WILBERFORCE, Ohio (Feb. 21) – The Salem International University women's basketball team was defeated 75-56 by Central State University Saturday afternoon in Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) action.
 
The loss drops the Tigers to 0-13 in conference play, 0-26 overall. Meanwhile, the win improves the Marauders to 6-9 in G-MAC play, 9-16 overall.
 
Senior Samantha Aikens (Hilton Head Island, S.C.) led Salem International with 17 points and added seven rebounds. Senior Shakinah Haggins (Lakeland, Fla.) paced Aikens with 16 points, while classmate Jessica Lagard (Fort Worth, Texas) chipped in 10 points. Senior Amanda Jackson (Dayton, Ohio) fell one point shy of a double-double with nine points and a team-best 10 rebounds.
 
Central State raced out to a 12-2 lead at the first media timeout, but back-to-back three-pointers by Aikens pulled Salem International within four, 12-8, with 15 minutes left in the opening half.
 
The Marauders rebuilt their lead with 13-unanswered points, 25-8, with 11:02 remaining in the first half. The Tigers battled back with an 11-5 run over the next five minutes to pull within 11 points, 30-19, with 6:22 remaining until halftime. Salem International got as close as 10 points to Central State, but seven-unanswered points in the final three minutes sent Central State into the locker rooms with a 41-24 lead.
 
After trading baskets for the first three minutes, the Tigers cut the deficit to 12, 47-35, on a three-pointer by Lagard with 14:47 left in the contest. However, Salem International went cold over the next five minutes, allowing the Marauders to build their lead back up to 25 points, 62-37 with 9:55 remaining in the game.
 
Salem International went on a quick 6-2 spurt over the next five minutes, but Central State maintained the advantage and went on to claim the victory.
 
The Marauders held a significant edge in the rebound margin, 62-35, thanks largely to the play of Kourtni Perry. Perry registered a double-double with game-highs of 30 points and 25 rebounds. The rebound total set a G-MAC-record in the process.
 
The Tigers conclude the season with a pair of road games next week, beginning with a trip to Owensboro, Ky. on Thursday, Feb. 26, to take on Kentucky Wesleyan. The opening-tip is set for 5:30 p.m. central time, 6:30 p.m. local time.