Saturday, March 21, 2009

Cinderella Still At The Ball

[HT/AP]

Some 23 years later, Cleveland State still has a knack for first-round shockers in the NCAA tournament.

The Vikings raced to an early 17-point lead Friday night and stunned one-time No. 1-ranked Wake Forest 84-69. The win was reminiscent of the Vikings' only other appearance in the tournament in 1986, when they upset Indiana in the opening round.
"We understand what the '86 team did was important for our school," said Norris Cole, who led Cleveland State with 22 points. "But now it's time for a new chapter."

The latest result wasn't as big of a surprise as the win over Bob Knight. The Vikings (26-10) were seeded 14th then; they're 13th in the Midwest region this year. On Sunday, they'll play No. 12 Arizona.

No. 4 Wake Forest (24-7) lost in its first tournament game since 2005. Norris Cole scored 22 points for the Vikings, who committed only six turnovers to 18 for Wake Forest.
"We had to hit them early in order to be in that game," Cleveland State head coach Gary Waters said. "We surprised them. It took them a while to realize what was occurring out there, and then it became a ballgame."
Photo Courtesy: AP
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