Contact: Renee Adam
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Behind a strong second half performance, the Cleveland State women's basketball team was able to post their fourth straight victory Sunday afternoon, defeating Tennessee State 66-59. The victory improves the Vikings to 5-4 on the year, while the Tigers fall to 3-6.
Shalonda Winton notched her seventh double-double of the season with 17 points and 13 rebounds, while Cori Coleman andHonesty King also tallied double-digits with 17 and 12 points, respectively. Haley Schmitt chipped in eight points and a career-high eight rebounds, while freshman Adesuwa Aideyman posted two assists and one steal in her first collegiate game.
After going into halftime trailing 29-24, CSU battled back during the opening minutes of the second frame, gaining its first lead of the contest at the 13:11 mark (36-35) with an Imani Gordon jumper. Over the next four minutes the Vikings posted a 10-4 run with points from five different players to gain their largest lead of the contest (seven points) at 46-39 with 9:52 left on the clock.
CSU held the advantage until the 5:39 mark when TSU was able to take back a two-point lead on a pair of free throws (51-49). The Vikings responded with a pair of three-pointers from Coleman and Winton to gain a four-point lead (57-53) with 3:43 left, and closed the game on a 9-6 run for the 66-59 victory. Over the final four minutes CSU, who shot 86-percent from the free throw line during the second half, was 5-for-6 from the line, securing the victory.
As a team, CSU shot 45-percent from the floor (21-for-46), including a 35-percent mark from three-point (6-for-17). The Vikings outrebounded their opponent for the fifth time this season, posting 42 boards including 14 offensive rebounds.
The Vikings will now have a quick turnaround before their next contest, hosting Ole Miss at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 18. Tuesday's contest will begin a four-game homestand for CSU, as they will also host New Hampshire (Dec. 22), Lake Erie (Dec. 30) and Butler (Jan. 3) in the coming weeks.
