CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Oakland Golden Grizzlies battled hard but were unable to overcome its first half deficit against the Cleveland State Vikings as it fell, 92-75, tonight in a Horizon League matchup at the Wolstein Center.

The Golden Grizzlies (3-7, 1-2 HL) saw a trio of players record double-digit points as DQ Cole led with 22, shooting 8-of-19 from the floor, as Allen Mukeba recorded a double-double with 10 points and 12 boards.

The Vikings (7-6, 2-1 HL) were led by Tevin Smith who tallied a game-high 37 points of 14 makes from the floor to go with his six rebounds.

The game began with a defensive stalemate, as neither team found an offensive rhythm early. Isaiah Jones broke the scoring drought for either side with a mid-range jumper just over two minutes into the game. Cleveland State responded quickly and sparked a quick 6-0 run.

Jaylen Jones briefly shifted momentum, draining a three-pointer to give the Golden Grizzlies the lead at 7-6. Malcolm Christie kept the offense flowing with back-to-back triples, pushing Oakland ahead, 21-17 with just under 11 minutes remaining.

Cleveland State answered with precision from beyond the arc, as the Vikings capitalized on turnovers and second-chance opportunities, regaining control with a quarter of the half to play.

Despite a strong first half from Christie, who tallied 14 points on 4-for-7 shooting from three-point range all off the bench, Cleveland State closed the period on a 17-5 run, taking a 44-35 lead into the locker room.

Both teams nearly paced each other from the field, as Oakland shot at a .452 clip from the floor with six made threes, as Cleveland State shot at a .474 mark with six made threes as well. Off the glass, Oakland nearly held the edge with one more board than Cleveland State with their 20.

The Vikings opened with a quick 14-3 run as Oakland was forced to play catch up early in the half. Despite strong efforts from Christie and Mukeba, who both made key plays to keep Oakland within striking distance early in the half, Cleveland State's depth began to wear down the Golden Grizzlies.

A series of turnovers midway through the second half stifled Oakland's offensive flow, allowing the Vikings to stretch their lead to double digits once again. The Golden Grizzlies struggled to match the Vikings' in the second half as it ultimately fell, 92-75.

Oakland improved from the field in the second half, as it went 14-of-28 (.500) from the field, as Cleveland State also improved, shooting 16-of-31 (.516) from the floor. Contrary to the first half, the Vikings finished the game with one more rebound than the Golden Grizzlies who finished with 36.

Oakland now heads to the Pacific as it is set to play in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic, with its first game Sunday (Dec. 22) against Loyola University Chicago at 5:00 p.m. ET. All Oakland games this season will be live streamed through audio via The Bet1270 AM (WXYT-AM) & the Audacy App with Neal Ruhl on the call.