CLEVELAND, Ohio — The second quarter torpedoed an otherwise solid performance by the Bellarmine University women's basketball team Friday as the Knights fell 76-59 to host Cleveland State in the Hampton Inn Cleveland Downtown Viking Invitational.

In the second of three games in the event, Bellarmine (1-4) couldn't overcome a nightmarish second period in which Cleveland State (4-1) outscored the Knights 30-8. It was particularly unfortunate because Bellarmine outscored the Vikings in each of the other three quarters, but a 44-24 halftime deficit due to the second stanza was too much to erase against the 2021-22 Horizon League Tournament runner-up.

Bellarmine definitely tried to climb that mountain and did threaten, cutting CSU's lead to 11 with 6:07 left in the fourth, but Horizon League Preseason Player of the Year Destiny Leo responded with a crucial 3-pointer and the Vikings' lead never dipped below 12 the rest of the way. Leo finished with a game-high 16 points.

"We can't give them 30 points in the second quarter and expect to win," Knights Coach Chancellor Dugan said. "We beat them for three quarters. When you get outscored 30-8 in the second quarter, that's tough to overcome."

Freshman center Gracie Merkle notched her second double-double of the season for Bellarmine after collecting 11 points and 10 rebounds. Senior forward Cam Browning came alive in the second half and finished with 10 points, six rebounds and three assists, sophomore guard Hayley Harrison tallied 10 points, junior guard Claire Knies added nine points and freshman guard Miyah Brown chipped in seven points, three assists and three steals.

Bellarmine led 16-14 after one quarter, but Cleveland State's activity on defense and on the glass spurred a second-period onslaught in which the Vikings outscored the Knights by 22. CSU scored 24 points off 16 Bellarmine turnovers and grabbed 11 offensive rebounds in the first half alone. As a result, the Knights attempted only eight shots in the second frame to the 19 of the Vikings, who capitalized by sinking 13 of the chances.

Bellarmine rebounded much better in the second half, turned up its pressure defensively and outscored Cleveland State 19-18 in the third quarter and 16-14 in the fourth. However, the Vikings did continue to make the Knights pay for giveaways, as CSU racked up 39 points off turnovers for the game.

"I think we executed down the stretch at the end of the third quarter and into the fourth quarter," Dugan said. "It just needed to be a little sooner coming out of halftime. …Cleveland State is a really good team. I think we showed some guts coming back and trying to get back into the game. I was proud of that."

Bellarmine will conclude the Viking Invitational with a 1 p.m. (ET) contest Saturday against Georgia State.

"Georgia State is a very good team," Dugan said. "They rebound well and play hard defensively. We have our work cut out for us for sure."

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