Cleveland State Cat-Scratched in Evanston

Sometimes when you face a big cat, you get B1G scratched. Northwestern did not serve up any ingredients for upset potion on Monday night as they dominated Cleveland State 110-63. The Wildcats cut up the Vikings defense early, establishing the paint, taking advantage in transition off turnovers and sinking threes as soon as the defense collapsed in. Northwestern dominated the glass and shot a better percentage from three than I did on my college calculus final.

Senior stud Nick Martinelli looked all the part of a Naismith Watch List talent. His 21 points, 7 rebounds and perfect 3/3 behind the arc led the way for a dominant Wildcat offense.

Josiah Harris and Dayan Nessah were familiar bright spots for the Vikings. Harris found success inside and out, knocking down a trio of threes. Harris’ Folgueiras-like ability to step out and shoot will be one of the Vikings’ greatest weapons come conference play.

Swiss Army Knife Dayan Nessah led the Vikings with 15 points. Nessah capitalized on second chance opportunities and created his own offense on drives to the hoop. We saw a bit more of Ivan Spirov who hauled in 5 boards. Spirov, the former Bulgarian pro, may earn his way into more minutes during the non-conference stretch for his rebounding help as he gels into college hoops.

I spoke with Coach Rob Summers after the loss:

When asked what he learned from today’s game, Coach Summers pointed to a stretch in the second half where he felt the Vikings started playing their brand of basketball. He noted they didn’t play their style in the first half or later on, but during that stretch they played to their identity. As well, Coach Summers tipped his cap to Northwestern’s impressive performance.

Noticing he circled up his team on the court before heading to the locker room before half and the final buzzer, I asked Coach Summers his message and the reason for the huddle. “It’s just about staying connected. I think that’s the biggest thing Cleveland State has always had. We’re a connected team. A connected program. We’ve had some losses even when I was here with Coach Gates where people said “Oh man, that’s a terrible loss” but we just learn from it. We stay connected and we never falter.”

Next up for the Vikings is a trip this weekend to the Greenbrier Resort in southern West Virginia. Coach Summers stated he’s looking forward to getting back to the state of his alma mater. He knows they’ve got their work cut out for them with matchups against two really good programs– Kent State and Radford.