ROCHESTER, Mich. – The Cleveland State women's basketball team got back in the win column Saturday, earning a convincing 79-58 victory at Oakland to close out its brief two-game roadswing in the state of Michigan. With the win, the Vikings now stand at 14-4 overall this season and own a 4-3 record in Horizon League play.
Game Stats
· Mariah Miller led the Viking offense with 24 points off the bench, while Savanna Crockett added 17 and Isabelle Gradwell chipped in 13 points.
· On the boards, Savanna Crockett grabbed a team-high nine rebounds, while Mariah Miller posted seven.
· As a team, the Vikings recorded 16 assists, with six from Taylah Levy and four from Isabelle Gradwell.
· The Viking defense recorded 11 steals on the game and forced Oakland into 26 turnovers.
· Cleveland State turned the 26 Oakland miscues into 25 points.
· The Vikings shot 43.9 percent from the floor against the Grizzlies, including a .563 clip during the fourth quarter when they outscored Oakland 31-12.
Game Notes
· Mariah Miller recorded her eighth 20-point game of the season with her 24 points at Oakland, and has now recorded double-digit points in all but one game this year.
· With her 24 points, Mariah Miller now has 971 career points, and is just 29 points shy of becoming the 30th Viking all-time to score 1,000 career points.
· Taylah Levy posted a career-high with her six assists on the night, and earned her second career start.
· Cleveland State has now recorded double-digit steals in eight games this year.
PDF BOX SCORE: Cleveland State 79, Oakland 58
The Game
After taking a five-point lead into the halftime break at 29-24 following a hard fought first two quarters, the Vikings were able to hold their lead over the opening possessions of the third period, until six straight Oakland points knotted the score at 33-33 with 6:25 left on the clock. The Vikings responded with back-to-back baskets from Taylah Levy and Mariah Miller, which allowed Cleveland State to regain a five-point lead at 38-33 halfway through the quarter.
Both teams then traded baskets throughout the final five minutes of the frame, with Cleveland State taking a slim 48-46 advantage into the final 10 minutes of action.
The Vikings were then able to extend their lead over the opening 1:20 of the fourth quarter, as layups from Miller and Savanna Crockett forced an Oakland timeout with the Vikings leading 52-46.
Cleveland State extended its lead to double-digits just two minutes later, as a pair of free throws from Crockett at the 6:47 mark put the Vikings up 60-50. Although an Oakland three-pointer on the next possession closed the gap to seven points, Cleveland State answered with six straight points to put the lead back to double-digits at 66-53 with 5:04 left on the clock.
The Vikings were then able to control play throughout the final five minutes of regulation, pulling away late for the 79-58 victory to get back in the win column.
Up Next
The Vikings will return home for two games next week, beginning with an 11:00 a.m. contest against Milwaukee on Friday, January 24. Friday's game will be Cleveland State's annual Kids Day game.
