YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Cleveland State women's basketball team closed out the 2020-21 regular season Saturday, coming up just short at Youngstown State, 64-61 in the weekend finale. Cleveland State now stands at 9-8 overall this year and 8-8 in Horizon League play.
PDF BOX SCORE: Youngstown State 64, Cleveland State 61
Game Stats
· Mariah White and Aminata Ly led the Viking offense, White with 13 and Ly with 11 points.
· Aminata Ly posted a team-high nine rebounds, while Destiny Leo grabbed seven boards and Barbara Zieniewska recorded six.
· Taylah Levy posted a team-best five steals against the Penguins.
· Mariah White recorded three assists on the game, while Isabelle Gradwell posted two.
Game Notes
· With her 13 points against YSU, Mariah White moved into 17th place on the CSU Scoring List, finishing the regular season with 1,199 career points.
· Aminata Ly posted back-to-back double-digit scoring games after finishing with 11 on Saturday.
· With the weekend split against the Penguins, Cleveland State has now won seven of its last eight games heading into the #HLWBB tournament.
The Game
After trailing by as many as nine points throughout the second quarter, the Vikings were able to close the frame on a 10-2 run over the final 2:46. After forcing YSU into a shot clock violation with just 28 seconds left on the clock, the Vikings were able to have the final possession of the half, with an Aminata Ly offensive rebound and put-back – with time expiring – pulling the Vikings within one point at the halftime break, 31-30.
During the third quarter the Penguins outscored Cleveland State 21-11, taking a 52-41 advantage into the final 10 minutes of action.
Both teams traded baskets throughout the first part of the fourth quarter then, until back-to-back three-pointers from Taylah Levy and Isabelle Gradwell trimmed a double-digit deficit to just four points for the Vikings at the 59-55 mark. After Gradwell made her free throw on the and-one play, the Vikings trailed by just three points at 59-56 with 2:41 left to play.
YSU answered with five straight points to regain a 64-56 lead, but a 5-0 run from the Vikings over the next 1:11 closed the gap to just three points once again at 64-61 with 42 seconds left on the clock.
The Vikings were then able to get a defensive stop on the ensuing YSU possession, and had a look at a three-pointer out of a timeout to tie the contest, but the CSU comeback came up just short, with the Penguins earning the 64-61 victory.
Up Next
The Vikings will await their #HLWBB Tournament seed, with matchups expected to be announced Saturday evening. Check back to CSUVikings.com for more information.
