Cleveland State men’s basketball prevailed once again, defeating Purdue Fort Wayne in a matchup that was nationally televised on ESPNU. With the win, the Vikings moved to 11-1 in Horizon League play and 17-6 overall.

The Vikings’ victory Thursday night pushed their win streak to 13 games, tied for second in the country, and one win away from tying the program record. The Vikings haven’t lost a game since their first Horizon League matchup at Milwaukee Dec. 5.

Cleveland State’s defensive game plan held Purdue Fort Wayne to their lowest scoring output in league play this season. The Vikings held their opponent to 35 percent shooting from the field and 15 percent (5-32) shooting from behind the arc.

CSU redshirt senior Chase Robinson was one of three Vikings to score double digits with 20 points on the night. Robinson tied his career high in points, which he set in the 2024 Horizon League Tournament quarterfinal game at Youngstown State. He scored with efficiency on Thursday, shooting 60 percent from the field, 3-5 from 3-point range and a perfect 5-5 from the free throw line.

Tevin Smith (0) scored 16 points in only 22 minutes of play. Smith started off hot by scoring the Vikings’ first five points of the game, but was forced to sit after picking up his second foul two minutes into the contest. He made up for getting into early foul trouble by coming out in the second half and scoring 11 points. He finished the game shooting 4-4 from the field and 6-8 from the free throw line.

Dylan Arnett (12) continued to dominate, finishing with 15 points on 70 percent shooting and a career high 15 rebounds. Arnett’s performance marks the fourth game in which he has recorded a double-double.

Despite having home court advantage, Purdue Fort Wayne only led the game for 11 seconds, scoring the first basket of the game to take a 2-0 lead. CSU's Smith erased that advantage with a three pointer and a pair of free throws to put the Vikings ahead 5-2, a lead they never relinquished.

Chase Robinson’s layup with 10:09 minutes left in the first half gave the Vikings their first double digit lead of the night at 19-8. The Vikings led by as much as 14 points in the first half and went into the break with a 35-25 lead.

The Mastodons' attempt to get back into the game during the second half failed as Cleveland State’s defense didn’t allow their opponents to get closer than 7 points. The Vikings’ ability to get to the free throw line and convert ultimately helped them secure another double-digit victory for the season.

Next up: The Vikings are on the road again, taking on Northern Kentucky on Wednesday with a 7:00 p.m. tipoff at the Truist Arena. A win at NKU would tie the program record of 14 consecutive victories.