Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - Islanders drop one to Vikings

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Tuesday, February 6, 2001

Islanders drop one to Vikings
Cleveland State rallies to 81-75 win
From staff and correspondent reports
CLEVELAND - Cleveland State began the second half with a 23-7 run and never looked back in an 81-75 victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Monday night at Goodman Arena, stretching the Vikings' winning streak to six.
   CSU (16-9) trailed, 38-35, at the break. But Theo Dixon opened the second half by drilling a 3-pointer to tie the game. Dustin Shultz gave the Islanders their final lead of the contest on the ensuing possession at 40-38 before the Vikings took the lead for good on a three-point play by Tahric Gosley with 18:06 left.
   Gosley not only gave CSU the lead with his offense, but also ultimately did in the Islanders with his defense. The sophomore, who broke the school record for blocks in a season with 56, made his presence known inside by swatting away five A&M-CC shots and altering several more as his team began to pull away. He played a big part in the Islanders' ice-cold 25-percent shooting in the first 10 minutes of the second stanza.
   "They beat us at the start of the second half, there was no doubt about it," Islanders coach Ronnie Arrow said. "We went to a zone defense tonight. That team was averaging 68 points per game and we gave up 81 points. We still didn't do what we wanted to do defensively."
   Trailing by as many as 14 with less than eight minutes remaining, the Islanders (11-13) made things interesting in the final moments. They hit four consecutive 3-pointers and trimmed the deficit to 70-65 with 3:15 left. But that was as close as the game would get.
   CSU converted 29 of 38 attempts from the free-throw line (.763), including several down the stretch to preserve the win. The free-throw line accounted for CSU's final 21 points of the game. Jermaine Robinson, who scored a game-best 22 points, converted a layup with 8:22 left. That was the final field goal for the Vikings.
   Three other CSU players cracked double figures. Dixon and Jamaal Harris each scored 19, while Gosley added 10.
   Strong Hicks effort
   The loss overshadowed the effort of A&M-CC's Michael Hicks. The senior converted 7 of 12 field-goal attempts and 7 of 9 free-throw opportunities en route to a 22-point, 10-rebound effort. For Hicks, it was his 17th career double-double.
   Armond Wainright, who made his first start for the Islanders, added 12 points, all on 3-pointers. Freshman Brian Evans contributed 11 points and dished out six assists in the loss.
   "As disappointed as I was about our effort at UT-Pan American, the guys showed a lot of character," Arrow said. "They came out with lots of energy and ready to play. If we get that type of effort and energy, we should win our remaining four games."
   After CSU took a 2-0 lead, the Islanders reeled off eight consecutive points in the matter of a few minutes. Hicks' three-point play, which included a tremendous slam dunk, gave the Islanders their largest lead of the contest, 13-7. In the rest of the first half, there were five ties and several three lead changes. Sennai Atsbeha's 3-pointer with 12 seconds left gave the Islanders a 38-35 lead at intermission.
   The loss marks the first time the Islanders have been the victim of a season sweep in its brief history. CSU edged A&M-CC, 81-77, in the finals of the Koch Petroleum Islander Invitational on Dec. 29 at Memorial Coliseum.
   A&M-CC will try to snap a two-game losing streak when it hosts NAIA opponent Texas College Saturday night as part of homecoming festivities. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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