CLEVELAND, Ohio (Interstat) — In a Horizon League women’s basketball thriller that required overtime to decide, Cleveland State edged Green Bay 83-82 on Wednesday night at Wolstein Center, avenging a narrow loss from earlier in the season and tightening the conference race.

The game, played before an announced crowd of 456, was a tense, back-and-forth affair featuring 13 ties and 14 lead changes. Neither team led by more than six points at any stage, and the outcome remained in doubt until the final possession.

Green Bay, which entered the game with a 77.3% win probability according to Interstat’s ELO system, saw its six-game winning streak snapped and fell to 20-6 overall. Cleveland State improved to 19-8 and secured a crucial split of the season series after falling 58-55 in Green Bay on Jan. 2.

The contest was defined by exceptional individual performances and pivotal plays in the final minutes of regulation and overtime. Green Bay’s Maddy Skorupski, a 5-foot-8 guard from Clarkston, Michigan, delivered a heroic effort, playing 41 minutes and scoring a game-high 25 points to go with five assists and two blocks. Her backcourt mate, Kamy Peppler, added nine points and a game-high seven assists.

For Cleveland State, the offensive load was shared by a formidable trio. Colbi Maples, a 5-8 guard from Earle, Arkansas, led the Vikings with 26 points and three assists in 41 minutes. Izabella Zingaro, a 6-4 post player from Bolton, Canada, dominated inside with 23 points, while Macey Fegan, a 5-11 guard from Bentley, Michigan, chipped in 21 points, four assists and a critical steal in overtime.

The most important sequence of the game unfolded in the final half-minute of overtime with Cleveland State clinging to an 83-82 lead. After a Cleveland State shot clock violation gave Green Bay possession with 39 seconds left, the Phoenix worked for a final shot. With 35 seconds remaining, Kristina Ouimette of Green Bay sank a clutch 3-pointer from the wing, assisted by Jenna Guyer, to tie the game at 82.

Cleveland State called timeout to set up its own final play. Out of the stoppage, the Vikings worked the ball to Zingaro in the post, where she was fouled with 26 seconds on the clock. The sophomore center, who had been a force all night, calmly sank the first free throw to put the Vikings back ahead. She missed the second attempt, but Cleveland State retained possession after the ball went out of bounds off a Green Bay player.

Given a second chance to seal the game, Cleveland State ran the clock down before Green Bay’s defense forced a difficult, blocked 3-point attempt by Maples as the shot clock expired. Jenna Guyer secured the rebound for Green Bay with just over four seconds remaining, giving the Phoenix a final opportunity.

Green Bay used back-to-back timeouts to advance the ball and design a play. With 1.1 seconds left, the inbounds pass found Guyer near the elbow, but her contested jump shot at the buzzer was off the mark, sealing the one-point victory for the Vikings.

The game reached overtime only after a similarly dramatic end to regulation. With the score tied at 76, Green Bay had a chance to win in the final seconds of the fourth quarter, but a 3-point attempt by Ouimette missed, sending the teams to an extra period.

Statistical edges were slim but telling. Cleveland State’s remarkable efficiency at the free-throw line proved decisive, as the Vikings converted 21 of 23 attempts for a 91.3% clip. Green Bay, by contrast, made 12 of 16. Cleveland State also posted a slightly better offensive rating, scoring 109.3 points per 100 possessions compared to Green Bay’s 105.7.

Green Bay held advantages in assists (8-6), steals (8-6), blocks (9-4), and points off turnovers (15-6), but Cleveland State countered with superior shooting from the field (45.8% to 44.1%) and a 34-28 edge in points in the paint, largely thanks to Zingaro’s presence.

The loss was a rare stumble for Green Bay in Horizon League play, while the win bolstered Cleveland State’s postseason resume. Both teams continue conference play on Saturday, with Green Bay hosting Northern Kentucky and Cleveland State traveling to face Robert Morris.