The Cleveland State women were able to extend their winning streak to six games on Saturday afternoon, putting up a dominant score of 84-50 on the Lady Chargers of Columbia State. The men also won.
Two other streaks remained in tact in the women's win. Britnay Gore, who led all scorers with 26 points, grabbed a team-high 10 boards to secure her fifth-straight double-double. Asjah Harrell scored 20 or more points in her fourth-straight contest with 21 on the evening while also posting a game-high seven assists.
All five starters were able to reach double figures in scoring. Cassidy Nihoff scored 12 paired with four assists, four rebounds, and three steals. Both Charisma Barner and Kyeshia Dalton also chipped in 10 points.
The Lady Cougars dominated in multiple areas in the game, but looked particularly strong in the paint and their ability to score off of Columbia State turnovers. Cleveland State outscored the Lady Chargers 46-28 and 33-10 in those respective categories.
The win moves the Lady Cougars to 10-5 overall and 6-1 in conference play. They will continue their home stand on Wednesday as they welcome TCCAA foe Chattanooga State at 5:30 ET.
It was a wild game for men’s basketball, but Cleveland State was were able to escape with a 85-80 win in overtime over Columbia State on Saturday evening.
The Cougars started the game on an 11-0 run and 33-26 at the half, but the Chargers came storming back and led by as many as 13 with just less than four minutes to go in the contest. Jakobey Hitchens, who had 18 total points along with six rebounds, three steals, and an assist, scored nine points in the second frame to help the Cougars start the comeback. Kerry Pratt, who led all scorers with 23 points, had a massive play, scoring the game-tying three-point attempt with 13 seconds left in regulation.
Overtime was another example of the Cougars’ resiliency and ability to battle back. They trailed 78-74 in extra time, but Pratt again came through for Cleveland State, drawing a foul on a three-point attempt and making two of the free throws to bring the Cougars within two points. He also again made the go-ahead layup with 21 seconds to go, while he and Hitchens sealed the deal scoring five combined points to close out the game.
Demonte Person was also a key contributor in the game, scoring 11 points and recording six assists, two rebounds, and a steal. Jager Dickson also scored nine off of the bench for Cleveland State while also grabbing three boards.
The Cougars, who now sit at 6-9 on the season and 3-4 in conference play, will be back in action at home on Wednesday when they host conference rival Chattanooga State. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 ET.