CLEVELAND, Ohio – For the second straight game the Cleveland State women's basketball team used a strong first half performance to carry them through to a victory, picking up a 71-64 win over Ohio Wednesday afternoon. Wednesday's game was Cleveland State's annual Kids Day Game, with over 2,000 Cleveland area kids in attendance.
Cleveland State vs. Ohio Box Score
Game Stats
· Three Vikings finished the game in double-figures, led by Ashanti Abshaw with 21 points.
· Olivia Voskuhl added 19 points and Jade Ely chipped in 15.
· Olivia Voskuhl grabbed a team-high 10 points, while Jade Ely posted eight boards.
· As a team, the Vikings posted 13 total assists, including six from Khayla Livingston and three from Jade Ely.
· Ashanti Abshaw recorded four steals on the game.
· Cleveland State shot 50-percent from the field, including a .667 clip during the third quarter.
Game Notes
· Wednesday's game marked the 100th game played for redshirt senior Olivia Voskuhl.
· Ashanti Abshaw eclipsed the 20-point mark for the sixth time this season.
· Olivia Voskuhl recorded her first double-double of the season with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
· This marked the third time this season that Cleveland State has shot 50-percent or better from the field.
· The Vikings improved to 6-2 on the season with Wednesday's victory.
The Game
Cleveland State was able to open the contest with an 8-0 run – including a pair of three-pointers from Ashanti Abshaw – and went on to hold a double-digit lead for the majority of the first quarter. After Ohio was finally able to get on the board at the 6:54 mark during the first quarter, Abshaw responded with another three-pointer, putting the Vikings up 11-2 with 6:43 left in the first period. Cleveland State was able to hold its advantage for the rest of the quarter then, finishing the first 10 minutes of action with a nine-point lead at 19-10.
To open the second quarter Ohio was able to close the gap to six points at 19-13, but back-to-back baskets from Olivia Voskuhl put the Vikings up by 10 points at 23-13. The Vikings were then able to hold Ohio to just seven more points during the first half of play, as Cleveland State went into the halftime break with a 31-20 advantage after an Abshaw layup as time expired.
During the third quarter the Vikings were able to hold onto their sizeable advantage throughout the frame, and even extended their lead to 25 points at the 53-28 mark following an 11-1 run that ended with a Voskuhl three-pointer.
Heading into the final period, Cleveland State held a 55-35 lead, but a 12-1 run to open the frame from Ohio closed the gap to just nine points at 56-47 with just over six minutes left to play. Over the next stretch the two teams traded baskets until another Ohio run closed the gap to just four points with just 1:01 left on the clock. The Vikings then used a strong performance from the free throw line to seal the game over the final minute, going 6-for-8 from the line to come away with the 71-64 victory. Three of Cleveland State's final six points came from Khayla Livingston, while Voskuhl notched the other three points.
CSU Career Record Book
· With her 21 points against Ohio, Ashanti Abshaw moved into 13th place in the CSU Career Record with 1,231 total points.
· Shadae Bosley notched three blocked shots on the game, finishing the game with 105 career blocked shots.
Up Next
· Cleveland State will begin a three-game roadswing to finish up non-league play on Saturday, December 9, traveling to Toledo for a 2:00 p.m. contest.
