VIDEO: Highlights | Kate Peterson Abiad Postgame Comments
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State women's basketball team dropped their first contest at home this season, falling to Niagara, 76-58. The Vikings now stand at 6-4 on the season, while Niagara is now 5-3.
Thursday's contest was Health & Physical Education day, with over 1,000 grade school kids in attendance, giving the Wolstein Center a very energetic atmosphere.
Cori Coleman led the Vikings with the third double-double of her career, posting 14 points and a career-high 11 rebounds, while Imani Gordon tallied a team-high 19 points.
After going into the halftime break trailing by six (31-25), the Viking offense struggled to get back on track during the second half, as Niagara went on to control play throughout the second stanza.
Despite their offensive struggles, the Vikings were able to cut the lead to five points during the opening part of the second half following a three-pointer from Coleman and a jumper from Gordon to put the score at 35-30 with 15:33 left to play. The Purple Eagles responded with back-to-back three-pointers though, as they extended their lead to double-digits at 41-30 with just over 15 minutes left on the clock.
Niagara controlled play over the next four minutes then, until a 10-3 run from the Vikings brought them within seven points (53-46) with 7:15 left in the contest. During this span, Gordon and Coleman both hit three-pointers – while Coleman finished the contest with three shots from behind-the-arc to improve her career total to 176 just 14 three-pointers shy of tying the CSU record.
Over the next 3:39 Cleveland State was able to stay within striking distance, until an 8-0 run from Niagara gave the Purple Eagles a 15-point lead (67-52) with just 2:19 remaining. Niagara then held a sizeable lead over the closing minutes, coming away with the 76-58 victory.
The Vikings struggled offensively throughout the contest, posting a .345 clip from the field (20-for-58) and a .300 clip from behind-the-arc (9-for-30). Although the Vikings converted just 20 shots from the floor, they were still able to record 15 assists on those 20 field goals – remaining one of the top assist teams in the Horizon League.
The Vikings will now return to the road on Sunday (Dec. 21), traveling to Morehead State for a 2:00 p.m. contest. Links for live stats and live video can be found on the women's basketball schedule page at CSUVikings.com.
