Cleveland State beats IU Indianapolis 101-93 in Horizon League play-in, advancing to face top-seeded Wright State

Vikings extend season and move into the bracket’s next round

Cleveland State advanced in the Horizon League men’s basketball tournament on Monday, March 2, defeating IU Indianapolis 101-93 at the Wolstein Center in the league’s play-in game. The result moved the Vikings, seeded 10th, into the next round of the tournament and ended the season for the 11th-seeded Jaguars.

The play-in format matched the bottom two seeds, with the winner earning the right to continue. Under the Horizon League’s 2026 tournament structure, play-in and first-round games are hosted on campus sites, while the final rounds are set for Indianapolis later in the week.

Efficiency and shot-making shaped a high-scoring outcome

The scoring total reflected an unusually efficient night for Cleveland State, which converted a high percentage of its field-goal attempts while also generating points from three-point range. IU Indianapolis kept pace behind its own strong shooting stretch in the second half, but the early deficit proved difficult to erase.

• Cleveland State led 45-36 at halftime and matched IU Indianapolis 56-57 after intermission to secure the eight-point win.
• Cleveland State shot 65.5% from the field (36-of-55), compared with IU Indianapolis at 48.4% (30-of-62).
• Cleveland State made 11 three-pointers on 18 attempts, while IU Indianapolis went 8-of-18 from three.
• IU Indianapolis went to the free-throw line more frequently (18 attempts) than Cleveland State (13), but Cleveland State’s overall shooting efficiency offset that difference.

Jaidon Lipscomb led Cleveland State with 23 points, along with five rebounds and seven assists, providing both primary scoring and playmaking in a game that saw both teams push pace and trade runs.

Context: familiar opponents, new tournament pathway

The matchup was the latest meeting between conference opponents that had already faced each other during the regular season. Cleveland State entered the play-in as the No. 10 seed, while IU Indianapolis arrived as the No. 11 seed. The win also gave Cleveland State a needed result at the close of a challenging regular-season campaign, improving the Vikings’ overall record to 11-21.

With the play-in win, Cleveland State advanced to a road game against regular-season champion and No. 1 seed Wright State on Wednesday, March 4.

What comes next

The Horizon League tournament continues this week with campus-site games through the early rounds. Cleveland State’s next task is the bracket’s most difficult draw: a matchup with top-seeded Wright State, with a trip to the Indianapolis rounds at stake.