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 Junior LaShawna Thomas Scored the Game Winner as Time Expired Versus Cleveland State |
Jan. 28, 2010
DAYTON, Ohio – It was a thrilling ending at the Nutter Center for the Wright State women’s basketball team on Thursday evening versus Cleveland State. With less than four second remaining, LaShawna Thomas drove the lane and converted a layup in traffic as the horn sounded to give WSU a 60-58 victory over Cleveland State in the Horizon League contest.
The two teams were slow to start the game offensively, entering the first media timeout with CSU leading 4-2 with 15:33 to play in the opening frame. The Vikings eventually led 12-7 when Shalonda Winton made a layup with 9:20 to play, but Erica Richardson scored a bucket and Molly Fox added four points of her own to knot the game at 12-12.
After the two teams traded baskets to stay square at 14 apiece, WSU closed the half on a 10-5 run to take a 24-19 lead into the break. Thomas tipped a basket in as time expired in the first half, to extend WSU’s advantage to five points.
The Raiders stretched their lead to six points out of the locker room on a Richardson layup and led until Shawnita Garland made a layup with 14:43 to play, making it a 31-31 affair. Ta-myra Davis capped a 12-3 run for WSU with a bucket at the 10:44 mark, but the Vikings responded with 12-0 run of their own to retake the lead at 46-43 with just under seven minutes remaining.
Neither team led by more than three points over the final seven minutes, with the score being tied five times down the stretch. During that time, the lead changed hands only once, while the final tie came on a Roque three pointer from the right wing.
The Raiders brought the ball up the court and called a timeout with just under four seconds remaining and the inbounds pass was straight to Thomas. The junior guard took a hard dribble to the right and cut into the lane, throwing up a shot from eight feet that bounced home as the horn sounded. It was the second end-of-half basket for Thomas and each mattered in the 60-58 victory.
Thomas led four players in double-figures for Wright State with 15 points, while Davis, Fox and Kanisha Ward all chipped in 12. WSU out-rebounded the Vikings (44-25) and held a 34-24 edge in points in the paint, but made just three-of-19 shots from behind the arch.
Garland led all scorers with 18 points for the Vikings (10-9, 5-3 HL), while Kailey Kline had 13 points for CSU.
Wright State improves to 6-12 overall and 2-6 in Horizon League play and will continue their four-game home stand with a contest on Saturday, January 30 versus Youngstown State. The Raiders and Penguins will square off at 5:00 at the Nutter Center. The women’s contest will follow the men’s game at 2:00 versus Loyola and both games can be seen on the Horizon League Network.
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