CHICAGO (Nov. 8, 2008) – Senior Jasmin Dixon (Detroit, MI/Martin Luther King) (Detroit, Mich.) tallied a game-high 23 points to lead four players in double figures as Chicago State women's basketball posted an 89-73 win over Odyssey this afternoon in its exhibition opener at the Emil and Patricia A. Jones Convocation Center.
The Cougars tallied an early 12-4 lead in the game's opening five minutes which concluded on a three-pointer from sophomore Courtney Waldon (Sun Prairie, WI/Sun Prairie) (Sun Prairie, Wis.). CSU later produced a 29-11 scoring drive over an 11-minute stretch, highlighted by seven points from Dixon, en route to claiming a 41-15 advantage with 4:28 left in the half. The visitors scored a 13-2 run during a three-plus minute period to slice its deficit to 43-28 at the 1:46 mark, but a three-point play by junior Nicole Clark (West Bloomfield, MI/West Bloomfield) (West Bloomfield, Mich.) at 1:25 and a layup from freshman Natalie Marlowe (South Milwaukee, WI/South Milwaukee) (South Milwaukee, Wis.) with 40 seconds left hiked the leading margin back to 48-28. Odyssey closed the half by scoring four of the last five points with the home team holding a 49-32 lead.
Courtney Waldon (Sun Prairie, WI/Sun Prairie) scored 13 points and drained four three-pointers as part of a 20-9 run in the first seven minutes of the second half as CSU jumped out to a 69-41 lead. Another three-point play from Clark at the 8:59 mark gave the Cougars their biggest lead of the game at 78-47. A jumper from Lashawn Johnson at 7:54 started a 14-7 scoring drive over a near three-minute span to close Odyssey's deficit to 82-61, but a three-pointer from junior Alyssa Waldon (Sun Prairie, WI/Sun Prairie) (Sun Prairie, Wis.) pushed the leading margin back to 85-61 with 3:41 left in the game. The visitors closed the game with a 15-4 run in the final minutes to provide the final margin.
In addition to Dixon, Courtney Waldon (Sun Prairie, WI/Sun Prairie) finished with 21 points in 25 minutes, while Clark recorded a double-double of a game-high 15 rebounds and 14 points. Marlowe tallied 11 points, eight rebounds and a game-high five assists for the Cougars.
Becky Tyo led Odyssey with 14 points and seven rebounds. Tiffany Hudson added 12 points and Stephanie Riechle contributed 10 points with seven boards.
Chicago State begins the 2008-09 season on Friday, Nov. 14 against Northwestern at the Jones Convocation Center with the tip-off set for 6 p.m.
~ CSU ~
