WILBERFORCE, Ohio -- A spirited start gave way to a tough finish as Miles fell to SIAC West Division leading Central State 73-51 Saturday afternoon at Beacom-Lewis Gymnasium. The loss was the second straight for the Lady Bears (4-9, 2-4 SIAC West) while the Lady Marauders (13-3, 8-1) have now won four straight.

Miles, playing without leading scorer Victoria Sutton, jumped on CSU early. The Lady Bears were able to get to the ball in the paint for a lot of good looks, with Jasmine Hollis going to work in the post. When Ashley McCrear scored on a breakaway with 2:45 left in the first quarter, Miles held a 17-10 advantage.

But from that point, the Lady Marauders made the adjustment and the Lady Bears struggled to stay afloat. CSU would tie the game at 17 by the end of the first quarter as part of a 13-0 run that gave it the lead for good in the second quarter. Taylor Terry scored the only two baskets for Miles in the second period as it went into the half down 30-22.

While the Lady Bears enjoyed their best offensive quarter in the third, Central State was able to shift into another gear to put the game out of reach. The Lady Marauders would score 31  points in the third and open a lead as large as 25 points.

Brooke Spaulding had 20 points and Sierra Holley added 19 for Central State. Hollis had 12 points and 13 rebounds while Terry added 10 points and seven rebounds for the Lady Bears, who play next on Monday at Kentucky State. Tip off is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.