Photo Credit: Josh Gales
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Behind a career-high night from senior Mariah White, the Cleveland State women's basketball team picked up its first win of the 2020-21 season Friday evening, earning an 85-51 victory at Purdue Fort Wayne. With the win, the Vikings now stand at 1-2 on the season.
PDF BOX SCORE: Cleveland State 85, Purdue Fort Wayne 51
Game Stats
· Mariah White led the Viking offense, finishing with 36 points, while Nadia Dumas posted 15.
· As a team, Cleveland State shot 54-percent from the floor (33-for-61), and 41-percent from three-point (7-for-17).
· Cleveland State finished the game with 16 total assists, including four from Taylah Levy and three from Mariah White and Isabelle Gradwell.
· The Viking defense forced Purdue Fort Wayne into 26 turnovers on the game.
Game Notes
· Mariah White recorded a career-high with her 36 points against Purdue Fort Wayne, a performance that is tied for fifth in the CSU Single-Game Record Book.
· Nadia Dumas also recorded a career-high with 15 points against the Mastodons, while she tied her career-best with four blocked shots.
· For the second time this season the Vikings recorded double-digit steals as a team, finishing with 14.
· With the win, head coach Chris Kielsmeier now has 448 career victories, needing just two more wins to become the second active #HLWBB coach to reach the 450-win mark for their career.
· Friday's matchup marked the first meeting between Cleveland State and Purdue Fort Wayne in Horizon League action.
The Game
After playing from behind for the first six minutes of the contest, Cleveland State posted six straight points to gain their first lead of the game on a Mariah White jumper at the 2:52 mark of the first frame. Although the Vikings were able to hold the advantage for the next few possessions, Purdue Fort Wayne converted a jumper with just 20 seconds left on the clock to take an 18-17 lead into the second frame.
The Vikings were able to quickly regain momentum at the start of the second quarter though, as an Isabelle Gradwell three-pointer on the first play of the frame put the Vikings up 20-18. The two teams then traded baskets over the next few possessions, until back-to-back baskets from White gave the Vikings a 28-26 lead with just over four minutes left in the half.
Purdue Fort Wayne was able to stay within striking distance until the final two minutes of the second quarter when Cleveland State went on a 10-2 run, including another Gradwell three-pointer as time expired to take a 38-31 lead into the halftime break.
Cleveland State carried its momentum into the second half then, extending its lead to double-digits at the 43-31 mark on a White three-pointer less than three minutes into the third quarter. Less than two minutes later the Vikings extended their lead to 13-points on a Nadia Dumas and-one play, before a pair of Taylah Levy free throws put the Vikings up 49-34 midway through the frame.
Late in the third quarter the Vikings were able to gain a 20-point advantage at the 58-38 mark, following a 9-2 run which included back-to-back White baskets with a pair of assists from Levy on both plays.
After starting the fourth quarter with a 58-44 lead, the Vikings were able to maintain their sizeable advantage throughout the final 10 minutes of play, coming away with an 85-51 victory for their first win of the 2020-21 campaign.
Up Next
Cleveland State will close out its weekend series against the Mastodons tomorrow (Saturday, January 2) with a 7:00 p.m. contest at Purdue Fort Wayne.