CULLOWHEE, N.C. – The Cleveland State women's basketball team improved to 7-1 on the year Friday evening, picking up a 68-61 victory at Western Carolina for its seventh straight win.

Game Stats
· Mariah White led the Viking offense with 24 points, while Mariah Miller added 18 points and JaMiya Braxton posted 16.
· Mariah White grabbed a team-high eight rebounds, while Savanna Crockett recorded six boards.
· As a team, the Vikings recorded 13 total steals, including six from Mariah White.
· Savanna Crockett returned to the lineup and finished with four points, six rebounds and three blocked shots.
· The Vikings shot 42-percent from the floor on the game, including a .643 clip during the first quarter.
· Cleveland State forced WCU into 20 turnovers, converting these miscues into 26 points.

Game Notes
· Mariah White recorded her first 20-point game of the year with her 24 points at WCU.
· With her three blocks on the night, Savanna Crockett now has 55 career blocked shots.
· JaMiya Braxton recorded 12 of her 16 points on three-pointers, converting four shots from behind-the-arc.
· The Vikings extended their winstreak to seven straight games, marking the longest winstreak since the 2010-11 season.
· Friday's game marked just the second meeting all-time between the two teams, with Cleveland State improving to 2-0 in the series.
· The 68-61 win at Western Carolina marked the second contest of a four-game roadswing for the Vikings.

PDF BOX SCORE: Cleveland State 68, Western Carolina 61

After heading into the halftime break with a slim one-point lead at 39-38, the Vikings were able to fend off a Western Carolina run over the opening minutes of the third quarter, regaining control of the contest midway through the period.

The Vikings were then able to post seven straight points to regain a 46-44 lead following a JaMiya Braxton three-pointer after forcing a WCU shot clock violation at the 3:58 mark, and then extended this run to 10-0 following a Dana DeGraffenreid three-pointer.

The Viking defense was once again able to fend off a WCU run late in the period, taking a 52-50 advantage into the final 10 minutes of action.

Over the opening minutes of the fourth quarter Western Carolina was able to go on a 7-3 run to regain a 57-55 advantage, but a pair of Mariah White free throws tied the game at 57-57 at the 5:46 mark.

Despite WCU regaining its advantage on the next possession, a 7-0 run from White put the Vikings up 64-59 with just over two minutes left in regulation.

The Vikings were then able to hold the advantage throughout the remainder of the contest, coming away with the 68-61 victory to improve to 7-1 on the season.

Up Next
Cleveland State will travel to East Tennessee State for a 2:00 p.m. contest on Sunday, December 6.