Cougars Close Out 2019 Season at WACVegas

CHICAGO -- As the Chicago State Cougars were routed, 90-54, by New Mexico State in the opening round of the WAC postseason tournament, CSU's 2018-19 season came to a close under Head Coach Misty Opat's first year at the helm of the program.

In CSU's season finale, the Cougars were out shot 49.3-40.8 percent from the floor by the Aggies. New Mexico State put together a dominant defensive performance as it forced 33 turnovers from Chicago State during the 40-minute matchup.

Take a look from behind the lens at @chistate_wbb at the #WACvegas quarterfinal yesterday vs N.M. State!

??: Mark Nessia pic.twitter.com/fklI9fGlmV

— ChicagoStateCougars (@ChiStateCougars) March 15, 2019

Looking back on the year, the Cougars finished 2-28 overall and showed steady improvements from the 2017-18 season. CSU's season was highlighted by two wins against Grand Canyon and Seattle University during January and February, respectively. 

Against GCU, Chicago State hit an electric buzzer beater to win its first WAC game of the year and Opat's first victory as the leader of the Cougars. 

"I couldn't be prouder of our student-athletes and how they truly fought for this win," said Opat, back in January. "We have grown so much as a team since the beginning of the year and we must continue to trust the process."

The Cougars defense shined and made play difficult for the Lopes for the first and second quarter, as GCU shot just 7-28 from the floor. Junior forward Ines Mata Boix (Madrid, Spain) recorded 13 of CSU's 20 first-half rebounds, as the Cougars took the games largest lead, 24-17 into the half.
 
The Lopes put the pressure on to begin the second half as GCU went on a 15-9 run to pull to within one of CSU. After a timeout, Chicago State countered with a 7-3 run to end the 3rd quarter with a 40-35 lead.
 
Grand Canyon had tied the game on three separate occasions in the fourth quarter their third came at the 1:45 mark when Kavita Akuk converted a jumper from the left side to tie the game at 48.
 
Both teams would turn the ball over in the games last three possessions. On the final play, Freshman guard Kourtney Crane (Peoria, Ill./ Richwoods) would find junior forward Alexandria Cliff (Mantiwoc, Wis./ Roncalli) open in the right corner and with two seconds left to drain the game-winning shot to give Chicago State their first WAC win of the year.

In February, CSU shot nearly 10 percent higher than their season average to defeat Seattle U in front of their home crowd, inside the Jones Convocation Center. 

With five minutes to go in the first half of play, the two WAC foes were tied at 26 points apiece. However, Mata Boix and Tamara Olverson (Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods) went back-to-back for made baskets, followed by an and-one free throw from Olverson to give the Cougars a steady five-point advantage. 

Opening up the second half, CSU had a solid 36-30 lead over the Lopes. 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.

As the 2018-19 campaign has officially come to a close, Bowers finishes her sophomore season as the team's leading scorer, averaging 12.3 points per game. Mata Boix's junior year had a solid finish as well, as the Spain native averaged just shy of a double-double on the season. With 10.7 rebounds per game and 9.1 points per game, Mata Boix led the Cougars in rebounding and was second on the team in scoring.

CSU women's basketball will return to the floor in the fall of 2019. For complete coverage and information of the Cougars, be sure to visit gocsucougars.com/wbball.