CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State women's basketball team opened up its Horizon League slate Saturday afternoon, claiming an 84-44 victory over UIC, marking the team's 11th straight victory. The Vikings, who improved to 11-1 overall this season, are off to a program-best start and are currently on the team's longest winstreak.
Game Stats
· Five Vikings finished the game with double-figure points, led by Mariah Miller who posted 17 total points.
· Mariah White added 15 points for the Vikings, while Jade Ely added 14, JaMiya Braxton posted 11 and Isabelle Gradwell chipped in 10.
· As a team, the Vikings grabbed 43 rebounds, led by Mariah Miller who posted nine boards and Nadia Dumas who finished with eight.
· The Vikings recorded 21 assists on 29 made field goals, including five from Mariah Miller.
· Cleveland State posted 20 total steals on the game, with six coming from Jade Ely and three coming from Nadia Dumas, Mariah White, Mariah Miller, and Isabella Geraci.
· As a team, the Vikings shot 49-percent from the floor (29-for-59), including a .611 clip during the third quarter (11-for-18).
· The Vikings forced UIC into 28 turnovers, turning those miscues into 33 points.
Game Notes
· Saturday's win over UIC extended Cleveland State's winstreak to 11 straight games.
· This marks the fourth straight season that the Vikings have won their #HLWBB opener, and seventh time over the last eight years.
· The Vikings remained perfect in the Wolstein Center this season, as they stand at 4-0 after Saturday's win over UIC.
· Cleveland State's 20 steals against UIC marked the second straight game that the Vikings have tallied 20+ takeaways, and the third time this season.
· Jade Ely tied her career-high with the six steals against the Flames.
· With her 17 points against UIC, Mariah Miller has now recorded double-digit points in every game this season, and has scored 15 or more points during 11 contests.
PDF BOX SCORE: Cleveland State 84, UIC 44
After taking a 32-21 lead into the halftime break, the Vikings went on a 20-10 run over the first part of the third quarter, gaining a 21-point advantage at 52-31 with 3:44 left in the frame. The Vikings then controlled play over the final four minutes of the quarter, taking a 59-37 lead into the final 10 minutes of play.
Cleveland State carried its momentum into the final period then, as the Vikings posted 16 straight points over the first 4:42 of the fourth quarter, extending their lead to 75-37 on a pair of Isabelle Gradwell free throws.
The Viking defense was able to hold the Flames off the board until the 4:23 mark of the final quarter, and went on to control play throughout the remainder of the contest, coming away with the 84-44 victory in the Horizon League opener.
Up Next
The Vikings will continue the first weekend of Horizon League play on Monday, December 30, hosting IUPUI at 7:00 p.m.