Feb. 19, 2009
Final Stats
Contact: Greg Murphy
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Shawnita Garland had 13 points, six rebounds and four steals and Cleveland State won for the fifth time in the last six games, defeating Wright State, 51-43, on Thursday night in the Wolstein Center.
It was also CSU's eighth win over its past 10 contests and improved the Vikings to 9-2 at home this season, tying them for the second most home wins in a season. CSU still has at least three home games left to attempt to break the record of 11 wins at home.
WSU's 43 points represented the fifth time this season that the Vikings have held an opponent under 50 points and the third time in the last four games.
"As the season wears on, there are very few plays and sets that we haven't already seen," head coach Kate Peterson Abaid said. "I think we are recalling what we have worked on previously and the players have learned and retained the information. We are getting better defensively each and and making fewer and fewer mistakes."
CSU improved to 15-10 overall and strengthened its hold on third place in the Horizon League at 9-4, just two games behind second place Butler (11-2).
Combined with 19 wins last season, the Vikings have now won 37 games over the last two seasons, tied with the best two-year stretch in school-history. It is tied with the 1981-82 (14 wins) and 1982-83 season (23 wins) with the record being 42 wins from 1982-84.
Wright State slipped to 10-15 overall and 6-8 in the league.
"THey hurt us with their ball screen option last time and this time, I thought we needed to pressure it harder and we did," Peterson Abiad said. "We wanted to get them as far away from the basket as we could and disrupt their quick passes.
"I am really pleased with where we are at as a team right now. I think we continue to grow and mature and I feel better about my substitutions, especially on the interior."
Kailey Klein added 11 points and five assists, while Stephaine Crosley had six points, nine rebounds and a career-high tying four assists. Jessica Roque scored seven points, including a 2-for-2 effort at the free throw line to extend her streak of consecutive free throws made to 22.
CSU never trailed in the game and held a slim 13-10 lead midway through the first half. However, Stephaine Crosley and Klein hit back-to-back layups, Garland nailed a three-pointer and Destinee Blue hit a short jumper to conclude a 9-0 spurt that gave the Vikings a 22-10 lead with 3:06 to play.
Maria Bennett hit a three-pointer to stop the run, but consecutive baskets from Klein and Crosley extended CSU's lead to 13 points (26-13), its largest of the first half with 1:31 left.
CSU led 28-15 at the intermission, scoring 22 of its points in the paint and recording an assist on 10 of the 13 baskets. The Vikings shot 13-of-25 (.520) from the field in the opening stanza, holding the Raiders to a 6-for-25 (.240) effort.
WSU's 15 points came just five days after the Vikings held Youngstown State to only 10 first half points on Saturday (Feb. 14).
Dominique Butler opened the second half scoring with a pair of free throws to push CSU's lead to 15 points, the largest lead of the game. A 7-1 WSU run brought the Raiders back to within eight (30-22) with 16:09 to play, but once again, the Vikings had an answer, scoring the next six points to regain a 14-point lead on a Janelle Adams jumper with 12:56 to play.
The Raiders would not get the lead under seven points the rest of the way.
CSU outrebounded the Raiders, 35-26, and shot .457 (21-46) from the field. The Raiders hit just 17-of-51 (.333) from the floor
LaShawna Thomas paced the Raiders with 14 points as she was the only WSU player to reach double figures.
The Vikings will be back in action on Saturday, Feb. 21, when CSU hosts Detroit at 3:00 p.m. in the Wolstein Center. It will be another Family Value Saturday with dollar dogs at the concession stands and a Free KidZone.
In addition, all youths in eighth grade and under will be admitted free into the game if they are wearing their basketball jersey.
