WILBERFORCE, Ohio — Behind timely shooting, relentless rebounding, and a charged home crowd of 988 at Beacom/Lewis Gym, Central State Marauders women's basketball held off Kentucky State Thorobreds women's basketball for a hard-fought 65–62 victory on Saturday afternoon.
The game featured seven ties and five lead changes, living up to the intensity of the rivalry. Central State set the tone early, closing the first quarter on a run to take a 15–12 lead, then matched Kentucky State point-for-point in a physical second quarter to head into halftime tied at 38.
Central State made its move in the third, leaning on energy plays and perimeter shooting to build momentum. Sophomore Calyanna Cage delivered a game-high 20 points, knocking down five three-pointers to stretch the defense and spark the Marauders. Kennedy Walker controlled the paint with 12 points and a game-best 13 rebounds, anchoring a strong rebounding effort that helped Central State finish with a 45–36 edge on the glass.
Kentucky State continued to apply pressure late, cutting the margin to one possession in the final minutes, but the Marauders stayed composed defensively and forced tough shots down the stretch. Central State finished the afternoon shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc (7-for-14), a decisive factor in the tight contest.
With the win, Central State improves to 4–13 overall and 3–11 in SIAC play, while Kentucky State falls to 3–12 (3–9 SIAC). The Marauders will look to continue to build on the momentum as conference play continues.
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ABOUT THE SOUTHERN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (SIAC)
The SIAC is a NCAA athletic conference consisting primarily of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with headquarters in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The SIAC includes 15 member institutions (Albany State University, Allen University, Benedict College, Central State University, Clark Atlanta University, Edward Waters University, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Lane College, LeMoyne-Owen College, Miles College, Morehouse College, Savannah State University, Spring Hill College, and Tuskegee University), which are located within a contiguous seven-state footprint (Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Ohio). The SIAC sponsors nine men's and seven women's sports and is a proud member of the NCAA Division II. For more information, visit www.thesiac.com.