Like Columbus State Athletics on Facebook!
Tweet #GoCSU

By: Stephen Williams

COLUMBUS – In its second game in as many days, the sixth-ranked Columbus State University women's basketball team used a 22-0 run in the second quarter to blow past Albany State 81-46 on Saturday. The game was played as part of the PBC/SIAC Challenge in the Lumpkin Center.
 
Scoring was spread around for the second consecutive game as four different Lady Cougars reached double figures. Gabby Williams led the scoring effort putting in 16 points to go along with seven rebounds and four assists. Michelle Mitchell ended with 13 points in 21 minutes, while Ashley Asouzu added 11 and Britteny Tatum chipped in 10.
 
All 11 players in uniform for the Lady Cougars scored at least two points on the day.
 
"I thought we played really well this weekend," said CSU head coach Jonathan Norton. "We did a good job of sharing the basketball and defended and rebounded well."
 
Columbus State (2-0) scored 11 of the game's first 13 points, seven by Mitchell, to take a lead it would never relinquish. After an Albany State basket with near three minutes remaining in the first quarter, CSU would score the final nine points to hold a 24-11 lead after the first 10 minutes.
 
Albany State (0-2) buried a three-pointer with 7:43 on the clock, setting the stage for the huge CSU stretch.
 
Tatum, Williams and Tatum a second time all connected from beyond the arc to stretch the lead out to 19 at 35-16. Eryn Cochran added another three later in the run and Kristian Carter capped it off with a long basket. By the time the run ended, Columbus State held a 48-16 advantage.
 
The CSU lead crossed over the 30-point mark in the third quarter and continued to grow in the fourth.
 
Brea Walker hit her only three of the day on a fastbreak to extend the lead out to 34 (72-38) and consecutive baskets from Erin Morrow, Tatiana Wayne and Carter took the lead out to its largest point of the day at 37 with under a minute to play.
 
Columbus State cooled off in the second half and ended at 47.9 percent (34-of-71) shooting from the field and 42.9 percent (6-for-14) from three. The Lady Cougars were plus-10 on the boards and turned 21 Albany State turnovers into 34 points.
 
Albany State was held to just 33.9 percent (19-of-56) shooting and hit only 3-of-15 three-point attempts.
 
Columbus State will head to Tennessee next weekend for back-to-back road contests. The first will come on Friday night at King University. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. from Bristol, Tenn.