VIDEO: Highlights

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Five players scored in double figures and Cleveland State defeated Eastern Illinois, 77-69, on Tuesday night in the Wolstein Center.

Cleveland State vs. Eastern Illinois Box Score

Game Stats

• Ashanti Abshaw led the Vikings with 20 points, including 15 in the second half. She also added three steals.
• Jade Ely scored 14 points with three rebounds and four assists.
• Mariah Miller scored a career-high 14 points, hitting 7-of-12 from the field. She added seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.
• Olivia Voskuhl finished with 12 points, five rebounds and four assists.
• Khayla Livingston tallied 12 points and four assists. She was honored in a pre-game ceremony after reaching 1,000 career points over the weekend in Las Vegas.

Game Notes

• CSU shot .492 (31-63) for the game, including 11-of-18 (.611) in the second quarter when the Vikings outscored EIU, 25-14.
• The Vikings outscored the Panthers, 12-0 in fast break points and held a 44-28 advantage in points in the paint.
• The Vikings out-rebounded EIU, 34-28, including 14-10 in offensive rebounds.
• CSU had 12 steals and forced 18 turnovers, which led to 19 points.

The Game

Eastern Illinois took a nine point lead (28-19) less than two minutes into the second quarter, but the Vikings used a 22-4 run over the next six-plus minutes to open up a nine-point advantage (41-32) with 2:14 to go in the first half.

CSU led at the half, 44-37 as Ely completed a three-point play with 23 seconds in the half after the Panthers had sliced the deficit to four points with 16 seconds earlier.

The Vikings shot .545 (18-33) from the floor in the opening half as Ely scored 14 points in the opening 20 minutes to pace the Vikings.

EIU scored the first six points of the second half to pull within one point (44-43), but Miller and Abshaw answered with back-to-back baskets to push the lead back to five points (48-43) midway through the third quarter.

Abshaw scored 10 points in the third quarter to help the Vikings maintain a six point lead (58-52) after three quarters.

Miller and Voskuhl both scored a pair of baskets to open the fourth quarter scoring as CSU pushed the lead to 14 points (66-52) early in the quarter. However, the Panthers used a 10-2 run over the next four minutes to pull within six points (68-62) with 4:19 to play as Taylor Steele knocked down a pair of three pointers.

After the teams traded scores, Abshaw knocked down a three-pointer from the top of the key to give the Vikings a 73-64 lead with just over a minute to play, but Carmen Tellez quickly answered with a three-pointer on the other end to keep EIU within six points.

However, Ely found Miller for a quick layup on the other end to push the CSU lead back to eight points (75-67) and Livingston knocked down a pair of free throws late to seal the win.

Up Next

• The Vikings travel to Niagara for a 7:00 pm contest on Friday (Dec. 1) before returning home to host Ohio on Wednesday (Dec. 6) at 11:00 am in the Wolstein Center.