(Mount Pleasant, Mich.) – In what was its first game in 10 days, the Delaware State women's basketball team (1-8) came up short Tuesday afternoon on the road with the Central Michigan Chippewas (4-3) pulling out a 91-63 win, behind CMU outscoring the Lady Hornets 58-27 in the second half.
With this loss, the Lady Hornets dropped their fifth in a row, whereas the Chippewas snapped a two-game skid.
In the first half, DSU led by as many as 10 on two separate occasions in the early going, headlined by two Raine Bankston 3-pointers and forward Tierra Hawkins pouring in six points. However, CMU got back in the game by way of a 13-2 run, capped off by a Amani Corley fast break layup to give her squad a 22-20 lead at the 5:24 mark.
Nevertheless, the Hornets would take a 36-33 lead into the locker room, making it only the second time this season they have led at the break. Shooting 50 percent (16-of-32) as a team, Hawkins led all scorers with 12 points (5-of-6), while fellow frontcourt mate Amber Bogard had 10 points (5-of-8).
To begin the second half, CMU ripped off 12 unanswered points, ending with guard Jessica Green hitting a free throw to complete a 3-point play with 16:22 left in regulation. As the stanza progressed, the Chippewas took a 60-44 lead, their largest advantage at that point, after a Jas'Mine Bracey fast break layup at the 13:05 mark.
The Lady Hornets, on the other hand, battled back to make it a 62-55 ball game after a Jade Washington deuce with just under 10 minutes to play. Unfazed, the Chippewas outscored Delaware State 29-8 down the stretch to move a game above .500.
At game's end, CMU's Crystal Bradford (9-of-18) finished with a game-high 22 points (9-of-18) and 10 rebounds, in addition to five assists, whereas Bracey also finished with 22 points (9-of-12).
For DSU, Hawkins' 20 points (9-of-14) led the way for four Lady Hornet's scoring double figures.
Coming up, the Columbia Blue & Red will continue their back-to-back road slate in Michigan against Detroit Thursday evening (7 p.m.).
Stingers
The Lady Hornets committed a season-high 22 turnovers... Tierra Hawkins' team-high eight rebounds moved her into sixth (655) on DSU's all-time list for most boards... Jade Washington poured in a season-high 10 points (4-of-6)... DSU was outrebound, 39-33... Raven Bankston, who finished with 11 points (3-of-13), did not start for the first time this season... Nikkei Blackburn, who totaled 12 points (6-of-10) and 14 rebounds in DSU's loss at Virginia, sat out due to an ankle injury.
