EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Cleveland State women's basketball team opened the 2016-17 season Saturday afternoon, picking up a 66-62 victory at Evansville. The win marked the sixth season-opening victory for the Vikings over the last eight years.
Game Stats
· Khayla Livingston notched a double-double at Evansville with 23 points and 11 rebounds.
· Ashanti Abshaw posted 17 points, while Nicolete Newman tallied 10 points and Chrishna Butler added eight points.
· Ashanti Abshaw and Olivia Voskuhl each grabbed eight boards, while Alexis Eckles and Mariah Miller both tallied six.
· As a team, the Vikings shot 36.4 percent from the floor for the contest.
Game Notes
· Mariah Miller played in her first collegiate game, posting six rebounds, two points and two assists.
· Saturday's season-opening win brings head coach Kate Peterson Abiad just one win shy of 175 for her career.
· Khayla Livingston notched a career-high with her 11-rebound performance against Evansville.
· The 66-62 victory at Evansville marked the sixth season-opening win for the Vikings over the last eight seasons.
The Game
Cleveland State got out to a fast start to begin the 2016-17 season, as the Vikings held a 20-13 lead after the first 10 minutes of play. During the first frame, CSU gained an 11-5 lead just under halfway through the frame on a Khayla Livingston jumper, and then went on to hold at least a four-point lead for the rest of the quarter – closing out the frame with a seven-point lead.
During the second quarter the Vikings had to withstand a 7-3 run by Evansville over the first four minutes of play, before the Vikings were able to get their offense back on track. Cleveland State was able to convert back-to-back baskets from Chrishna Butler and Livingston to regain a seven-point lead at the 27-20 mark, but the Aces responded with a pair of baskets to narrow the CSU advantage back to three points at 27-24 with 3:10 left to play. Over the final three minutes of the first half, the two teams traded baskets, with Cleveland State heading into the locker room with a slim 34-33 advantage.
Although Evansville was able to gain its first lead during the opening minutes of the third quarter, the Vikings were able to withstand the Aces run, and regain an eight-point lead over the rest of the quarter. With the score at 39-36 Evansville, the Vikings knocked down seven straight points to put Cleveland State back on top, 43-39. The Vikings then outscored Evansville 8-2 over the next 2:15 to extend their lead to double-digits at 51-41, and closed the quarter with an eight-point lead at 53-45.
To start the fourth quarter, Evansville went on a 10-0 run to regain a 55-53 lead at the 5:08 mark, and held the Vikings off the board until the 3:31 mark when a Livingston jumper tied the score at 55-55. Although the Aces were able to regain a lead over the next few possessions, the Vikings regained controlled of the game at the 2:44 mark after a three-pointer from Livingston to put the Vikings up 60-58. The two teams then traded baskets over the next minute, and an Ashanti Abshaw free throw put the Vikings up 64-62 with just 13 seconds left on the clock. After the converted free throw, Evansville had possession of the ball in the closing seconds, but a tough Viking defense and an Abshaw steal and layup sealed the 66-62 victory for the Vikings.
Up Next
· Cleveland State @ No. 6 Ohio State – Wednesday, November 16 – 7:00 p.m. – Columbus, Ohio
