MUNCIE, Ind.  – The Cleveland State women's basketball team finished up its first roadswing of the 2018-19 season Sunday, falling at Ball State, 67-62. After the first week of the season, the Vikings stand at 1-2.

Ball State 67, Cleveland State 62 PDF Box Score

Starting Five
· Crockett, Slaney, Ely, White, Miller

Game Stats
· Four Vikings finished the game with double-digit points, led by Mariah Miller with 16. Savanna Crockett added 15 points, while JaMiya Braxton chipped in 12 and Jade Ely added 10.

· Savanna Crockett grabbed a team-high 14 rebounds, while Rachel Slaney tallied seven boards and Mariah Miller added six.

· Savanna Crockett and Mariah White both finished with four assists.

· As a team, the Vikings recorded nine steals, including eight during the first half.

· Cleveland State posted a .397 field goal percentage, including a .438 clip during the first quarter.

Game Notes
· Savanna Crockett recorded the first double-double of her career with 15 points and 14 rebounds, both of which marked career-highs.

· JaMiya Braxton recorded her 12 points on four three-pointers.

The Game
After a back-and-forth first quarter that ended with the score knotted at 16-16, Cleveland State opened the second frame with a 6-0 run, gaining a 22-16 lead at the 7:27 mark on a Mariah White layup. A Ball State basket on the next possession snapped the CSU run, but another 5-2 streak from the Vikings over the next two minutes put the score at 27-20 Cleveland State with just under five minutes left in the first half. Despite the Cardinals chipping away at the Cleveland State lead over the second half of the quarter, the Vikings were able to take a slim 34-33 advantage into the halftime break.

The two teams then had an even third quarter, with Ball State taking a slight one-point advantage at 48-47 into the final 10 minutes of action.

Throughout the opening minutes of the fourth period, the Vikings were able to go on an 11-2 run that included a trio of JaMiya Braxton three-pointers, regaining a 58-50 advantage at the 6:11 mark and forcing a Ball State timeout. Out of the timeout, Ball State went on a 9-2 run to close the gap to just one point at the 60-59 mark, but a Jade Ely layup with 2:08 on the clock gave the Vikings a three-point lead at 62-59.

This lead wouldn't last long though, as Ball State responded with six straight points over the next 1:42 to gain a 65-62 lead with just 20 seconds left on the clock. After a missed free throw from the Cardinals, the Vikings had a good look at evening the score on a Braxton three-pointer on the ensuing possession, but the shot went just wide with Ball State grabbing the rebound to control the remaining seconds of the contest for the 67-62 victory.

From The Sidelines
Overall thoughts on the game…
"We were able to get a great start to this game, but we just need to learn how to close out games and win as a team. We were up eight points with under five minutes left in the game, and that is a situation that you need to win every time in order to be a great program. Being in those situations is something that we need to fully understand and work on in practice on a day-to-day basis. On the flip side, I thought our players fought really hard during the entire game, and we certainly put ourselves into a position to win today, and moving forward I think this will only help us on our journey to becoming a really good program."

Comments on Savanna Crockett's game…
"Savanna played really well today, and was able to bounce back after struggling last time out. Every time she steps on the court, she is going to continue to learn and continue to improve. Most people don't understand how much is on her plate game-after-game, and for a freshman to adjust to that is hard, so it will take some time. She has a world of talent, and she just needs to continuing learning and getting better every single day."

"This is something that could be said about all of our young players, they just need to understand that it is a process and they need to continue getting better individually, and as a team during every practice and every game this season."

Up Next
Cleveland State will return to the Wolstein Center for a two-game homestand, beginning with a 7:00 p.m. contest against Lake Erie on Thursday, November 15.