CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State women's basketball team got back on the winning track Saturday afternoon, using a pair of 20-point performance from Ashanti Abshaw and Khayla Livingston to notch an 88-75 overtime victory against Oakland. With the win the Vikings are now 5-16 overall this season and 2-9 in Horizon League play.
Kailey Klein Jersey Retirement
· Prior to the women's game against Oakland, the Cleveland State Department of Athletics retired the jersey of former Viking Kailey Klein (2006-10), making her the first women's basketball player to have their jersey retired at Cleveland State.
· Klein remains the leading scorer in program history with 2,140 points, while she was a three-time First Team All-Horizon League pick, and led the Vikings to a pair of Horizon League Championships in 2008 and 2010. Read The Complete Release | Watch The Jersey Retirement Video
Game Stats
· Four Vikings finished in double-figures today, led by Ashanti Abshaw and Khayla Livingston who both tallied 24 points.
· Olivia Voskuhl added 17 points for the Vikings, while Adesuwa Aideyman chipped in 13 points.
· Ashanti Abshaw tallied a team-high 17 rebounds on the game, while Olivia Voskuhl and Shadae Bosley each tallied 11 boards.
· Shadae Bosley notched seven blocks on the game, while Olivia Voskuhl added one blocked shot.
· As a team, the Vikings recorded 10 steals, with Ashanti Abshaw notching six takeaways.
· For the game, Cleveland State shot 41-percent from the field, including a .429 clip from behind-the-arc.
Game Notes
· Shadae Bosley's seven blocked shots marked a career-high for the sophomore, while it is also tied for second on the Cleveland State individual game record list.
· Ashanti Abshaw posted a career-high with her 17-rebound performance.
· Khayla Livingston tallied a career-high with her 24 points, improving on her career-best of 21 that she tallied earlier this season.
· The 11 rebounds for Olivia Voskuhl tied her career-best, which she set at Kent State earlier this year.
· This marked the first time that the Vikings had two players with 20 or more points in the same game this season.
· Cleveland State has now posted double-digit steals in 15 games this season.
· Ashanti Abshaw recorded her sixth double-double of the season, while Olivia Voskuhl notched her second double-double of the year.
· This was Cleveland State's second overtime game of the season – also playing extra basketball at Niagara (Nov. 27).
The Game
For just the sixth time this season the Vikings were able to go into the halftime break with the advantage, taking a 45-44 lead into the intermission. Despite the first half advantage, the Vikings struggled during the third quarter, as Oakland outscored Cleveland State 15-10 to gain a 59-55 lead going into the fourth frame.
Oakland's lead would extend to nine points over the opening minutes of the fourth quarter then, but back-to-back shots from Ashanti Abshaw and Khayla Livingston brought the Vikings back within four at the 66-62 mark with 6:18 left on the clock.
Cleveland State was then able to regain the lead at 67-66 at the 2:19 mark after a three-pointer from Livingston, her fourth shot from behind-the-arc of the contest. The Grizzlies bounced back with a layup on the ensuing possession, but Livingston would once again give the advantage back to Cleveland State with a pair of free throws, putting the score at 69-68 with just over one minute left to play.
Over the final 1:22 the Vikings had a solid defensive effort, including a pair of blocks from Shadae Bosley, as the Vikings were able to extend their lead to 71-68 with two more free throws from Livingston with just seven seconds left on the clock. During the fourth quarter, Livingston scored 11 of Cleveland State's 16 points.
With just three seconds remaining, Oakland banked in a three-pointer to tie the game at 71-71, but the Grizzlies couldn't convert the free throw attempt after the foul was called on the shot, sending the game into overtime – Cleveland State's second overtime game of the season.
The overtime session was all Cleveland State then, as the Vikings ran off five straight points to start the frame, and went on to outscore Oakland 17-4 during the extra five minutes of play coming away with the 13-point victory.
Up Next
· Cleveland State @ Milwaukee – Thursday, Feb. 4 – 12:00 p.m. EST – Milwaukee, Wis.
