Defense continues shining for SSU WBB; Bears force 24 turnovers in 59-50 victory over NCAA Division II Cedarville

CEDARVILLE, Ohio -- The defensive play of the 2024-25 Shawnee State women's basketball program has been terrific, to say the least.

DeWayne Burroughs' group continued to shine in that area in a road contest against NCAA Division II Cedarville -- as Shawnee State held the Yellow Jackets to a 38.8 percent shooting clip from the field and a 30.4 percent mark from three-point range defensively and had four players score nine or more points in the Bears' 59-50 victory Monday afternoon at the Callan Athletic Center in Cedarville, Ohio.

By the Numbers

Along with holding Cedarville to a shooting percentage that was nearly three percent below the Yellow Jackets' season average coming into the contest, Shawnee State forced 24 Cedarville turnovers and posted a plus-six rebounding advantage (33-27) in Monday's nine-point win.

Shawnee State's attacking style offensively also was critical as the Bears not only got to the foul line at a higher propensity than Cedarville but was highly efficient at the charity stripe in doing so, going 20-of-24 (83.3 percent) at the line as SSU used its physicality and aggressive driving to create opportunities.

Matchup wise, Shawnee State's on-ball defense and shot contesting abilities showed as Cedarville's Ella Sellars, who led the Yellow Jackets with 11 points coming in, was held to seven points on 1-of-4 shooting, while KaCee Kyle, Cedarville's third-leading scorer, was also held to seven points on 3-of-7 shooting. Of the eight Cedarville players that played at least 13 or more minutes in the contest, the Bears also forced multiple turnovers on seven of those individuals en route to holding strong throughout the 40-minute affair on that end of the floor.

Gloster starts fast

With points at a premium due to how both units were playing on the defensive end as well as the overall pace of the contest in general, the efforts of senior forward Cianna Gloster were huge in Monday's triumph.

Playing arguably her best offensive game of the season in terms of efficiency, Gloster posted eight points over the contest's first 12:08, then gave Shawnee State the lead for good late in the opening half of play by scoring on back-to-back offensive possessions late in the second quarter at the 1:56 and 1:28 marks of the frame to give the Bears a 25-22 halftime lead.

Gloster ultimately posted 14 points, five steals and three rebounds in the opening half alone -- and the Flint, Mich. native's play on both ends of the floor allowed the senior to collect 18 points, seven rebounds and six steals while committing just one turnover in a game-high 38 minutes to boot. Gloster nabbed a 6-of-7 shooting mark from the field and went 6-of-8 from the foul line in what was an impressive performance on all fronts.

For the 2024-25 season, the 6-0 senior forward is averaging 13.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game on 49.4 percent shooting.

Hawthorne shines in several facets

A versatile forward who has contributed in various pockets throughout Shawnee State's strong start, 6-0 junior forward Lauren Hawthorne was a key cog in Shawnee State's triumph once again.

The Hebron, Ky.'s efforts were critical especially in the second quarter, where Hawthorne nabbed five points in the quarter and collected two rebounds, an assist and a steal off of the bench to help Shawnee State outscore Cedarville 17-13 to give the Bears a 25-24 halftime advantage.

Playing in a bench-high 30 minutes off of the pine, Hawthorne ultimately collected nine points on 3-of-6 shooting, a 1-of-2 mark from three-point range and a 2-of-2 outing from the free throw line. Hawthorne also showcased an unselfish mindset once again with a game-high five assists, and also added in three rebounds, two steals and a block to boot as Hawthorne's production in multiple areas made the 6-0 forward a mainstay on the floor.

Johnson posts big second half

With Shawnee State holding a one-possession lead at halftime, 5-11 senior forward Jada Johnson's production was paramount in the Bears not only pushing their lead to multiple possessions, but holding that advantage throughout.

A benefactor of Hawthorne's proficient passing, Johnson captalized and finished off of those feeds as Johnson scored on a free throw line jumper and finished effectively around the basket as well to accumulate eight second-half tallies. Johnson ultimately accounted for four of Hawthorne's five assists, and led Shawnee State's bench in scoring with 10 points and three rebounds on an efficient 5-of-8 mark from the field.

Gregory's free throw shooting finishes game off

Continuing to be a steadying and calming presence at the lead guard spot, Sanaya Gregory's free throw shooting was as good as one could ask for -- and was therefore elite Monday against Cedarville.

With the game hanging in the balance, Gregory sealed the Yellow Jackets' fate as the 5-5 senior guard went a perfect 12-of-12 from the charity stripe -- including a fantastic 10-of-10 performance over the contest's final 3:30 to preserve the victory for Shawnee State. Gregory ultimately finished Monday's contest with 14 points, five steals and four rebounds in 32 minutes of action.

Additional

Sophomores Jariah Steele, Lexi Deaver and Amiya Latham ultimately combined for eight points for the Bears while Miyoshi Ellis (three assists) and Emily Maynard (two steals) also contributed to the victory, as did Jonilyah Chambers who made her first career collegiate start Monday.

The Bears (7-1) will turn their attention to a big weekend at the upcoming US Bank Classic in Columbia, Ky. -- where Shawnee State will play (RV) Lindsey Wilson, Ky. Friday evening at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT and No. 3 Campbellsville Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. ET/12 p.m. CT.