By Keysla Gonzalez

3/26/2025

Daytona Beach, FL-In a back-and-forth game that wasn’t decided until the final minute, the Cleveland State men’s basketball team earned a 72-65 win over Florida Gulf Coast to advance to Wednesday’s Purple College Basketball Invitational Championship Game. Cleveland State improves to 23-12 on the season, the fourth consecutive year that the Vikings have won 20 or more games and a new career-high in victories for head coach Daniyal Robinson.

Cleveland State led for over 30 total minutes of game action but the game was played in single digits the entire way with neither team holding a lead of more than nine points. The game had eight lead changes and eight ties and the Vikings prevailed thanks to timely baskets and lockdown defense in the game’s final minutes.

Je’Shawn Stevenson led all scorers in the game with 17 points. Stevenson shot 4-of-9 from the field but was a perfect 8-for-8 at the free throw line. He led all players in the game with a +15 overall rating.

Tahj Staveskie was close behind with 16 points. Staveskie shot 50 percent from the field and was also perfect from the free throw line knocking down all six of his attempts from the charity stripe. Staveskie tied for the team lead with six rebounds along with Dylan Arnett and Reece Robinson.

For the second consecutive game the Vikings were rock solid at the free throw line converting 20 of a possible 23 attempts for 87 percent. Cleveland State won the turnover battle for the second consecutive night forcing 13 FGCU turnovers. The Vikings also decidedly won the bench scoring battle 31-5 thanks in large part to Stevenson’s 17-point night.

The game was tightly contested from the start with neither team holding a lead of more than four points in the first ten minutes. With the score tied at 20 apiece with 8:22 to play in the opening half, Cleveland State mounted its first run. The Vikings outscored the Eagles 11-2 over the next five minutes to take their largest lead at 31-22 with 3:41 to play in the first half.

FGCU scored the next five points to cut it back to a four-point game with under two minutes to play before Isaac Abidde closed the first half with a three-pointer from the left wing that made it 36-29 Vikings at halftime.

The Eagles took charge in the opening four minutes of the second half as FGCU outscored Cleveland State 11-3 in the opening stretch to take a one-point lead with 16:54 to play.

The two teams went back and forth with the lead changing hands several times into the closing minutes. Cleveland State ultimately took control by holding FGCU without a field goal for the final 2:39. Cleveland State closed the game on a 6-1 run as Dylan Arnett converted a floater in the paint with 44 seconds to play that pushed the lead to three points. Stevenson and Staveskie nailed four straight free throws in the final seconds which sealed the game.

Cleveland State advances to the championship game to face Illinois State on Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2 and radio coverage will begin on Fox Sports 1350 AM with the pre-game show scheduled for 4:30.

COURTESY CLEVELAND STATE ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS