Faced with a tough road task ahead of it Saturday afternoon, the Shawnee State women's basketball program came out of Louisville, Ky. with its third consecutive victory -- as a massive 23-point, 16-rebound night from Cianna Gloster, along with excellent performances from Markayla Holland and Lexi Deaver -- allowed DeWayne Burroughs' program to head back to Portsmouth with its third straight victory in the Bears' back pocket following a 87-72 triumph over Simmons College of Kentucky in a nonconference contest.
For the contest, Shawnee State (3-1) enjoyed a strong offensive performance that saw the Bears convert on 59.6 percent of their shot attempts (31-of-52). Simmons shot a solid 45.3 percent from the field (24-of-53) in its own right, but SSU outrebounded Simmons by a plus-15 margin on the glass, blocked five shots, and collected 10 steals while scoring 20 points directly off of Simmons turnovers.
'Boogie' ball
Playing like she wouldn't be denied, Cianna Gloster's effort Saturday was otherwordly.
The senior talent, a native of Flint, Mich., posted another strong performance that resulted in her third double-double in SSU's first four outings to start the season.
With 20 rebounds and 17 points to her credit against Aquinas (Mich.) and a 17-rebound, 12-point outing on her statline against Lawrence Tech (Mich.), Glouster added in another massive effort against Simmons, scoring each of Shawnee State's first 10 points in the contest en route to a 14-point opening quarter, helping Shawnee State take a 31-21 lead at the end of the opening quarter as a result.
Gloster parlayed that strong output into an effort that ultimately ended up resulting a 9-of-11 shooting mark. The senior forward also grabbed 14 defensive rebounds of her 16 total boards on the day, and, to top it all off, led the Bears in steals (four) and blocks (three).
Through four games, Gloster is averaging 15.5 rebounds, 15.3 points, and two steals per game while shooting a blistering 61.1 percent from the field.
Holland provides continued punch
Having grown with every game, Markayla Holland showcased that growth again Saturday, scoring 11 of her 19 points in the opening half of competition to help push the Bears along offensively. Her 19 points not only represented a season-high for the sophomore, but marked the third time in four games where Holland scored in double-figures from a points perspective. The high-energy forward has scored at least eight points in all four of Shawnee State's contests to start the 2023-24 season, has shot at least 44.4 percent in three of her four contested affairs and has at least five or more rebounds in every contest to date.
For the season to date, Holland is averaging 13.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and two steals per game.
Deaver a winner
On a team full of players with proven credentials, Lexi Deaver has grown fast over the past pair of contests.
Two days after matching Teyarra Johnson with a game-high 15 points in a 91-46 victory over Miami-Hamilton, Deaver notched 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting and a 3-of-4 mark from three-point range in the Bears' 15-point victory over Simmons. The freshman guard from nearby West Portsmouth has shot 9-of-14 from the field and 8-of-12 from three-point range over the past two games alone, and on Saturday, scored five crucial points that allowed Shawnee State to answer with a first-half ending 16-5 run after Simmons went on a 10-0 run to start the second quarter to tie the score at 31 apiece. Deaver's contributions in the second frame were critical as Simmons never came within double-digits the rest of the way after the Bears' response.
Additional
Chianne Gloster's nine points and three steals, along with seven points and four rebounds from Jariah Steele, helped aid the Bears in Saturday's victory.
Shawnee State (3-1) will turn its attention toward preparing for a Friday evening nonconference bout against Culver-Stockton (Mo.) inside the Waller Gymnasium confines. Tip off is set for 6 p.m. on Nov. 10.
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