FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Cleveland State women's basketball team closed out the weekend series against Purdue Fort Wayne Saturday, picking up an 80-58 victory over the Mastodons. With the win, the Vikings now stand at 12-3 overall this season and 7-2 in Horizon League play.
Game Stats
• Four Vikings finished the game with double-figures, led by Destiny Leo with 21 points. Gabriella Smith recorded 14 points, while Isabelle Gradwell and Nadia Dumas both chipped in 11.
• Nadia Dumas and Amele Ngwafang both grabbed a team-high nine rebounds on the game.
• Cleveland State shot 60-percent from the field, including a .786 clip during the fourth quarter.
• As a team, the Vikings grabbed 13 steals, including six from Gabriella Smith.
• Cleveland State held a 52-20 advantage in points in the paint and a 20-4 edge in fast break points.
• The CSU defense forced Purdue Fort Wayne into 20 turnovers, turning these miscues into 23 points.
Game Notes
• With her 21 points against the Mastodons, Destiny Leo has now tallied seven 20-point games this season.
• Nadia Dumas extended her streak of double-digit scoring games to seven after finishing with 11 points on the day.
• Gabriella Smith recorded a season-high with her six steals.
• The .604 clip from the field marked the best shooting percentage for the Vikings this season.
• With the win on Saturday, the Vikings secured the season sweep over Purdue Fort Wayne.
The Game
After taking a 10-point lead into the halftime break at the 32-22 mark, the Vikings were able to hold a sizeable lead throughout the third and fourth quarters, coming away with the 80-58 victory over Purdue Fort Wayne.
Early on in the third quarter the Vikings were able to extend their lead to 37-24 following a Gabriella Smith layup and Barbara Zieniewska three-pointer, before a Destiny Leo layup put CSU up 39-27 with just over eight minutes left in the frame.
The two teams then traded baskets throughout the rest of the quarter, before Cleveland State closed out the frame with a Leo jumper and Smith three-pointer to put the score at 51-40 heading into the final 10 minutes of action.
After a back-and-forth start to the fourth quarter, Cleveland State was finally able to extend its lead midway through the frame, as a 7-0 run – including five points from Zieniewska – gave the Vikings a 17-point advantage at 68-51 with 5:09 left on the clock.
The Mastodons were able to stop the CSU scoring run with a run of their own, but the Vikings responded with another stretch of nine straight points, extending their lead to 80-56 on a Raevyn Harris layup, before the Mastodons were able to convert a pair of free throws over the final seconds, putting the final score at 80-58.
Up Next
Cleveland State will close out the month with a pair of road games next weekend, traveling to UIC on Thursday, January 27 and IUPUI on Saturday, January 29.
