CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State women's basketball team opened play at the Puerto Rico Clasico Friday, battling for a 67-61 victory over College of Charleston. With the win, the Vikings are now 11-2 on the year.
Game Stats
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Izabella Zingaro paced the Vikings with 16 points, while
Macey Fegan added 15 and
Jada Leonard tallied 13.
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Izabella Zingaro and
Ayisse Magassa both grabbed a team-best eight rebounds.
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Jada Leonard recorded four assists on the game, while
Colbi Maples added three.
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Jada Leonard and
Paula Pique both notched two steals each.
Game Notes
-With Friday's win, the Vikings are now 3-0 when playing in Puerto Rico over the last two seasons.
-The 10 assists marks the 11
th time this season that the Vikings have recorded double-digit assists.
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Macey Fegan was perfect from the field on the day, going 4-for-4 from the floor – including 1-for-1 from three-point – and 6-for-6 from the free throw line.
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Izabella Zingaro knocked down her first three-pointer of the season.
The Game
After taking a 34-30 lead into the halftime break, the Vikings were able to withstand a 7-0 run from Charleston over the opening minutes of the third quarter, regaining the advantage following a
Macey Fegan layup and a pair of
Jada Leonard free throws that put the score at 38-37 CSU midway through the frame.
The two teams then traded baskets over the next few minutes, until an
Izabella Zingaro and-one knotted the score at 45-45 with less than a minute left, while a 2-for-2 effort from Fegan put the Vikings back on top 47-45 heading into the final 10 minutes of play.
Fegan carried her momentum into the fourth quarter then, as a three-pointer just 31 seconds into the frame put CSU up 50-45.
Despite Charleston regaining the lead with a 13-4 run over the next 4:20, the Vikings responded with five straight points from Leonard – including an and-one play – to put the score at 59-58 Vikings with 3:01 left on the clock.
Although Charleston was able to knot the score once again on their ensuing possession, a Zingaro jumper gave the Vikings a lead that they would go on to hold for the rest of the contest.
With less than one minute left on the clock, Zingaro then knocked down a three-pointer – her first of the season – putting the Vikings up 66-61 before a Leonard free throw put the final score at 67-61.
Up Next
Cleveland State will close out non-league play against Puerto Rico-Bayamon on Sunday, December 21.
