ROCHESTER, Mich. – The Cleveland State women's basketball team opened up the Horizon League portion of its schedule Friday evening, battling for a 64-62 victory at Oakland. With the win, the Vikings are now 4-8 overall this season and 1-0 in #HLWBB play.
Cleveland State 64, Oakland 62 PDF Box Score
Starting Five
· Crockett, Slaney, Ely, White, Miller
Game Stats
· Mariah White led the Viking offense with 22 points, while Savanna Crockett and Mariah Miller both chipped in 16 points.
· Savanna Crockett led the rebounding efforts for Cleveland State, grabbing 12 boards, while Mariah Miller recorded nine rebounds and Rachel Slaney added eight.
· As a team, the Vikings recorded 18 assists on 23 made field goals, including five from Jade Ely and Mariah White.
·The Vikings recorded 11 total steals, with three from Savanna Crockett and Mariah White, and two from Jade Ely and Mariah Miller.
· Savanna Crockett posted two blocked shots on the game.
Game Notes
· With her 22 points against Oakland, Mariah White recorded the third 20-point game of her career, and second-straight 20-point effort.
· Savanna Crockett recorded her seventh double-double of the year, finishing with 16 points and 12 rebounds.
· Jade Ely returned to the lineup against the Golden Grizzlies, finishing with three points, five assists, and two steals.
· Cleveland State's 18 assists marked the second highest single-game total this season (27 vs. Salem).
· The Vikings are now 6-5 in #HLWBB openers over the last 11 years.
· Friday's win marked the first road win of the season for Cleveland State, and snapped a six-game losing streak for the Vikings.
The Game
After a back-and-forth first quarter, the two teams finished 10 minutes of action tied at 17-17, but Oakland was able to outscore the Vikings 18-9 during the second period, taking a 35-26 advantage into the halftime break.
The Vikings came out on fire during the third quarter though, going on a 13-2 run over the first four minutes of the frame, regaining a two-point lead at 39-37 following a Mariah White three-pointer. The two teams would then trade leads over the next few minutes, until the Vikings were able to close out the frame with back-to-back baskets from White to gain a 47-43 advantage heading into the final 10 minutes of action.
Over the first part of the final quarter, Oakland was able to work its way back into the contest, forcing the 11th tie of the game at the 47-47 mark, and then gaining the lead at 54-47 with under five minutes left to play following 11 unanswered points.
The Vikings once again answered with an 8-0 run of their own over the next 1:22, regaining a slight one-point lead at 55-54 on a Savanna Crockett layup.
This lead wouldn't last long though, as both teams once again traded baskets over the next stretch, with the game knotted at 62-62 – marking the 14th tie of the contest – with just 46 seconds left on the clock.
After a Viking turnover with just 28 seconds left on the clock, Cleveland State was able to put together a strong defensive effort on the ensuing Oakland possession, with Crockett grabbing a crucial defensive rebound with five seconds remaining. Not only did Crockett grab the board, but she was also fouled on the play, and then converted both free throw attempts to put the Vikings up by two at 64-62 with just two seconds left to play.
Although Oakland was able to inbound the ball following Crockett's 2-for-2 free throw line performance, the Golden Grizzlies ran out of time, as the Vikings came away with the slim two-point victory.
Up Next
The Vikings will continue their two-game roadswing at Detroit Mercy on Sunday, December 30, with tipoff set for 1:00 p.m. against the Titans.
