CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State women's basketball team picked up its 10th victory of the 2021-22 campaign Sunday, earning a 66-57 victory at Milwaukee. Sunday's win marked the first game for the Vikings since January 1, and improved them to 10-3 overall this season and 5-2 in Horizon League play.
Game Stats
· Four Vikings finished the game with double-figure points, led by Gabriella Smith with 15. Destiny Leo added 12 points, while Brittni Moore chipped in 11 and Nadia Dumas added 10 points
· Brittni Moore grabbed a team-high nine rebounds, while Destiny Leo recorded eight boards.
· The Viking defense recorded nine steals on the game, including three from Nadia Dumas and two from Gabriella Smith.
· As a team, Cleveland State recorded five blocked shots, including three from Amele Ngwafang.
Game Notes
· Amele Ngwafang has now recorded multiple blocked shots in six games this season.
· After finishing with 10 points against the Panthers, Nadia Dumas has tallied double-digit points in five straight games.
· With the 66-57 victory, Cleveland State picked up its first win against the Panthers when playing in Milwaukee for the first time since the 2011-12 season.
· Sunday's game marked the first contest for the Vikings in over two weeks and snapped a three-game losing skid for the Vikings.
The Game
After getting out to a slow start during the first quarter, the Vikings responded with a 14-4 run over the first part of the second frame, tying the contest at 24-24 on a Gabriella Smith three-pointer with 6:00 left in the quarter.
The Panthers were able to once again extend their lead over the final part of the second quarter then, as they held Cleveland State to just six free throws over the final few minutes, heading into the halftime break with the score at 35-30 Milwaukee.
The Vikings got on the board first during the third quarter then, as another Smith three-pointer closed the gap to 35-33 less than a minute into the frame, before a pair of Destiny Leo free throws – her first points of the game – tied the contest once again at 35-35.
The two teams then traded baskets over the next few minutes, until a 9-0 run from the Vikings gave CSU its largest lead of the game at 52-44 following a Leo three-pointer and a Smith layup with just under two minutes left in the third quarter.
Milwaukee was able to convert a pair of free throws over the final minutes of the frame, while an Amele Ngwafang free throw with 51 seconds left on the clock put the score at 53-46 after three quarters of action.
The Vikings were able to carry this momentum into the fourth quarter then, as a Nadia Dumas jumper and back-to-back three-pointers from Leo and Smith gave Cleveland State a 14-point lead at 64-50, forcing Milwaukee to take a timeout with just over six minutes left on the clock.
Although the Panthers were able to trim the CSU lead to single digits over the next few possessions, a Leo jumper at the 2:19 mark regained a double-digit lead for the Vikings at 66-55.
The Vikings were then able to hold on to their sizeable advantage for the final minutes of the contest, coming away with the 66-57 victory.
Up Next
Cleveland State will split its time at home and on the road next weekend, hosting Purdue Fort Wayne on Thursday, January 20, before traveling to Fort Wayne, Ind. to face the Mastodons again on Saturday, January 22.
