CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State women's basketball team closed out play at the CSU Invitational with a win Saturday, pulling out a 62-59 overtime win against Radford. With the win, the Vikings finished the weekend 3-0, and improved to 7-1 on the year.
Game Stats
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Izabella Zingaro finished with a team-best 21 points, while
Colbi Maples added 14 and
Jada Leonard added 13.
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Sarah Hurley grabbed a team-high nine rebounds, while
Izabella Zingaro,
Macey Fegan and
Madison Royal-Davis all grabbed six boards.
-Cleveland State combined for seven steals, including two each from
Jada Leonard,
Colbi Maples and
Madison Royal-Davis.
Game Notes
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Izabella Zingaro tallied her first 20-point game of the season after finishing with 21 points against the Highlanders.
-The Vikings are now 9-0 when hosting a CSU Invitational.
-This marked Cleveland State's first overtime game of the season.
-With Saturday's win, the Vikings remained perfect at home this season, improving to 6-0.
The Game
After holding a slim two-point lead at the halftime break, 20-18, the Vikings got on the board first during the third quarter, as an
Izabella Zingaro layup put the Vikings up by four, before the two teams would trade baskets over the next few possessions. During this stretch, Radford was able to regain the lead, with a
Jada Leonard three-pointer at the 6:29 mark putting the Vikings back on top 27-25.
Radford responded once again with a 10-2 run, before a
Sarah Hurley three-pointer and a
Colbi Maples jumper closed the gap to just one point for the Vikings at 35-34. The two teams then once again traded baskets to close out the frame, with Radford holding a 37-35 lead after the third quarter.
Although Cleveland State was able to get on the board first during the fourth quarter with a
Madison Royal-Davis layup to knot the score at 37-37, Radford was able to regain a lead a few plays later.
The two teams then once again traded baskets throughout the middle of the frame, until back-to-back baskets from Maples put Cleveland State up by two points at 50-48 with just 1:38 left on the clock.
Radford answered with a converted and-one play to put the lead back in its favor, while a Highlander free throw with just 29 seconds left on the clock extended the lead to 52-50. Following a missed second free throw, a Zingaro defensive rebound gave possession of the ball to the Vikings, which allowed for a called timeout.
Out of the timeout, the Vikings were able to tie the score once again with just 20 seconds on the clock, as a Maples jumper put the score at 52-52. Radford was then unable to convert its go-ahead jumper in the final seconds, forcing the first overtime game of the season for the Vikings.
Despite a back-and-forth start to the overtime period, the Vikings were able to go on a 6-0 run midway through, with a Zingaro layup giving the Vikings a five-point lead at 61-56 with just over one minute left to play.
Although Radford was able to stop the CSU scoring run, a
Jada Leonard free throw and a strong defensive stop on the final Highlander possession put the game away and capped off the 62-59 victory.
Up Next
Cleveland State will begin the Horizon League portion of its schedule next week, traveling to Detroit Mercy and Oakland.
