CHICAGO (Interstat) — Kadidia Toure scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead a balanced Long Island offense as the Sharks pulled away in the second half for an 83-68 victory over Chicago State in a women’s NCAA Division I basketball game Thursday night at Jones Convocation Center.

The Sharks, representing the Northeast Conference, improved to 18-9 overall. The Cougars of Chicago State fell to 8-21.

The most important stretch of the game came late in the second quarter and established a momentum that Long Island would not relinquish. Trailing 30-25 with under three minutes to play in the half, the Sharks unleashed a decisive 11-0 run to close the quarter. The surge began with a Leila Nunez three-pointer, assisted by Solangelei Akridge. After a Chicago State turnover, Hannah Humphrey connected from beyond the arc, assisted by Toure. Following a Cougars basket, Akridge and Kionna Gaines hit consecutive three-pointers, the latter assisted by Akridge, to send Long Island into halftime with a 36-30 advantage.

That burst transformed a tight, back-and-forth contest into a game the Sharks controlled the rest of the way. Long Island extended its lead in the third quarter, outscoring Chicago State 21-17, and put the game away with a 26-point fourth quarter.

Toure, a 6-foot-3 sophomore from Silver Spring, Maryland, was efficient in her 25 minutes, adding three assists and a block to her double-double. She was one of five Sharks to score in double figures. Hannah Humphrey, a 5-7 guard from Kendleton, Texas, added 15 points, while Kionna Gaines of Columbus, Georgia, and Leila Nunez of Portland, Oregon, each contributed 15 and 12 points, respectively. Solangelei Akridge of Spring Valley, California, directed the offense with a game-high five assists to go with nine points.

Chicago State was led by the dynamic guard play of Keona McGee. The 5-8 junior from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, poured in a game-high 19 points, dished out five assists and recorded three steals in 33 minutes. Forward Kayla Mount, a 6-1 Detroit native, matched McGee with 19 points and added a block. The Cougars struggled to contain Long Island’s interior presence, particularly Toure, and were ultimately undone by the Sharks’ late-first-half run and superior depth.

The game began competitively, with Chicago State holding a 17-14 lead after one quarter behind early baskets from McGee and Mount. The second quarter remained close until Long Island’s critical closing run. The Sharks’ defense tightened in the third, and their offensive execution, fueled by Akridge’s playmaking and Toure’s inside scoring, steadily built the lead to double digits. Long Island’s largest advantage came in the final minutes before settling on the 15-point margin.

The victory continued a positive trend for Long Island, which has now won three of its last four games. The loss was the third straight for Chicago State. The Sharks completed a regular-season sweep of the Cougars, having also won 60-51 in New York on Jan. 4.

Long Island shot effectively from the floor, while Chicago State’s shooting percentages were lower. The Sharks also capitalized on their free-throw opportunities. A sparse crowd of 172 was on hand for the conference matchup.

Long Island will look to continue its push in the NEC standings when it travels to face Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday. Chicago State will aim to snap its skid at home against Wagner on Saturday.