Box Score 

CHICAGO – Chicago State made nearly 60 percent of its shots from the floor en route to a 69-51 women's basketball Great West Conference win over NJIT Saturday afternoon at the Jones Convocation Center.

The Cougars, 12-18 overall, 7-5 in the conference, shot 27-for-46 from the field, including 8-for-16 on three-point shots.  NJIT falls to 11-16 overall, 6-5 in the conference with one regular season game remaining on the schedule at South Dakota on Sunday.

Forward Courtney Waldon scored a game-high 24 points on 8-for-13 shooting from the floor and made seven of her 10 three-point shots.  Tressa Beckel, a junior, was one rebound shy a double-double putting together a 20-point performance shooting 10-of-16 from the floor and grabbing a game-high nine rebounds for the Cougars.

NJIT got a team-best 19 points from junior forward Jessica Gerald.  Point guard Melanie Griffin added nine points for the Highlanders.

Both teams went back and forth in the opening minutes and with the score 10-9 in favor of Chicago State, NJIT scored the next four points, starting with a pair of free throws at 13:05 made by senior Katie Piekielski and a layup by Rayven Johnson at 10:53, to take a 14-9 lead.

Chicago State ran off nine unanswered points for an 18-14 lead, paced by Beckel's four points.   NJIT regained the lead on a jumper by Griffin at 5:34 but the Cougars defense held the Highlanders scoreless in the final five minutes of the first half to build a six-point half-time advantage, 26-20. 

Chicago State's Beckel scored 12 points in the opening 20 minutes, shooting 6-of-9 from the field.  NJIT's halftime leading scorer was Gerald with nine points.

The Cougars led throughout the second half, but could not build an advantage of more than 10 points until Courtney Waldon's three-pointer to make the score 42-30, with 12:18 left.

NJIT drew what proved to be the last gasp when Gerald cut the deficit to 10, 47-37, on a three-pointer with 8:59 remaining.

Chicago State answered with a six-point push – on a three-point play and three-point basket by Waldon, for a 53-37 lead with 7:37 to go. The Highlanders scored 12 points in the final five minutes – five by Gerald.

NJIT will have a quick turnaround and close out the regular season at South Dakota on Sunday at 6pm.

The Great West Conference Women's Basketball Championship will begin on Thursday, March 11 hosted by Utah Valley.