It was a tale of two halves in the conference opener for the Cougars.

Cleveland State (2-1, 0-1) led 20-15 after the first quarter and went into halftime down three. Chattanooga State (3-0, 1-0) outscored the Cougars by 14 in the third quarter and held on to secure the victory in the fourth, 81-62.

"I thought we played and competed well in the first half of the game tonight," head coach Lisa Phillips said.  "Second half we quit rebounding and our defensive rotations broke down, which Chattanooga State capitalized on."

Jarnyria Maddox put together a strong performance for Cleveland State with a double-double scoring 15 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Derriona Salter led the team in scoring with 17 points.
 
"We've got to do a better job of putting a complete game together and staying mentally tough," Phillips said.  "We will continue to work hard to become a better team."

Cleveland State takes the court again this Saturday when Southwest Tennessee Community College (4-1, 1-0) comes to town. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.