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Cleveland State is now on a two-game losing streak following this loss to Butler on Saturday. The Vikings lost to Valparaiso earlier in the week.
The Cleveland State Vikings lost their grip on the top spot in the Horizon by taking a double-digit loss at home to Valparaiso on Thursday, while at the same time the Butler Bulldogs earned an impressive win on the road at Youngstown State.
This is the time of year the Butler usually forces others to notice their play and despite struggling through a challenging season where scoring points has been a chore, Butler's win on Thursday certainly served notice.
So on Saturday Butler visits the Wolstein Center to play Cleveland State in a key game for both teams. The Vikings are looking to keep pace in the Horizon League with their sights remaining on a regular season championships. They will need a much better effort than they put forth against Valparaiso which would be helped immensely by just making some shots considering the Vikings shot just 26% from the floor in their last outing. Cleveland State will also be without guard D'Aundray Brown who is out with a groin injury.
Butler is looking to round into tournament form and help their seeding for the conference tournament among the muddled middle of the Horizon. The Bulldogs are one of four teams currently tied for third place in the conference at 8-6, so with four league games left every win is critical.
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Butler Vs. Cleveland State Final Score: Vikings On 2-Game Losing Streak After Falling To Bulldogs, 52-49
The Cleveland St. Vikings are now a full game out of first place in the Horizon League following Saturday's 52-49 loss to the Butler Bulldogs. The Vikings dropped a game earlier in the week to the Valparaiso Crusaders, the team currently atop the Horizon League standings.
This was not a well-played game as the teams combined for 30 turnover and 30 personal fouls. The shooting was also poor. Butler shot just 38 percent from the field while Cleveland State finished the game at 36.7 percent.
For the Vikings, Anton Grady provided 18 points and 14 rebounds from off the bench, but there wasn't much help elsewhere. Trevon Harmon did put in 12 points to be the only other double-digit scorer for the Vikings. Grady did take a three at the buzzer to tie the game, but it fell short.
Roosevelt Jones led Butler with 17 points while Khyle Marshall and Andrew Smith put in 12 and 11 points, respectively.
The Vikings visit the Milwaukee Panthers on Tuesday.
For more college basketball news and notes, head over to SB Nation NCAA Basketball.
Feb 11 12:23p by Russ Oates