Cleveland State took a lead into halftime, but couldn't hold off the Senators second half charge.

The Cougars (4-2, 1-2) were up 37-32 at the half, but Walters State (7-0, 2-0) flipped the switch in the final 20 minutes taking an 81-63 victory.

"We had a few good moments in the first half, but we couldn't sustain it for 40 minutes," head coach Rafael Howard said. "You have to earn the right to win through your work and we didn't earn it."

Turnovers and three-point shooting told the story. Cleveland State struggled from behind the arc going 1-6 compared to the Senators shooting 11-27. The Cougars also committed 20 turnovers to Walters State 10.

"We have to value the ball and each possession on the floor," Howard said. "Not our best performance, we didn't show the toughness we needed to win the game."

Julius King, Jr. led the way scoring again for Cleveland State putting in 19 points while also tallying five steals, four assists and three rebounds. Kameron Clark and Thaddeus Johnson were the only other Cougars to score in double figures with 10 each. Clark and Johnson also each grabbed eight rebounds.

Walters State was led by Jamar Livingston scoring a game high 21 points with Micah Simpson not far behind at 19. Simpson went 5-9 from behind the three-point line.

Cleveland State looks to get back on track when they hit the court again this Saturday at home where they are undefeated this season. The Cougars will host Volunteer State (2-7, 1-2) in another conference game on Saturday with tip-off set for 4 p.m.

Edwin Bear
Cleveland State Community College
Sports Information/Media Relations