HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Behind a pair of 20-point performances from Ashanti Abshaw and Khayla Livingston the Cleveland State women's basketball team got back on the winning track Monday, picking up a 70-65 victory at Northern Kentucky. The Vikings are now 12-6 overall and 4-3 in Horizon League action.
Cleveland State vs. Northern Kentucky Box Score
Game Stats
· Khayla Livingston and Ashanti Abshaw both finished with 20-point performances, Livingston with 25 points and Abshaw with 23 points.
· Olivia Voskuhl added 10 points for the Vikings.
· The trio of Olivia Voskuhl, Rachel Slaney and Mariah Miller all posted five rebounds on the game.
· As a team, the Vikings recorded 17 assists, including six from Khayla Livingston and Olivia Voskuhl.
· Cleveland State tallied 10 steals on the game, including three from Ashanti Abshaw.
· Four different Vikings recorded blocked shots on the game, including two from Olivia Voskuhl and Rachel Slaney, and one from Jade Ely and Mariah Miller.
· The Vikings shot 47-percent from the floor on the night (27-for-57).
Game Notes
· Khayla Livingston tied her career-high with seven made three-pointers.
· Olivia Voskuhl tied her career-high with six assists on the game.
· With 25 points, Khayla Livingston recorded her fifth 20-point game of the season.
· Ashanti Abshaw notched her 11th 20-point game of the year after finishing with 23 against NKU.
· The Vikings snapped a two-game losing skid, posting their sixth win out of the last eight games.
· Monday's game marked the third and final game of a three-game roadswing for the Vikings – and was the third game over a five-day span for Cleveland State.
The Game
After a back-and-forth first half, the Vikings were able to go into the halftime break with a 32-29 advantage after a Khayla Livingston three-pointer with just five seconds left on the clock.
The Vikings were able to extend their lead to five points at 34-29 at the start of the third quarter with a Jade Ely layup, and the two teams then traded baskets over the next eight minutes, with the Vikings holding a slight advantage until the final minute of the frame. To close out the quarter, the Vikings went on a 7-2 run, including another Livingston three-pointer as time expired, to extend their lead to 54-46 heading into the final 10 minutes of action.
Throughout the opening minutes of the fourth quarter the Vikings were able to gain a double-digit advantage, going on a 7-1 run to gain a 61-49 lead at the 6:17 mark. Cleveland State was then able to hold onto its sizeable lead over the next few minutes, until the Norse worked their way back into the contest with 6-0 run that ended at the 1:05 mark at put the score at 68-65 Cleveland State.
The Vikings were able to hold the advantage over the final minute of play though, and added a pair of Rachel Slaney free throws over the final seconds to clinch the victory. On Northern Kentucky's final possession the Vikings made a good defensive stop, and a Slaney defensive rebound put her on the line to secure the five-point victory.
CSU Career Record Book
· With seven three-point field goals at Northern Kentucky, Khayla Livingston moved into second place in the CSU Career Record Book with 193 career three-pointers.
· After posting six assists against the Norse, Khayla Livingston became the sixth Viking all-time to eclipse 350 career helpers, and now ranks fifth in the CSU Career Record Book with 353 assists.
· Ashanti Abshaw became the ninth Viking all-time to eclipse the 1,400-point mark for their career, ending the game with 1,402 points.
Up Next
· Cleveland State will return home for a single contest this weekend, hosting Youngstown State at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 20.
