Box Score EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. — Playing its first game in three weeks, the Chicago State women's basketball team fell, 62-36, to Southern Illinois-Edwardsville Monday in Edwardsville.
Nadia Thorman-McKey (Evanston, IL/Evanston Township), who led the team in scoring in Chicago State's first two games, dropped in the Cougars' first bucket in the first quarter.
In a matchup of Cougars vs. Cougars, the SIUE Cougars then unleashed a 9-0 run to take a 15-3 lead at the five-minute mark of the first. An
Ana Haklicka (Dubrovnik, Croatia/Touristic and Catering School ) jumper kiboshed the SIUE surge.
Chicago State then held SIUE without a bucket over the final three minutes but trailed, 18-8, after 10 minutes.
In the second quarter, the two teams combined to score just six points in a scrappy first five minutes. A three-ball from Madison Hackstadt then highlighted an SIUE run to cap off the first half with the homestanding Cougars on top, 30-11.
In her first game of the season, Iffy Okoye opened the second-half scoring for Chicago State with layups on three consecutive possessions. The Cougars also drained four free throws in the quarter but couldn't keep pace with SIUE's offensive attack.
Okoye's interior prowess continued in the fourth quarter, as the junior tallied two more baskets in the paint. Thorman-McKey also tacked on four late points, but its stout defense secured SIUE's 62-36 win.
Okoye, a transfer from Virginia Union University, powered the Cougars in her debut, scoring a team-high 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting, while grabbing eight rebounds. Thorman-McKey tallied nine points, snagged eight boards and registered three steals.
Junior
Christina Britter (Dunlap, IL/Dunlap ) corralled six rebounds (three offensive) after leading the Cougars on the offensive glass in the first two games. She also scored four points. Haklicka contributed six points in her third collegiate game.
Guard
Wynter Webb (Atlanta, GA/Mill Creek ) blocked two shots, pulled down two rebounds and dished out two assists to match her two points.
Despite the win, no SIUE Cougars scored in double-figures, but four players contributed eight or nine points, including Allie Troeckler, Madison Webb, Ajulu Thatha and Mikayla Kinnard.
Next up:
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Who? Western Illinois Leathernecks
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Where? Western Hall, Macomb, Illinois
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When? Wednesday, December 30, 2:00 p.m. CT
· Broadcast: Audio on WAC Digital Network
