CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State women's basketball team dropped its final regular season game of the 2021-22 campaign Saturday afternoon, falling to Green Bay, 66-64. Saturday's game marked Senior Day for the Vikings, as they honored the group of Elie Smith, Taylah Levy, Barbara Zieniewska, Amele Ngwafang, Isabella Geraci, Isabelle Gradwell, and Nadia Dumas following the contest.
Game Stats
· Three Vikings finished the game with double-digits, led by Destiny Leo with 27 points. Amele Ngwafang added 16 points and Nadia Dumas chipped in 13 points.
· Amele Ngwafang grabbed a team-best 17 rebounds, while Nadia Dumas recorded seven boards.
· As a team, the Vikings recorded 13 assists on the game, including three from Nadia Dumas and Isabella Geraci.
Game Notes
· Amele Ngwafang recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 16 points and a season-high 17 rebounds.
· Destiny Leo posted her 10th 20-point game of the year, while setting a career-high with seven three-pointers.
· After posting 13 points against the Phoenix, Nadia Dumas has now recorded double-digit points in 15 of the last 18 games.
The Game
After working their way back into the contest throughout the first half, the Vikings trailed by just three points to begin the third quarter at 29-26. The Vikings were able to close the gap to just one point on the opening possession then, as a Destiny Leo jumper put the score at 29-28 Green Bay.
The Phoenix responded with three straight three-pointers, extending their lead to 38-28, before a Leo three-pointer stopped the Green Bay run to put the score at 38-31 with 7:16 left on the clock.
The two teams then traded baskets over the final minutes of the frame, as Green Bay held a 49-38 advantage heading into the final 10 minutes of play.
Despite Green Bay extending its lead to 59-42 over the first few possessions of the fourth quarter, the Vikings slowly worked their way back into the contest, as back-to-back three-pointers from Destiny Leo and a third from Barbara Zieniewska closed the gap to just six points at 59-53 with 3:31 left to play. During this stretch, the Viking defense forced Green Bay into three turnovers, and grabbed two crucial defensive rebounds to close the gap.
A pair of Amele Ngwafang free throws then brought the Vikings within four points at 59-55, before Green Bay responded with two free throws of their own to put the score at 61-55 with just over one minute remaining.
On the ensuing possession, a Leo three-pointer put the score at 61-58, before another Green Bay free throw put the Phoenix back up by four points at 62-58.
Another Leo three-pointer – her seventh of the game – with just 33 seconds on the clock then put the score at 62-61 Green Bay. The Phoenix answered by going 4-for-4 from the free throw line over their next two possessions after Cleveland State was forced to foul, before a Deja Williams three-pointer put the score at 66-64 Green Bay with just nine seconds remaining.
Cleveland State then had a chance for a tying shot over the final seconds, as Green Bay missed a pair of free throws with just six seconds remaining, but the final Viking shot would come up just short, giving Green Bay the 64-66 victory.
Up Next
The Vikings will open up the Keeps Horizon League Championship with a quarterfinal matchup on Thursday, March 3.
