INDIANAPOLIS — Cleveland State's men's basketball team defied all expectations this season, and they certainly have a lot to be proud of.
Unfortunately, it just didn't end the way the Vikings wanted it to.
CSU's magic carpet ride ended Tuesday night in Indianapolis with a 63-61 loss to Northern Kentucky in the Horizon League finals. The Vikes will miss out on a spot in the NCAA Tournament, which would've been their second berth in three years.
On this night, the Vikings (21-13) were done in by turnovers, as 17 giveaways led to 21 Norse points. Even all-conference star Tristan Enaruna coughed up the ball five times despite scoring a team-high 17.
Both teams struggled offensively in the second half, with multiple missed shots and opportunities. Things seemed to turn when freshman Ramar Pryor's layup attempt off a steal was blocked by Chris Branson, and Sam Vinson followed that up with a pullup jumper to put NKU (22-12) ahead by six with 2:45 to go. Vinson had 16 points on 6 of 12 shooting.
Cleveland State tried to hang around, but couldn't make enough baskets as Marques Warrick sank four free throws down the stretch to add to his game-high 18 points. A late 3 by Drew Lowder was not enough, and the Norse were able to celebrate.
Despite the disappointment, it was still a season to remember for CSU, which finished tied for second in the league under new head coach Daniyal Robinson despite being picked to finish seventh. Their three-year record of 60-31 is also their best since 1989.
Northern Kentucky now awaits its NCAA Tournament seeding, while Cleveland State could possibly end up in one of the secondary tournaments. If that occurs, the College Basketball Invitational in Florida seems like the most likely destination with Youngstown State already bound for the NIT.