Cleveland State took on Purdue University’s Fort Wayne Mastodons over the weekend at the Wolstein Center, defeating the visitors 68-45 in their first meeting and 71-61 in the game that followed.

After the pair of wins, CSU Head Coach Chris Keilsmeier explained his strategy.

“We want to play as fast and efficiently as we can on the offensive end,” Keilsmeier said. “Defensively we want a slow, methodical, grind-it-out type of defense where you can’t get any shots until late on the shot clock – and this is what we were trying to work on this weekend."

Game 1 - Feb. 12

CSU kept up a rapid pace in the first game, finishing the half with a 27-21 advantage. The Vikings were able to quickly extend their lead to double-digits in the opening minutes of the third quarter, as back-to-back baskets from Mariah White put the home team up by 11 at 34-23.

CSU then extended its scoring drive to 13 straight points over the next few possessions, jumping out to a 40-23 lead off a Nadia Dumas layup with under five minutes left on the clock. The Vikings would not yield for the remainder of the quarter, closing it out with a 21-point lead at 50-29.

The Vikings maintained a lead of some 20 points for most of the fourth quarter, taking home a 68-45 victory and extending their current win streak to five straight games. 

White was Cleveland State's top scorer with 20 points, while Barbara Zieniewska recorded her first double-digit rebounding game of the year with 10 boards.

Game 2 - Feb. 13

The second game was a close fought encounter with the Vikings starting the second half four points down at 43-39. The home team went on an aggressive 7-0 run early in the third quarter, gaining a three-point advantage at 46-43 following a Taylah Levy layup.

Although the Mastodons responded and regained the advantage minutes later, CSU was able to tie things up at 48-48 following a successful pair of free throws from White.

The final minutes of the quarter saw the Vikings grab a decisive advantage off back-to-back three-pointers from Destiny Leo who put CSU up 56-48 heading into the final 10 minutes.

The Vikings controlled play throughout the fourth quarter, closing the game with four straight points to earn a 71-61 victory. 

White chalked up her sixth 20-point game of the season and moved into 18^th place on the CSU scoring list with 1,170 career points.