Contact: Renee Adam
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RENO, Nev. - Cleveland State had three players score in double-figures for the third straight contest, but CSU's second half rally fell short in Saturday's 82-71 loss to Santa Clara. Saturday's contest was part of the University of Nevada Tournament, which also included the host Wolfpack and the Toledo Rockets. Shalonda Winton represented the Vikings on the All-Tournament Team, earning the honor after posting 54 points and 22 rebounds on the weekend.
Three Vikings scored in double-figures Saturday afternoon, led by Winton who tallied 23 points, including a 4-for-6 performance from three-point. Kiersten Green posted double-digits for the second straight game, adding 10 points for CSU, while Honesty King tallied 14. Cori Colemanchipped in nine points for the Vikings, while Imani Gordon notched seven points and a team-high seven rebounds.
Winton, who combined for seven offensive rebounds on the weekend, is now the all-time career record holder in offensive boards at CSU, finishing the weekend with 285 on her career.
Cleveland State and Santa Clara battled back and forth during the opening half, marking seven ties and staying within three-points of each other until the 5:32 mark when CSU gained a five-point advantage. The Vikings earned the five-point lead off of a Kaila Montgomery jumper and held a lead until the 2:13 mark when the Broncos regained the advantage for the remainder of the contest.
After Santa Clara took a 44-38 lead into the halftime break, CSU opened the second half on a 6-2 run to bring the contest back within two points at the 46-44 mark. The Broncos were then able to extend their lead to double-digits over the next four minutes, gaining a 12-point lead (61-49), their largest of the game, with 12:33 left to play.
Cleveland State was able to close the gap to single digits three more times over the next 10 minutes, including a two-point margin (71-69) following a Green free throw with 2:43 left on the clock. The Broncos closed out the contest with an 11-2 run though, including going 4-for-4 from the free throw line to claim the 11-point victory.
The Vikings tallied a .450 field goal percentage against the Broncos, marking their best performance of the season. Cleveland State forced 23 Santa Clara turnovers, while notching 12 steals and 14 assists.
Cleveland State will now return home for the first time in over two weeks, hosting VCU at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 28 in the Wolstein Center.
