CHICAGO -- Shooting nearly 10 percent better than their season average, the Chicago State Cougars charged past Seattle University to tab their second victory of the season, in front of their home crowd at the Jones Convocation Center on Saturday
The Redhawks jumped on the scoreboard first with a swift jumper just 10 seconds into the game, but CSU's
Ines Mata Boix (Madrid, Spain/) took off with a hot hand that gave the Cougars a 10-6 lead, midway through the first quarter. The remainder of the frame would be a neck-and-neck battle, with Seattle holding a one-point advantage heading into the second quarter, up just 17-16.
The second quarter of last night's contest proved to be the game changer for CSU down the stretch, as Chicago State out scored its opponent 20-13 throughout the period. While down one to start the frame,
Tamara Olverson (Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods) drove through the paint off a
Kourtney Crane (Peoria, Ill./Richwoods) assist to regain control of the game.
Tied at 26 apiece and with five to go in the half, Mata Boix and Olverson went back-to-back with made baskets, followed by an and-one free throw from Olverson, and the Cougars were looking at a steady five-point advantage. Several offensive miscues from the Redhawks led to key scoring opportunities for Chicago State, who continued to build upon its lead and head into the halftime break up 36-30.
Redhawk Courtney Murphy came out of the second half ready to work, hitting a dagger three-pointer to threaten Chicago State's lead.
From there, Mata Boix, Olverson, and
Tyeshia Bowers (Flint, Mich./Southwestern) combined for seven good baskets from the charity stripe that proved to be clutch, come the end of the quarter. With three minutes left in the frame,
Destinee Pointer (Waxahatchie, Texas/Waxahatchie) got involved on the offensive side and swished the ball from beyond the arc, ultimately solidifying the Cougars' continued six-point lead over Seattle U.
With two minutes to go in the game however, Seattle's Murphy kicked in another three, followed by a jumper in the paint, and gave her squad the 61-59 lead. The Cougars remained resilient though, as Olverson drove straight past a Redhawk defender and finger-rolled the layup in to tie the game back up.
With 39 seconds left on the clock, CSU forced Seattle into a turnover and looked to have the opportunity to net a game-winner. Crane proved to be the hero the Cougars needed, as she was fouled on her way up to the basket and drained the only free throw needed to dodge a Seattle comeback. Mata Boix followed Crane, making two free-throws of her own and securing the 64-61 victory.
Four different Cougars finished in double figures, with Mata Boix leading the way with a game-high 17 points. Olverson was just behind her teammate, as the sophomore tallied 16 points and eight rebounds.
CSU returns to the floor on the road this Thursday night at UT Rio Grande Valley in Edinburg, Texas. Tip off is set for 7 p.m.
