Cleveland ousts Wake Forest in NCAA first round

MIAMI – The Cleveland State Vikings remain unbeaten in first-round NCAA tournament games.

They’ve played two of them, 23 years apart, and notched two upsets. The latest victim: one-time top-ranked Wake Forest.

Cleveland State raced to an early 17-point lead and withstood a second-half rally by the Demon Deacons to win, 84-69. It was reminiscent of the Vikings’ only other tournament appearance in 1986, when they upset Indiana and Bob Knight in the opening round.

The Vikings (26-10) were seeded 14th then; they’re 13th in the Midwest Regional this year.

“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.”

On Sunday, the Vikings will play No. 12 Arizona (20-13), which beat Utah 84-71.

Fourth-seeded Wake Forest (24-7) lost playing in its first tournament game since 2005.

“It’s very disappointing,” Demon Deacons scoring-leader Jeff Teague said. “We expected to do damage in this tournament. To lose in the first round is hard to take.”

Wake Forest won its first 16 games and was No. 1 for a week in January, but lost its final two games of the season.

Sputtering offense again plagued the Demon Deacons, as it did when they were beaten by Maryland last week in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. They committed 18 turnovers to six by Cleveland State, which held Wake Forest well below its scoring average of 81 points per game.

“We’re not the best shooting team,” Vikings center Chris Moore said. “But we’re up there with any team in the country on defense. Because of that, we’re in position to win any game.”

In Boise, Idaho, Lazar Hayward scored 26 points and Marquette made 10 straight free throws near the end to beat Utah State, 58-57..

Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews each scored 14 points for sixth-seeded Marquette, which blew a 14-point lead before rallying from a six-point deficit to win in the West Regional.

In Midwest Regional its was Siena 74, Ohio State 72; Kansas 84, North Dakota State 74; Southern Cal 72, Boston College 55; Dayton 68, West Virginia 60.

In South Regional it was Syracuse 59, Stephen F. Austin 44; in East Regional Pittsburgh 72, East Tennessee St. 62; Oklahoma St. 77, Tennessee 75; Wisconsin 61, Florida State 59; Xavier 77, Portland St. 59. (AP)