1950 CCNY Survives Attrition to Beat 1986 Cleveland State, 78-75

 See this story in the News Herald about the actual Cleveland State sweet 16 run in 1986, the scroll below for their all-time Sweet 16 run in our game. (1990 Ball state also beat 2025 St. John's - see very bottom of blog)

In our simulated Sweet 16 game ...

CCNY turned it into a typical 1950 and earlier game, low shooting and free throw percentages but make it a brawl to dominate the boards and get to the free throw line. Thus they took advantage of the one weakness of the fast and exciting Cleveland State Vikings - winning the boards 47-32 and scoring twice as many points at the free throw line. 

Just like in the actual Sweet 16 a one-man show stopped CSU (then it was David Robinson with 22 points, 14 rebounds and 9 blocked shots) as the Vikings had great balance with Bob Crawford having to play a lot of extra minutes due to Clinton Ransey so those two combined for 15 points, with the other four starters having double figures. The future NBA player Clinton Smith who scored what would have been the game-winner against Navy, 

Mouse McFadden and Eric Mudd we all often in double figures but this game the surprise was that pass-first Eddie Bryant also had double figures. This is unusual in our game because the “odd” note on his card means he only actually shoots or draws a foul if the 20-sided die is an “odd” roll – 1, 3, 5, 7 …19. On even rolls (2, 4, 6 … 20) he passed up the shot looking for a pass – but this game he actually scored 12 points himself in the narrow loss.

After losing their two best players to foul outs, the only joint NIT and NCAA champion in history, the City College of New York (CCNY) survived 78-75 over the 1986 Sweet 16 team from Cleveland State.

Cleveland State had scored 100 points in beating Canasius 1957 as well as this wild 114-112 ot win over 2025 McNeese State to make the Sweet 16 just like they did in 1986, but fell 3 points short of the Elite 8. In the actual 1986 tournament it was Navy and one of the greatest big men in ncaa history, David Robinson, who denied Cleveland State an elite 8 appearance with a 71-70 win.

Things to notice on this scoresheet for when you play your own Value Add Basketball Games. Normally the lower five cards are used earlier in the game as subs and for most of the remainder of the game through the end of the game all the players in the game are on the top row - the five starters. The dimes get the ball more often than the pennies etc.

However this was not the case in this game, because with seven minutes (12 possessions) to play CCNY's best player Ed Roman fouled out with CCNY leading just 66-61 and since he usually has two of the dimes to get the ball on a 6 or 7, when Herb Coleman came in for him (bottom center) he did have one dime but that meant on a roll of 8 on the 8-sided die no CCNY player could get off a shot. Then it got tougher when the other starter with a dime as a go to scorer Ed Warner fouled out, there were no other dimes available from bench players so CCNY brought in Normal Mager (bottom right) and had to play with this line-up of four pennies (non-go to scorers) and only the one dime for Cohen, meaning on a 7 or 8 noone for CCNY could get off a shot.

This was even more concerning since Warner had 22 points, but CCNY was ahead at that point 74-61, so even though Cleveland State dominated the rest of the way with both stars out, finishing on a 14-4 run, CCNY had enough of a lead to hold on.

But Cleveland State had a problem too when Clinton Ransey fouled out for them - the brought in Bob Crawford.

As you can see from the scoresheet, CCNY did survive the scare 78-75, and actually one basket at the end was as time expired so it did not come down to the wire - but still a scare.

This does set up our first Elite 8 match-up with CCNY now facing Jerry Tarkanian's first great team in Long Beach State of the early 1970s.

The other three Sweet 16 winners so far are still waiting for their opponents.