CHICAGO — In its 2021-22 Western Athletic Conference opener Thursday evening, the Chicago State women's basketball team (1-9, 0-1 WAC) fell to Grand Canyon, 66-49.
"It's been a tough week for us," head coach Tiffany Sardin said. "We have to be ready to play start-to-finish. Everyone needs to step up, be present and be ready. It's uncertain times."
The showdown was CSU's first action since Dec. 4 against St. Thomas, which rounded out a non-conference schedule that included the program's first Big Ten win since 2008, edging Wisconsin in Madison on Nov. 22.
In the first quarter, the Cougars started strong, powered by Kyjai Miles. She scored four points, blocked two shots and grabbed two rebounds as the quarter ended with the Cougars up by three at 16-13.
After a pair of GCU free throws to start quarter two, the Cougars bounced back with a layup by Ana Haklicka, yet the Antelopes came right back to tie it at 18-18 on a Ny'Dajah Jackson three.
Much like in the first quarter, the back-to-back scoring between the Cougars and the Antelopes led to a tied game at halftime at 33-33. A messy first half saw Aaliyah Collins leading CSU with nine points, as the Cougars and Antelopes combined to shoot 23-for-26 from the free throw line.
In the third quarter, the Antelopes once again opened up the scoring, this time with a 4-0 run. Nonetheless, Collins answered right back with a trey to gain the lead at 37-36.
The Cougars then went on a 5-2 spurt, which gave them a two-point lead of 41-39, powered by eight third-quarter points from Collins. However, the Antelopes quickly and decisively bounced back as they finished the quarter on 12-1 run behind Chicago native Amara Graham, which had the Cougars now trailing by nine at 51-42.
In the fourth quarter, the Cougars opened up the scoring with a beautiful jumper by Collins, yet much like in previous quarters, the Antelopes' defensive attack held firm. GCU forced 22 turnovers on the evening.
From there, the Antelopes executed a 13-3 run to finish the game as only Janiah Newell and Allysah Boothe managed to pour in buckets. GCU cruised to victory with a final score of 66-49.
Collins, who fouled out at the 7:40 mark on the fourth quarter, led the Cougars with 19 points, while GCU's Graham led all scorers with a season-high 25 points on six made threes.
"We're grateful for the opportunity to play," Sardin said. "Everyone has to be prepared."
The loss drops the Cougars to a 1-9 record on the season.
About Chicago State
Chicago State University Athletics is comprised of 15 intercollegiate teams involving over 150 student-athletes that compete in basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and volleyball. CSU held memberships in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and NCAA Division II before transitioning to NCAA Division I in 1994. Melvin Bland was the first CSU student-athlete to gain NAIA All-American status in 1974 as a wrestler. Fred Evans became the first black swimmer ever to win a national championship in 1975. CSU's women's basketball team earned a spot in the 2011 Women's Basketball Invitational and CSU's men's basketball team won the 2013 Great West Conference Tournament title and made an appearance in the CollegeInside.com Postseason Tournament (CIT). The Men's Outdoor Track & Field 4x100-Meter Relay team were 2019 Honorable Mention All-Americans and WAC Champions. Their feat marked the first time the Chicago State's men's track & field program was represented at the national meet.
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