CLEVELAND, Ohio – Behind a trio of 21-point performances from Ashanti Abshaw, Khayla Livingston and Olivia Voskuhl, the Cleveland State women's basketball team picked up an upset victory Thursday evening, earning a 71-60 win over No. 19 Green Bay. With the win, the Vikings improve to 18-8 overall this season and 10-5 in Horizon League action.
Cleveland State vs. Green Bay Box Score
Game Stats
· The trio of Ashanti Abshaw, Khayla Livingston and Olivia Voskuhl all recorded 21 points against the Phoenix.
· Khayla Livingston notched 10 assists on the game, while Ashanti Abshaw added five.
· Olivia Voskuhl grabbed six rebounds, while Khayla Livingston added five boards.
· As team, the Vikings recorded 11 steals, including three from Olivia Voskuhl and Ashanti Abshaw.
· The Vikings shot 52-percent from the floor, and held Green Bay to a .361 clip – one of its lowest performances from the field on the season.
· Cleveland State also shot 59-percent from three-point, going 13-for-22 from behind-the-arc.
Game Notes
· Thursday's win marked the first victory for the Vikings over Green Bay since the 2009-10 season and just the sixth win against the Phoenix in program history.
· The Vikings handed Green Bay just its third loss of the year and its second in league action.
· Entering Thursday's game, Green Bay was ranked 19th nationally while Green Bay was also the top-ranked mid-major team.
· Cleveland State has now won six of its last seven games and improved to 10-3 when playing at home this season.
·The Vikings reached 18 wins for just the second time over the last seven seasons.
· Cleveland State has now recorded double-digit Horizon League wins for the sixth time under head coach Kate Peterson Abiad.
· Khayla Livingston recorded her first double-double of the season with 21 points and 10 assists, with the 10 assists marking a career-high.
· Olivia Voskuhl tied her career-high with 21 points, posting her second 20-point game of the season.
Olivia Voskuhl – 1,000 Career Points
· With her 21 points against Green Bay, Olivia Voskuhl eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for her career, finishing the game with 1,008 career points. Voskuhl is the 29th Viking all-time to record 1,000 career points and the third current Viking joining Ashanti Abshaw and Khayla Livingston.
The Game
After a back-and-forth start to the contest, Cleveland State was able to distance itself midway through the first quarter when the Vikings went on an 8-1 run to gain a 19-11 advantage. The Vikings then went on to close out the first frame with a 22-17 lead.
The Vikings continued this momentum throughout the second frame, and even extended their lead to double-digits at 35-23 following a Khayla Livingston three-pointer. During the first half, the Vikings went 9-for-12 from behind-the-arc, including a perfect 3-for-3 effort from Livingston.
Over the final minutes of the first half, Green Bay posted back-to-back baskets to come within nine points at 37-28 heading into the halftime break.
Just 14 seconds into the third quarter the Vikings were able to regain a double-digit lead following an Ashanti Abshaw free throw, and went on to hold this advantage until the 6:51 mark. During the middle part of the third frame, Green Bay was able to work its way back into the contest, closing the gap to six points at the 48-42 mark, but a 7-0 run from the Vikings put Cleveland State back in charge with a 55-44 advantage.
Heading into the fourth and final frame, Cleveland State held a 57-49 lead, and a Livingston jumper on the opening possession put the Vikings back up by 10 at 59-49. The Phoenix weren't done yet though, as Green Bay once again was able to climb back into the contest and come within five points at 61-56 with 4:37 left to play.
Despite the Green Bay run, the Vikings closed out the contest with the momentum, posting a 10-4 run over the final 3:30 to pick up the 11-point victory over 19th ranked Green Bay.
Up Next
· Cleveland State will host Milwaukee in its final home game of the season on Saturday, February 17 with tipoff set for 1:00 p.m.