CLEVELAND, Ohio (Interstat) — A dominant second-half offensive explosion, fueled by a career performance from guard Tre Beard, propelled the Cleveland State Vikings to a decisive 91-78 victory over the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in a Horizon League men’s basketball matchup Wednesday night at Wolstein Center.

The game, played before an announced crowd of 1,467, was a tale of two halves and a stunning reversal of fortune from the teams’ meeting just under a month prior. On Jan. 9, Oakland cruised to a 97-74 win at home. This time, Cleveland State flipped the script with a 59-point second-half barrage to overcome a 10-point halftime deficit.

Oakland, the pregame favorite according to oddsmakers, controlled the opening period through interior dominance. The Golden Grizzlies built a 42-32 lead by halftime, scoring 44 of their total points in the paint for the game. Tuburu Naivalurua, the 6-foot-6 forward from Sydney, Australia, was a primary force early, finishing with 22 points. Fellow frontcourt player Michael Houge of Detroit added 15 points, and guard Brody Robinson of Houston chipped in 22 points and eight assists.

The most important part of the game arrived immediately after halftime, as Cleveland State erased Oakland’s double-digit lead with breathtaking speed. The Vikings opened the second half on a 17-3 run, seizing momentum they would never relinquish. The catalyst was Beard, a 5-foot-10 junior from Chillicothe, Ohio. After a quiet first half, Beard ignited, orchestrating the offense and finding his shooting stroke from deep. He finished with a game-high 24 points and dished out nine assists, consistently breaking down Oakland’s defense.

Cleveland State’s offensive efficiency in the final 20 minutes was staggering. The Vikings shot 17 for 40 from three-point range for the game, with many of those makes coming during the second-half surge. Their offensive rating of 122.1 points per 100 possessions dwarfed Oakland’s 108.4, illustrating the potency of their attack after the break.

While Beard was the engine, he received ample support. Jaidon Lipscomb of Columbus scored 18 points and handed out six assists, while Foster Wonders of Iron Mountain, Michigan, contributed 12 points. Dayan Nessah of Geneva, Switzerland, provided a strong interior presence with 15 points and a game-high five offensive rebounds. The Vikings’ ball security was also key, committing only nine turnovers compared to Oakland’s 13.

Oakland, which fell to 14-11 overall, could not counter Cleveland State’s perimeter assault. The Golden Grizzlies shot just 5 of 21 from beyond the arc and saw their paint scoring advantage neutralized by the Vikings’ hot shooting. Warren Marshall of Auburn Hills, Michigan, provided a defensive spark with five blocks, but it was not enough to stem the tide.

The victory, which improved Cleveland State to 10-14, was a significant rebound from their lopsided loss to Oakland earlier in the season and marked their third win in four games. According to Interstat’s ELO system, Oakland had entered with a 63.2 percent probability to win, making the Vikings’ comeback victory an upset.

The game’s total points of 169 fell short of the over/under line of 172.5. Oakland will look to regroup when it hosts Youngstown State on Feb. 12. Cleveland State aims to build on this momentum as it travels to face IU Indy on Saturday.