CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State women's basketball team closed out its West Coast trip Saturday afternoon, dropping an 81-72 decision against Tulane in the final game of the San Diego Thanksgiving Tournament.
Tulane 81, Cleveland State 72 PDF Box Score
Starting Five
· Crockett, Slaney, Ely, White, Miller
Game Stats
· Four Vikings finished with double-digit points, including Jade Ely and Mariah Miller who both finished with 19 points.
· Savanna Crockett recorded 14 points on the game, while Mariah White ended with 10 points.
· The Vikings finished with 13 assists on the game, including six from Jade Ely.
· Savanna Crockett and Rachel Slaney both finished with 10 rebounds against Tulane, while Mariah Miller added nine boards.
· Cleveland State recorded a .472 field goal percentage on the day, including a 69-percent clip during the first half.
Game Notes
· Saturday's game marked the first matchup between Tulane and Cleveland State in program history.
· Savanna Crockett recorded her fourth double-double of the season, and second straight, with 14 points and 10 rebounds against Tulane.
· Rachel Slaney tied her career-high with 10 boards, marking her first double-digit rebound game of the season.
The Game
During the opening quarter the Vikings got out to a strong start, opening the contest on an 8-0 run that included a Savanna Crockett jumper and a pair of Jade Ely three-pointers. The Vikings were then able to hold the advantage throughout the rest of the first period, and even extended their advantage to double-digits at the 22-11 mark following a pair of Crockett baskets, closing out the quarter with a 22-18 lead.
Cleveland State opened the second quarter the same way it did the first, posting a 5-0 run with a Mariah White jumper and JaMiya Braxton three-pointer to regain a nine-point lead at 27-18 with 9:15 left on the clock. Tulane was able to stop the Viking run with a basket at the 8:18 mark, but back-to-back baskets from Crockett and Mariah Miller put the Vikings back up by double-digits at 32-20 midway through the second quarter.
The Vikings were able to hold their double-digit lead for the rest of the frame then, going into the halftime break with an 11-point lead at 42-31. During the first half, Cleveland State shot 69-percent from the field, including a perfect 6-for-6 effort from Crockett.
To open the second half, Cleveland State went on a 9-4 run over the first three minutes of the third quarter, extending its lead to 50-35 and forcing a Tulane timeout. Tulane responded with a 19-2 run out of the timeout, gaining its first lead of the contest at the 54-52 mark with 2:15 left on the clock. The two teams then traded baskets throughout the rest of the period, until a White three-pointer as time expired gave the Vikings a 59-56 lead heading into the final quarter.
Despite the Vikings trying to turn the momentum with White's three-pointer at the end of the third quarter, Tulane was able to remain in control throughout the final period, outscoring Cleveland State 25-13 to come away with the 81-72 victory.
Up Next
The Vikings will open the month of December on the road next weekend, traveling to Ohio for a 1:00 p.m. contest on Saturday, December 1.
