PEORIA, Ill. – The Cleveland State women's basketball team finished its non-league slate at Bradley Tuesday afternoon, picking up a 67-65 victory to finish with an 8-3 record in non-league action – one of the best records in recent years.
Cleveland State vs. Bradley Box Score
Game Stats
· Khayla Livingston led the Viking offense with 30 points, while Ashanti Abshaw added 21 points.
· Shadae Bosley recorded 10 rebounds for the Vikings, while Olivia Voskuhl added eight and Mariah Miller posted six boards.
· As a team, the Vikings posted 10 steals, with Ashanti Abshaw and Khayla Livingston both recording four.
·The Vikings outrebounded Bradley 39-35, including 15 offensive boards.
Game Notes
· Tuesday's win kept the Vikings perfect against Bradley in program history, owning a 2-0 advantage in the series.
· Cleveland State finished its non-league schedule with an 8-3 record – just the third time under head coach Kate Peterson Abiad that the Vikings have finished non-league play with eight wins.
· Cleveland State has now won six of its last seven games.
· Tuesday's game was Bradley's annual Kids Day Game – with the Vikings now owning a 2-0 record when playing in Kids Day Games this season.
· Khayla Livingston recorded a career-high with her 30 points against Bradley, and recorded her second 20-point game of the season.
· With her 10 rebounds against Bradley, Shadae Bosley notched her first double-digit rebound game of the season.
· Shadae Bosley has now recorded at least one blocked shot in all but one game this season – and currently has 25 on the season.
The Game
After a back-and-forth first quarter, Cleveland State held a slight 23-22 advantage following the first 10 minutes of action, but quickly extended its lead over the opening minutes of the second frame.
The Vikings opened the second quarter with five straight points to gain a six-point lead at the 28-22 mark, holding the Braves off the board until the 6:21 mark. During the frame, Cleveland State outscored Bradley 13-6, gaining an eight-point lead heading into the halftime break.
Cleveland State was able to extend its lead on the opening play of the third quarter, with Khayla Livingston converting a three-pointer and the ensuing free throw after she was fouled on the shot to gain a 40-28 lead. The Vikings' lead would then grow to 14 points at 42-28 following an Ashanti Abshaw layup, before Bradley was able to snap the Cleveland State scoring run. The two teams then traded baskets throughout the rest of the frame, with the Vikings holding a 52-44 advantage heading into the final quarter.
Over the first half of the fourth quarter, Bradley went on a 7-3 run to close the gap to just four points at 55-51, forcing a Cleveland State timeout at the 5:41 mark. Out of the timeout the Vikings forced a Bradley turnover, and then a Livingston layup on the other end snapped the BU scoring run and put the Vikings up 57-51 with 5:08 left to play.
Over the next 43 seconds the Braves were able to close the gap to two points at 57-55, but another Livingston three-pointer extended Cleveland State's lead back to 60-55 with 3:58 left on the clock. Over the final minutes of the quarter the Braves were able to close the gap once again at the 62-60 mark, but a pair of free throws from Livingston at the 0:46 mark put the Vikings back up by four at 64-60.
Bradley was then able to convert a three-pointer on the next trip down the floor to come within one point at 64-63, but another 2-for-2 effort from the free throw line from Abshaw gave the Vikings a 66-63 advantage with just 11 seconds left to play. Although the Braves were able to put another jumper on the board during their next possession, another Abshaw free throw sealed the win for the Vikings and gave Cleveland State the 67-65 victory.
CSU Career Record Book
· With 21 points against Bradley, Ashanti Abshaw moved into 11th place in the CSU Career Record Book with 1,269 total points, and became just the 13th Viking all-time to eclipse 1,250 points.
· After posting two assists at Bradley, Khayla Livingston now ranks ninth in the CSU Career Record book with 319 career helpers.
· With six three-pointers on the game, Khayla Livingston moved into fourth place in the CSU Career Record Book with 169 career three-pointers.
Up Next
· Cleveland State will begin Horizon League play after the Holiday Break, hosting Oakland on Thursday, December 28 in the #HLWBB opener.