Contact: Renee Adam
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CHICAGO, Ill. - Cori Coleman nailed her fifth three-pointer of the contest with 11 seconds left in regulation, and the Cleveland State women's basketball team went on to outscore UIC 17-13 in overtime to earn a 73-69 victory Wednesday evening at the UIC Pavilion. The contest was the Horizon League opener for both teams, as the Vikings improve to 9-5 (1-0) on the season, while UIC falls to 4-10 (0-1).
For the fifth time this season Cleveland State had four players score in double-digits, led by Shalonda Winton and Kiersten Greenwho each notched double-doubles. Winton posted a team-high 25 points and 15 rebounds, while Green posted her first-career double-double with 11 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. Coleman tallied 18 points, including a career-high five three-pointers, with Honesty King adding 10 points.
After going into halftime tied at 30-30, the two teams kept it close throughout the first eight minutes of the second half, until UIC was able to go on a 13-2 run over a seven-minute span, gaining an 11-point advantage (54-43) with 4:58 left to play. CSU responded with a 10-0 run of its own - all 10 points coming from Winton who scored 16 of her 25 points in the second frame - to come within one point at 54-53 with 57-seconds left on the clock.
On the next possession, UIC converted two free throws to take a three-point lead (56-53) with only 24-seconds left in regulation, but after a Viking timeout Coleman nailed her fifth three-pointer of the game to force overtime - CSU's first overtime contest of the season.
The two teams traded baskets throughout the first 2:16 of overtime, before Green hit her lone shot from behind the arc at the 2:05 mark to give the Vikings a three-point lead that they would hold on to for the rest of the game. Four points from Green and two from Haley Schmitt over the next 1:33 gave CSU its largest lead of overtime at 69-60, and the Vikings converted all four free throws in the final moments of overtime to earn the four-point win.
Along with setting a career-high in rebounds, Green also recorded a career-best eight assists and tied her career-high with five steals against the Flames. Schmitt added six points and three rebounds for the Vikings, while Adesuwa Aideyman notched the first three-pointer of her career, converting her lone field goal of the night.
The Vikings will continue league play this Saturday (Jan. 12), when they host Detroit at 2:00 p.m. Saturday's contest will be a doubleheader with the men's team, as they will also take on the Titans at 4:30 p.m. following the women's game.
