3-pointers, but Moore, who was only 4-of-13 from the field, hit his two big shots when it mattered most.
Louisville 74, Morehead St. 54
The Cardinals (29-5) went to their full-court press right away and forced turnovers to forge a 17-7 lead and haven’t lost to the Eagles (20-16) in the past 52 years, winning the last 13 games, most of them by huge margins.
Kansas 84, North Dakota State 74
MINNEAPOLIS — Sherron Collins scored a season- high 32 points and went basket for basket with NDSU star Ben Woodside, while Cole Aldrich finished with 23 points and 13 rebounds to help the defending NCAA champion Jayhawks (26-7) hold off the Bison.
“We had to get tougher today to win, and that’s a good thing,” Kansas coach Bill Self said.
Woodside’s 37 points led Self to declare him the best guard his team faced this season, and his third 3-pointer pulled North Dakota State (26-7) to 73-67 with 2:25 remaining. But Aldrich’s one-motion putback, his eighth dunk of the game, on the next possession essentially ended the Bison’s hope.
Mich. State 77, Robert Morris 62
Jeremy Chappell was the only player in double figures with 11 for Robert Morris (24-11), a commuter school from suburban Pittsburgh making its first NCAA appearance since 1992.
USC 72, Boston College 55
Taj Gibson had 24 points on 10-for-10 shooting from the field, sending the 10th-seeded Trojans (22-12), who maintained the momentum from the Pac-10 Tournament title to the second round.
Dayton 68, West Virginia 60
Chris Wright scored a career-high 27 as the 11th-seeded Flyers ( 27-7) improved to 2-13 against Mountaineers coach Bob Huggins.
Arizona 84, Utah 71
MIAMI — Nic Wise scored 21 of his 29 points in the second half, Chase Budinger added 20 and the 12th-seeded Wildcats (20-13) knocked off fifth-seeded Utah (24-10).
