NORMAL, Ill. – The Cleveland State women's basketball team got back in the win column Sunday, picking up a 56-47 victory at Illinois State. With the win, the Vikings improved to 7-3 on the season and have one game left on their non-league slate.
Cleveland State vs. Illinois State Box Score
Game Stats
· Three Vikings finished the game in double-figures, including Ashanti Abshaw and Olivia Voskuhl with 14 points each. Khayla Livingston also added 11 points.
· Olivia Voskuhl grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds.
· Khayla Livingston recorded six assists, while Olivia Voskuhl added two.
· Shadae Bosley notched four blocked shots against Illinois State.
· Olivia Voskuhl tallied three steals, while Shadae Bosley added two takeaways.
· As a team, the Vikings were a perfect 15-for-15 from the free throw line.
· Cleveland State outrebounded Illinois State, 34-27, including 10 offensive boards.
Game Notes
· Sunday's victory kept the Vikings undefeated against Illinois State in program history, owning a 2-0 record against the Redbirds.
· The Vikings improved to 7-3 in non-league play this season, just the fourth time under head coach Kate Peterson Abiad that the Vikings have recorded seven wins before starting league play.
· Cleveland State has now won five of its last six games.
· Olivia Voskuhl notched her second double-double of the season against Illinois State, finishing with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
· Shadae Bosley tied her season-high with four blocked shots against ISU, and has now recorded at least one block in all but one game.
· Olivia Voskuhl set a season-high with her 11 rebounds, while she has now recorded double-digit points in nine straight games.
· Sunday marked the first time this season that the Vikings have recorded a perfect performance from the free throw line, going 15-for-15.
The Game
During the opening quarter the Vikings got out to a quick 4-0 lead - with all four points coming from Jade Ely - and then extended their lead to 11-4 at the 4:04 mark. The Redbirds responded with seven straight points throughout the final minutes of the first quarter and the opening minutes of the second frame though, tying the contest at 11-11 just 1:25 into the second quarter.
Back-to-Back three pointers from Rachel Slaney and Khayla Livingston snapped the Illinois State run, and put the Vikings back on top at 17-11 with just under seven minutes to play in the first half. Cleveland State was then able to hold onto its advantage over the next five minutes, until another ISU run gave the Redbirds their first lead of the game at 23-22 at the 2:36 mark.
The lead wouldn't last long though, as the Vikings closed out the first half on a 6-0 run, taking a 28-23 lead into the halftime break.
To start the third quarter the Vikings were held off the board until the 5:31 mark when Ashanti Abshaw converted a pair of free throws to tie the game at 30-30. The two teams then traded baskets throughout the rest of the frame, with a Voskuhl jumper in the final minute of the quarter giving the Vikings a 38-36 advantage heading into the final 10 minutes of action.
Although Illinois State was able to tie the contest once again during the opening minutes of the final quarter, Cleveland State controlled play throughout the final 5:47, outscoring the Redbirds 16-7 over the final part of the frame. The Vikings posted a perfect 6-for-6 effort from the free throw line over the final minute of play, earning the 56-47 victory against the Redbirds.
CSU Career Record Book
· Ashanti Abshaw moved into 18th place in the CSU Career Record Book following her two rebounds at ISU, finishing the game with 544 boards.
· After converting a three-pointer against ISU, Khayla Livingston moved into fifth place in the CSU Career Record Book with 163 career three-pointers.
· Shadae Bosley now has 111 career blocked shots, needing just seven more blocks to move into fourth place in the CSU Career Record Book.
Up Next
· Cleveland State will close out non-league play on Tuesday, December 19, traveling to Bradley for a 12:00 p.m. EST contest.
