NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT : East Regional : Cleveland State Posts 83-79 Upset of Indiana

Clinton Ransey scored 27 points and Cleveland State used non-stop pressure defense to upset No. 14 Indiana 83-79 Friday in the first round of the NCAA East Regional.

The Vikings, 28-3, playing in their first NCAA Tournament, won their 13th straight game. They advance to Sunday’s second round against St. Joseph’s, who earlier beat Richmond 60-59.

In another game, David Robinson scored 30 points and Vernon Butler added 25 as No. 17 Navy knocked off Tulsa, 87-68.

Navy, 28-4, will meet Friday night’s Syracuse-Brown winner in Sunday’s second round.

Cleveland State, seeded 14th in the East, took the lead for good midway through the first half with a 19-6 surge. The harassed Hoosiers, seeded No. 3, committed 10 turnovers before intermission, when the Vikings led 45-41.

Indiana was held scoreless for the first 2:46 of the second half while Cleveland State forged a 51-41 advantage. Eric Mudd, Clinton Smith and Ken McFadden each hit jumpers and the Hoosiers were never again within 4 points.

A 6-0 run provided a 64-53 Vikings’ lead, the biggest of the game, with 12:10 remaining when Paul Stewart hit a baseline jumper with four seconds left on the shot clock.

After Indiana drew within 71-65 on Andre Harris’ jumper, Ransey, the younger brother of Kelvin Ransey of the New Jersey Nets, scored the Vikings’ next 6 points on leaning jumpers from the lane. Cleveland State led 77-67 with 4:15 left and Indiana, 21-8, could never mount a challenge.

Ransey, 6-foot-5, hit 9-of-15 shots and 9-of-13 free throws. Mudd contributed 16 points and Clinton Smith 12. Steve Alford led Indiana with 24 points while Harris scored 16 and Daryl Thomas 11.

Cleveland State, the nation’s second-leading offensive team with an average of 90.2 points a game, led most of the first half. After Stew Robinson’s layup gave Indiana a 22-18 advantage, the Vikings began a 19-6 run with Mudd scoring the first 6 points. Bob Crawford’s 16-footer put Cleveland State up 37-28 before the Vikings led 45-41 at intermission.