VIDEO: Kate Peterson Abiad Postgame
CHICAGO, Ill. - Despite four players scoring in double-figures, the Cleveland State women's basketball team came up short at UIC Saturday afternoon, falling to the Flames, 83-78. The Vikings are now 8-11 on the season and an even 3-3 in league play.
Kiersten Green finished with a team-high 19 points, while Imani Gordon added 17, Cori Coleman notched 13, and Olivia Voskuhl added 11. Gordon also tallied a team-high seven rebounds, while Green and Voskuhl each added five.
After going into the halftime break trailing by eight, 39-31, the Vikings opened the second period on a 5-0 run to close the gap to just three points at the 39-36 mark with 18:45 left to play. The Flames responded with an 11-3 run of their own over the next 2:21, extending their lead to double-digits at the 50-39 mark.
For the next 10 minutes UIC held at least a six-point lead, until the Vikings were able to climb their way back into the contest and close the gap to three points with exactly four minutes remaining. CSU was able to close the gap following a 12-4 run which included a perfect 5-for-5 effort from the free throw line and ended on a Khayla Livingston three-pointer.
The two teams then traded baskets over the next 2:22, as Cleveland State pulled within three points three more times, before UIC closed out the contest on a 5-3 run – with all five of their points coming from the free throw line. UIC's 5-for-6 performance from the free throw line in the closing seconds gave the Flames the five-point victory.
For the contest, the Vikings shot 46-percent from the floor (26-for-56), including a .536 clip during the second half (15-for-28). CSU forced UIC into 13 turnovers and then turned them into 22 points on the offensive end.
Coleman, who went 3-for-5 from three-point tonight, now ranks 10th in program history with 123 made three-pointers in her career.
The Vikings will close out their busiest stretch of the season Monday evening (Jan. 27), traveling to Valparaiso for an 8:05 p.m. EST contest.
