CHICAGO — The Chicago State women's basketball team (4-19, 3-11 WAC) fell to Tarleton, 65-51, Saturday at Wisdom Gym.
Nafa Haidara led all scorers with a season-high 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Aaliyah Collins scored 14 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and dished out five assists. Allysah Boothe added 12 points, nailing three treys.
The Cougars leapt out to the lead with a forceful first quarter. Behind Collins and Haidara, they launched into an 10-2 run over the first five minutes, stymying Tarleton defensively. The Texans muscled through a few buckets, but CSU continued to dominate the quarter, with Christina Britter and Janiah Newell both scoring before the end of a 16-6 first frame.
In quarter two, the Texans mounted a comeback. Marissa Escamilla converted an and-one, with Seynabou Thiam and Jenna Dick both hitting shots to narrow the margin to 20-16 at the 6:29 mark.
The Texans then took the lead three minutes later on a Lucy Benson layup before the Cougars re-took it on a Boothe and-one.
At the half, Chicago State led, 25-22.
The Cougars opened the third quarter on a 6-2 roll, keyed by Collins and Haidrara owning the paint. But then, Tarleton keyed a 10-0 run to take a 34-31 advantage. Haidara hit a few free throws, but the Texans onslaught continued, as Tarleton led 38-35 through three.
The fourth quarter was then all Tarleton. After CSU trailed by four, 41-37, with 7:56 left, the Texans mounted another 10-0 run to lead, 51-37, with 3:35 left. Tarleton hung on to win by 14 points, a final of 65-51.
The Cougars next travel to Phoenix, where they'll battle Grand Canyon at 8:00 p.m. on Thursday night before facing New Mexico State Saturday in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
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. In 1991, the Chicago State women's tennis team became the first all-black college team to amass an unbeaten season at the NCAA level. 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, also making 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. Chicago State volleyball recorded a historic season in 2021, with Yanlis Feliz becoming CSU's first volleyball All-American and head coach Tony Trifonov earning selection as WAC Coach of the Year.
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