FAIRBORN, Ohio – For the first time since the 2014-15 season the Cleveland State women's basketball team has advanced to the Semifinals of the Horizon League tournament, as they picked up a 63-52 victory at third-seeded Wright State on Thursday. With the win, the Vikings are now 21-10 on the year and will be playing in the #HLWBB Semifinals on Monday, March 9.
Fan Bus To Indianapolis
The Cleveland State Department of Athletics will be providing a Fan Bus for Monday's Semifinal contest. The bus will be departing from the Wolstein Center early Monday morning and will return following the game Monday evening. Transportation will be provided at no cost, but fans will need to purchase game tickets. Call the Cleveland State Ticket Office at (216) 687-4848 to purchase tickets, and CLICK HERE to sign up for the Fan Bus. Registration will close at 3:00 p.m. Friday, March 6.
Game Stats
· Mariah White led the Viking offense with 29 points on the game, while Jade Ely added 12 points and Mariah Miller posted 10.
· Mariah Miller led the team with 11 total rebounds, while JaMiya Braxton grabbed six boards and Jade Ely posted five rebounds.
· As a team, the Vikings finished with 10 steals on the game, including five from Mariah Miller.
· Aminata Ly recorded four blocked shots on the game, while Taylah Levy added one.
· The Vikings shot 77-percent from the free throw line, going 17-for-22 from the line, including a perfect 8-for-8 performance from Mariah White.
Game Notes
· Mariah Miller recorded her eighth double-double of the season, finishing with 10 points and 11 rebounds against the Raiders.
· With her 10 points, Mariah Miller moved into 20th place on the CSU Scoring List, finishing the game with 1,149 points.
· With her 29 points, Mariah White posted her sixth 20-point game of the season, and her second over the last three games.
· After grabbing one steal against the Raiders, Mariah White has now recorded at least one steal in all but two games this season, and moved into a tie for sixth place with 95 steals on the season.
· With the 10 steals against Wright State, the Vikings have now posted double-digit steals in 13 games.
· Thursday's win came over the defending #HLWBB tournament champions, while it also marked CSU's first win over the Raiders this season.
· Thursday's win over Wright State gave the Vikings 21 wins on the season, marking the third time in program history that the Vikings have posted 21 or more wins.
PDF BOX SCORE: Cleveland State 63, Wright State 52
The Game
After a back-and-forth first half, the Vikings went on a 7-0 run over the final 1:25, gaining their first lead of the game on a Jade Ely three-pointer as time expired to take a 25-24 advantage into the halftime break.
Despite a back-and-forth start to the third quarter, the Vikings were able to hold the advantage over the opening minutes, until a Raider layup at the 6:01 mark put the lead back in Wright State's favor. Cleveland State responded with a Mariah White three-pointer on their next trip down the floor, putting the momentum back into the Vikings' favor and giving CSU a 34-32 lead.
The Vikings were able to hold a slim lead over the next 4:32 then, until a Taylah Levy three-pointer as the shot clock was winding down put the Vikings up by five at 41-36 with just over one minute left in the frame.
Throughout the third quarter, the Vikings were able to play strong defense, grabbing 12 rebounds, two steals and recording three blocked shots.
After starting the final 10 minutes of action with a six-point lead at 42-36, the Vikings were able to extend their lead to double-digits at the 6:07 mark, as a White jumper gave the Vikings a 10-point lead at 50-40.
The Vikings then rattled off seven straight points – and forced the Raiders into a handful of turnovers – gaining a 17-point lead at the 57-40 mark off another White basket. The Vikings were then able to hold a double-digit lead until the 1:20 mark, when the Raiders were able to close the gap to nine points following a pair of free throws.
This would be as close as the Raiders would get though, as the Vikings controlled the final moments of the game, coming away with the 11-point victory and earning a spot in Monday's semifinals.
Up Next
Cleveland State will now take on top-seeded IUPUI in the Semifinals of the #HLWBB Tournament, with game time set for 12:00 p.m. on Monday, March 9.
