Jan. 13, 2011

Final Stats

Contact: Greg Murphy

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Shalonda Winton recorded her team-leading seventh double-double with a career-high tying 19 points and 12 rebounds and Janelle Adams added 17 points, but Butler used a late 10-0 run midway through the second half and then held off a furious Cleveland State late rally for a 73-65 victory on Thursday night in Hinkle Fieldhouse.

The loss drops CSU to 9-7 overall and 2-3 in the league, while Butler improved to 10-6 overall and stayed perfect in the Horizon League (4-0).

It was the first meeting between the two schools since CSU defeated Butler in last year's Horizon League Championship game in Green Bay to earn the Vikings second bid to the NCAA tournament in the last three years.

Winton, who scored 17 of her points in the second half, added three assists, hitting 7-of-14 from the field and 4-of-5 at the free throw line.

Shawnita Garland chipped in 10 points and four steals for the Vikings.

The Vikings found themselves down 48-40 with 12:39 to play, but a Garland three pointer started a 10-2 CSU run that allowed the Vikings to tie the game at 50-50 with 9:37 left on a Garland jumper. She had seven of the points in the stretch.

However, Butler came back with 10 straight points to answer CSU's run and regain a 60-50 lead with 6:08 left.

The Vikings had one more push, cutting the lead to three points (66-63) on a Winton three pointer and again to three points (68-65) on a Winton layup with 53 seconds left, but the Bulldogs knocked down five of six free throws in the final minute to ice the win.

The Bulldogs raced out to a quick 5-0 lead before a Blue layup put the Vikings on the board at the 18:25 mark. Blue's basket sparked a 9-2 run by the Vikings that was capped by a Takima Keane three pointer with 15:21 to play that gave CSU its first lead of game (9-7).

Butler responded with a 9-2 run of its own to assume a 16-11 lead with 11:47 to play on a Jenna Cobb three pointer. But once again, CSU put together a run of its own to regain the lead, this time outscoring the Bulldogs, 9-2 over a four plus minute stretch to give the Vikings a 20-18 lead with 7:26 left.

However, the theme of the first half was runs and Butler answered back with an 11-2 spurt of its own to take a 29-22 lead with 2:34 left and eventually took a four point lead into the locker room (33-29).

Back-to-back baskets by Adams and Winton to open the second half evened the contest at 33-33 less than a minute into the second half. However, Butler answered with seven straight points, capped by an Alyssa Pittman three pointer from the corner to regain a seven point advantage (40-33) with 15:28 to play.

Chloe Hamilton led Butler with a double double of 17 points and 12 rebounds and Jenna Cobb added 11 points and Azjah Bass 10, both coming off the bench.

Butler outrebounded CSU, 33-29 and forced the Vikings into 21 turnovers that Butler converted into 27 points.

The Vikings conclude their two game trip through Indiana with a 1:35 p.m. CST (2:35 p.m. in Cleveland) game at Valparaiso on Saturday (Jan. 15).