GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Green Bay men's basketball team got a pair of stellar performances from their true freshmen Cade Meyer and Kamari McGee, but it wasn't enough to overcome the No. 1 seeded Cleveland State Vikings Sunday afternoon, dropping the contest 79-67 at the Kress Center.
The Phoenix (4-23, 3-15) had three players score in double figures, led by Meyer's career-high 20 points and nine rebounds. McGee added 16 points and four assists and Ryan Claflin helped with a career-high 12 points off the bench.
Tre Gomillion led all scorers with 27 points. Yahel Hill chipped in with 15 points, while D'Moi Hodge filled the stat sheet with 11 points, three rebounds, two blocks, and three steals.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Neither team could pull away in the game's first 15 minutes. That changed when Nathanel Jack's three with 3:52 to go put Cleveland State up 30-24. The six-point lead would be the largest either team had in the half. McGee made his presence felt all over the floor, scoring six points while recording one steal, an assist, and a rebound.
The Phoenix kept the game tight coming out of intermission. GB would go on the brink of taking the lead several times, but couldn't overcome the Viking's answers until the midway point of the half. Down 50-44, the Phoenix went on a 10-2 run, capped by McGee's floating jumper that gave Green Bay a 54-52 lead with 10:38 left. Cleveland State answered, however, reclaiming a six-point lead on an 8-0 run, finished by a pair of Broc Finstuen free throws to make it 60-54 with 6:04 to go. The Vikings would start to pull away, but Green Bay kept it within seven after a dunk from Meyer made it 71-64 with 2:39 to go. It was too little, too late, at that point as the Vikings closed the game on an 8-3 run to take it by a final of 79-67.
GAME NOTES
» Cleveland State's bench outscored Green Bay's, 32-23.
» Green Bay's defense forced 13 Cleveland State turnovers.
» Meyer was GB's leading scorer for the sixth time this season.
» The Vikings outrebounded GB 30-24.
» Green Bay got a game-high nine rebounds from Meyer.
» McGee had a team-high 38 minutes. Meyer was the only other Phoenix player to record 30 or more minutes.
» The Vikings shot 62.5-percent from the field.
» Cleveland State narrowly won the turnover battle, 14-13.
» Meyer and McGee were a combined 15-of-27 (55.6-percent) from the field.
» McGee led the Phoenix with four assists, including three in the first half.
ON THE HORIZON
Green Bay will conclude the regular season with a stop at UIC on Thursday before heading to IUPUI Saturday. The Horizon League tournament begins Tuesday, March 1.
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