CLEVELAND — Willowick native Destiny Leo had a game-high 23 points and Cleveland State held off a late charge from Georgia State to earn a 57-53 win.
The matchup was the second of a basketball doubleheader at the Wolstein Center, with the men's team opening things up with a 77-63 victory over Chicago State. The women were playing for the first time in more than a week after a weekend road tilt with Niagara was postponed due to heavy snow in Western New York.
Brittni Moore added 16 points and eight rebounds for the Vikings (3-1), who shot just 33.9% from the field but 85.7% from the free-throw line. CSU never trailed in the contest, leading by as many as 14 in the first half.
The Panthers (2-4) only made 35% of their own field goals, but managed to cut the deficit to one with just 41 seconds left behind a 16-point effort from Deasia Merrill. However, Moore scored eight of her points in the fourth quarter (including three clutch free throws down the stretch) and Deja Williams forced a turnover that prevented GSU from getting a chance to tie it up.
As part of the "Viking Invitational," Cleveland State will welcome two more teams to campus this weekend, beginning with Bellarmine Friday afternoon.